The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-09-22
JUDGES HokE AND JUSTICE
CONTEST FGR SUPREME COURT
JUDGEsHfP WILL BE WARM.
Proposed Lease of the A. and \. C.
Road Still Discussed-NO Trace OF
ESCAPED COnvicts-Treasurer Lacy
Speaks in Favor OF a Railroad
Messenger Bureau,

Raleigh, n. e., September -.
It is very evident now that there is
going TO be a very interesting contest
between Judges Hoke and Justice for
the western supreme court judgeshlp.
Both are superb men. Judge Hoke
has. for years been considered one OF
the finest judges North Carolina has
ever had. Judge Justice was one OF
the best liked and sOundest men ever
in a North Carolina legislature. 1t is
said that it is due probably more to
him than any other man that the time
for the preparation OF voters under
the grandfather clause was extenCed to
1908.
There continues to be no end of talk
about the Atlantic and North Carolina
railway and it's possible lease. When
this road was built the state issued
bonds in aid of it. These issues were
made as follows: January l. 1856, 1888,
600; January l, 1857, $266O0o July l,
1851. s267 800: October I, 1851, 100000
1t seems that of these original bones
$210,000 have neI er been presented -Gt
redemption at the state treaSury. and
il appears further tnat they must
have been lost. probably during the
civil war. Ore bond came in the
other day for redemption, being the
second presented since Treasurer
Lacys term of office began. These
bonds were redeemed at the rate of
40 cents on the dollar. The state has
paid interest on them Tor many years
at the rate of 4 per cent, they being
now among what is known as the con-
SOlida ted debt.
The state today PERMITTED the do
mesticatiOn of the Carolina MOnaZite
Company, which was CHARTERED in New
Jersey but which row becomes a
North Carolina corporation with head
quarters at Shelby, the capital stock
being $4,000 and Sidney Wrenn and
others OF Philadelphia being the stock
holders. The company is dCmesticated
under Chapter 755, acts 1903. and not
under the Craig act. which the su-
preme court has declared invalid.
State Treasurer Lacy is making
speeches in Nash and Green counties,
in the interest Ct the proposed Raj
eigh and Pamlico Sound railway.
State '--0erintendent Joyner has re-
turned from HertfOrd county. where
he spoke at st. Johns, one of the old
est places in the state and where there
is a ruinous little school house. The
people there met after the speaking
month to raise funds for a, good build
ing.
The penitentIary authorities say they
cannot find trace Of DravtOn Medlin,
the murderer. and A. V. Rice, the
thief, who escaped last SUNDAY. These
men were in the chapel at 5 p. m. At
6 p. m. they had disappeared. The
search for them still continues AS
the authorities say they were either
aided to escape or thev are yet in the
prison. So even yet the search inside
the prison is not ended. Medlin was
a cotton mill superintendent and muir
dered the mill owner in CASTOR county.
He was sentenced to be hanged, hut
appealed, got a new trial and was
again convicted and sentenced to
death. He got his case a second time
before the supreme court. but the lat
ter affirmed the verdict in the lower
court. Governor Russell commuted the
sentence to life imprisonment. Medlin
was in charge of the prison electric
light plant Rice claimed to be by trade
an engineer.
Today the state got S5OO4 tax on the
Louisburg dispensary. the receipts of
which for six months were over S16,
0O0