The semi-weekly messenger., 1903-05-08
THE NEW BERN SHOOTING
Detailed Account of the Tragedy
Aboard the Wilmington Excursion


The Messenger yesterday contained
a special dispatch from New Bern CIV
Ing an account of the killing in that
city by the police of negro. Geo. Van,
who at the time was on the excursion
train bound for this city. The negro
was supposed to have fatally shot a
young white man named Green. Yes
terday's New Bern Journal gave th-
following account of the affair:
"a fatal SHOOTING occurred on board
the Wilmington excursion train Monday
night about H. 80 in which George Van,
alias George Avant, alias Tuck ne
gro. was shot and instantly killed by
some unknow person. The killing
took place as the train had almost
reached the city limits. 1t was caused
by an attempt of the mans friends ts
prevent his arrest. Officer Lupton being
on the train WITH. a warrant for him. He
was charged in the warrant with having
shot Tom Green earlier in the night.
Van had prepared himself to resist ar
rest and is said to have made the boast
that it would take more than one police
man to arrest him. He was surround
ed and protected by his colored COM
rades and was ostensibly on his way to
Wilmington, although he did not come
with the eXcurSioniStS.
Officer Lupton was assisted by ex-
Policeman Breck Dixon, who had been
IN ha1
the train TO look for Van, but had some
trouble in locating him. After sighting
him and placing him under arrest, Mr..
Lupton had a severe tussle with him
but had succeeded in getting him nearly
out of the car when there came a fusil-
lade of bullets. Eight or ten shots were
fired and in the melee Van received a
bullet in the mouth which penetrated
the brain, causing instant death. At
the same time Mr.. Dixon was shot in
the thigh. His wound is not regarded
as serious
| Unless some one cOnfeSseS, the per-
son who fired the fatal shot or who fired
| was accidental or not will never ha
known, as the confusion prevented
making any investigation.
stopped and the passengers scattered.
Some jumped off the train and some
went into the other car. They were a
| thoroughly scared bunch of people. Mr..
Lupton took the dead man off the train
and left the remains by the side of the
| track.
| "Chief of Police Hargett who was in
the vicinity of the train heard the
\ oh RI ha nd
seeing that the situation was critical and
| that a riot might occur ordered the
! conductor to proceed with his train.
| Had this not been done there might
! have been d general fight and a terrible
| tragedy taken place.
"It is important to return to the cause
| Of the affair. AS has been stated Van
had been placed under arrest for shoot
| ing Tom Green. Yesterdays Journal
stated that the young man was shot and
seriously wounded. This was proved
not to be the case, but the chief and
police officers had all been led to believe
that he had been shot and were look
| ing for him until 2 o'clock Tuesday
morning when he was found asleep at
| his boarding house. When located there
he told the officers that he had started
|
| and had disappeared in order that Van
| could not find him as he believed ne
| would do him harm. Had Green been
| found before 11:30 that night the affair
| might not have happened.
| Van had a character that needed
| sandpapering and trimming quite a
[ good deal. He was a thoroughly bad
| man and had recently been released
| from a term in the penitentiary, having
| robbed a farmer of a sum of money He
| had formerly lived in Wilmington but
| recently had been a resident of this
| city, but following no profession or
| trade.
| THE coroner's jury empanelIed rem
| dered the verdict that the deceased
| came to his death at the hands Of per-
| son or persons unknown who were at
| tempting to prevent his arrest
| 'Officer Lupton deserves much credit
for his energetic prosecution in locating
| and arresting a dangerous criminal He
| is a good detective and a brave officer.
| His services should be appreciated by
| the citzens.'