Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1903-04-02
4 NEGRO RUNS hNUCk.
SAULSTON TOWNSHIP is THE
SCENE OF THE TROUBLE.
He Shoots Into a Crowd of White
Men and In Making His
Escape Causes Trouble
Along His Route. Fin
ally Captured and
Placed in Jail.

Saulston township in this county
was the scene of right much excite
ment last week. A negro man half
full of corn Whiskey and with load
ed shot gun in his hands, was going
through the neighborhOod shooting
at everybody he came across. The
negro, whose name is Grover Allen,
had been working for Mr.. Sam
Butts, in Saulston, for some months.
Thursday Mr.. George Coker, a
nelghbor of Mr.. Butts, had q work
spell and invited ali his neighbors to
help him. On such occasions the
host usually furnishes a good dinner
and plenty Of corn juice Mr.. Butts
could not attend the work spell that
day and he sent the negro Grover
Allenin his place. During the day
Allen got little lively and was Civ
ing the crowd an exhibition of his
circus qualifications. He was turn
ing sssummer saults" and when he
attempted to turn one backward he
fell and struck his head against an
axe, which made a slight wound.
This made the negro mad and he
accused Mr.. George Coker Of strik-.
ing him. After trying to raise a row
without success, the negro went back
to the home of Mr.. Butts and brcke
into the house through a window
and secured a double barrel breach
loading gun belonging to Mr.. Butts.
He then went out to a work shop
where Mr.. Butts was at work and
made him go into the house and get
what shells he had loaded. Mr.. Butts
at first refused, but the negro leveled
the gun on him and threatened to
shoot if Mr.. Butts refused or made
any noise to attract attention.
After he had secured the shells the
negro went back to where he had
lett the crowd at work in the field at
Mr.. Coker's. When he came upon
the crowd he commanded "every-
body bow down but the man that
struck me-" When he raised his
Gun to shoot it is needless to say that
the crowd bowed. Some Of them
ran off while others fell fat on the
ground. After giving his command
he pulled the trigger and four men
were slightly wounded. These were
George Corl5er, Fl. J. Smith, Geo.H.
Smith, Jr., and Sol Matthews. The
gun was loaded with bird shot,
which scattered in every direction.
And then the long distance from
where the negro was standing made
it impossible for him to do much
damage.
After he shot into the crowd he
turned around and walked off rapidly
before the smoke cleared away. The
report or the shooting, soon spread
throughout the neighborhood, which
is rather thickly settled, and soon
there were fifty men on horseback
armed with all the artillery that
could be found. They put out after
the negro and captured him about
three miles from the scene. While
on bis way through the plantation of
Isaac Lewis, the negro shot at dog
belonging to Lewis and few stray
shots struck Lewis and his wife, who
were standing in the yard at the
time. A short distance further the
negro held up white man on the
road and threatened to shoot him.
This man had a shooting iron with
him and prepared to defend himself.
The negro replaced his gun on his
shoulder and continued his journey
until overtaken by his pursuers. He
was surrounded and captured with
but little resistance. If he had at
tempted to use his gun there were
more than 25 triggers that were only
waiting light pressure to seal his
doom. He surrendered and gave up