The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-11
Whiteville, n. c.. Aug. s, 1908.

Messenger Staff Correspondence
The second day of the trial Of the
Registers has ended. 1t developed
strong evidence against the defendants,
bu- especially so against label Register,
and it will take considerable evidence
to counter balance the scale. The state
has played its trump card in the testi-
mony of Cross Edmondson, the young
white man who some time ago confess
ed to being a party to the awful crime.
His testimony alone would not be suf-
tain the charge made by the state. but
it has not been offered alone, but sim
ply as a strong center link of chain of
corroborative circumstances which
counsel for the state are forging. SO
far. and in all probability such is i'm
possible, there has been no corrobora-
ton of EdmOndSOn's statement as to
the actual commission of the deed, but
he and label Register are being closely
associated together on the day before
and the day of the tragedy by numerous
witnesses, some of whom have testified
to many suspicious circumstances.
Counsel for the state are presenting
their case in an able manner.
At the session today both sides fought
stubbornly, and counsel for the defence
subjected each witness to a severe
cross-examination.
From the trend of the cross-eXamina-
ton it looks as though the defence in
tends to charge Edmondson with the
commission of the crime, with Coleman
Smith, the negro first suspected as be-
ing implicated in the murder and who
is now in jail, a probable accessory.
AS yesterday the town has been
crowded all day with people and the in
as the weather, which is at fever heat.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
After the usual formaities attendant
upon the convening of court the wit
nesses for the state, to the number of a
| score or more, were called and sworn.
The first witness was John Manning,
| white, and was introduced by the state
for the purpose of locating Jesse Soles
and Jim Staley at the house of the
| former the day of the horrible tragedy
| He testified to having been at Soles'
| house about 4 o'clock Sunday after
noon March 29th last, and to have seen
there Soles, Staley and two negroes
| J. N Smith and Coleman Smith. The
| last named is now in JAIL having been
a. first suspected of being implicated
| in the crime.
| By ross-eXamining counsel for the
| defence virtually established the fact
| that Soles had conducted a blind tiger
at his house, as the witness testified
| to having purchased whiskey there fol
medicinal purposes several times. They
| also attempted to show that Soles and
| his companions were carousing that
| day, but in this failed, as the witness
| stated that only one drink was taker
by each save Soles, and that the party
| was 'all right"
| BODIES IDENTIFIED.
The next witness was W. A. j
Soles, a brother of the murdered man
He is a man Of gigantic size and dur
iug the first part of his recital was Wis
IDLY affected.
He said that he saw his brother alive
last about a week before the tragedy
About midnight of the fateful day he
told of seeing a small light at the house
of his brother, Jesse Soles, about {
mile from his own home. Next morning
he went to his brothers and there hi
vision was greeted by the snouldering
ruins of the house. On the ground, tn
flooring having been completely burn
ed away, he made the ghastly discOv
err of two skeletons, lying four or five
feet away from the fireplace. The skel
eton of his brother he identified by {
bunch of keys, which were lying besid
the skeleton as if having fallen out o
a right hand pants pocket. He Wa
positive of the identity of the keys, a
he had seen them before and then fitteC
| them successfully to different lock-
! found among the ruins.
Staley'S skeleton he denified by sleev
buttons that had been possessed by tn
deceased. The buttons were lyinj
near the skeletons skull, which wa
crushed in and over which was throw
a fieshless arm.
That the motive for the deed ha
been robbery was shown by the testi