davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
SIR WALTER ON GHOSTS
81 Do Not Believe My Own Expert
ence Would Concert Me-"

One of the letters written by Sir
Walter Scott to his valued friend, Mrs.
Hughes, published in the August Cen
fury, says, among some personal chat:
Dear Mrs. Hughes . . Your re-
collection is very vivid & I doubt not
sufficiently correct; still it falls short
Of legal testimony; the recollection Of
our childhood on such a topic as that
of ghosts & COLLINS is apt 70 be
strangely mixed with e~Xaggeratlons, a
sort Of embroidery which your fancy
is apt to to lend such strong colour
ing as niSleadS ever its owners. Our
law has wisely l think introduced a
prescription of crimes, from the idea
that human testimony becomes unset
tied by the lapse of time & would be
directed more by the Imagination thar
the absolute recollection. / therefore,
my dearest lady, paying the utmost
credit to your testimony, yet the oc-
currence of so old q date must not
alter my doubts; it Wilma believe for
me. 1t would be very curious to see
the Ghost diary properly certified. but
on my word 1 cannot believe it ever
to have had an existence; the story
is never old the same way, though
there is a kind of general resemblance
I do not believe my own eXDe-
rience would convert me; though L
might tremble I would reverse The part
played by the devils and certainly net
believe. l wish you would write Down
Mrs. Ricketts, story as we'll as you re-
member it. Every such story on re-
| spectacle foundation is a chapter N
the history of the human mind. Still
l think the balance of evidence pre-
ponderates SO heavily upon the side Of
imputing all such appearances to ma
tural causes that the mysterious
| stories Wilma believe for me-" | am
| sorry for it; / liked the thrill thai at
| tended the influence of these tales, &
| wish l were able to wander back
| through the mazes of Mrs. Radcriff s
romances. But alas! l have been SO
long both a reader and writer Of such
| goodly matters that
"Dourness familiar to my siaughterous
thoughts
| Cannot cen Startle me-"
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
WHO DID IT?
Body of e Man Found Yester-
day Morning AT the Foot of Daw-
son observation-disclosures Lead to
Discovery of a Tragedy-Had Been
Dead for Some Days-COroner's
Inquest Held.

After having been slain for about a
negro man. As years Of age. was dis
covered yesterday morning. At first it
was thought that the negr had been
drowned and washed ashore, as the
body was lying face downward in shall
low water at the foot of Dawson street.
but an investigation revealed the
CHASTITY and horrible fact that murder
had been committed.
Yesterday morning about Z o'clock an
old negro man. who works Oh n of
the river sharpies, discovered the body
at a point near the Spirittine Works. He
Immediately notified the proper au-
thorities and DR.. c.. D. Bell, the coro-
ner, was asked to go and view the
body. However, due to the we'll known
misunderstanding between the coroner
and the county commissioners relative
to the authority of the former to view a
body unless an affidavit is made re-
questing him to do SO, that official de-
Clined the eQueS
Yesterday afternoon the county su-
p~erintendent of health. DR.. w. D.. Nc
MILAN, was sent to view the body, but
without disturbing it he saw at once
that it was a case for the coroner and
so reported it to the commissioners.
Then. DR.. Bell was authorized by the
commissioners to investigate the case.
This he did and upon turning the body
over in making the examination he dis
covered that the negrOs' throat had
been cut from ear to ear and that
there were knife stabs in his chest.
DR.. Bell Immediately proceeded to
lmpanel a jury and held the usual in
quest, after the body lac been identi-
fed as that of Charles Owens.
No testimony could be obtained. so
the jury had TO be governed entirely by
indications. which resulted in the YER
dict that the deceased came to his
death by wounds inflicted in the
throat and neck by a party or parties
unknown"
The jury was composed of Messrs. G.
r. Anderson fOreman). Joe Landars.
NJ. M. Haney, Henry Davis, Joe Kirk
ham and E. Williams.
The case is evidently one of murder.
as a suicide theory cannot be enter
tanned on account Of the locations of
the Wounds and the absence of a knife
! Or razor. Malice could have been the
only motive for the deed. as the pockets
of the negro'S clothes had not been
rifled, and besides he was a man hard
~ ever known to nave money in his
possession, no matter how small the
| amount.
h state of the body showed plain
ly that the crime was committed prob
ably a week ago. Then it was that the
| negro was last seen by his mother
Catharine Owens. with whom he lived
on the corner of Eighth and Nun
streets. He was a married man and
his wife, Annie Owens, is still living.
The body was buried late yesterday
| afternoon.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

hat purpose with all the prescribed
precautions. Otside were the governor
and marshal of the conclave assisted by
the captains Of the guard. The apos-
taIic prothonotaries and two sons OF
Primo Chigi acted as witnesses.
The record OF the admittance of Mon
signcr Marin was officially recorded in
a formal document which will be placed
in the archives.
One OF the daily sights at the Vatican
Q is the arrival of the Nun who, Car
dinal Vaszary, Prince-Archbishop of
Grand, n primate of the Hungary,
brought with him from Hungary to act
as his cook. Cardinal Vaszay is the
wealtniest of the cardinals and is re-
puted 20 have an income Of $500, 600 an
nually. He desired to have his COO
enter the conclave, but the presence of
women being forbidden by all the rules
has arranged TO have her coo his din
ner outside and bring it daily TO the
Sistine chapel. She comes daily in a
Gao escorted by two Hungarian soldiers
in Uniform.
Those who are superstitious are stat
ing that as the conclave opened on st.
Ignatius Loyola day it will probably
close tomorrow, the day of st. Dominic,
one of the fighting saints in the calen-
dar, thus fulfilling the prophecy of St.
Malachai, who predicted that the motto
of the next pope would be 'Ignis Ar
denS.'
There are those who profess tonight
to believe that a pope has already been
elected, but that the fact is being kept
secret
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
Whistler's COurtship.

An interesting story reaches this
country by cablegram to the New
York Herald from London 1t reads
as follows:
Mr.. Labouchere in Truth, tells the
following anecdote Of James Mcneil
Whistler, which corrects certain apo
cryphal version of the late artists
marriage:
Il believe" writes Mr.. Labouchere,
L was responsible for his marriage
to the widow of Mr.. Goodwin. the ar
chitect. She was a remarkably pref
ty oma and very agreeable, and both
she and he were thorough Bohemians.
II was dining with them n some
others one evening at Earl's Court.
They We're obviously greatly attracted
to each other and in a vague sort Of
way they thought of marrying, so 1
took the matter in hand to bring
things to a practical point.
Jimmy / said, will o marry
Mrs. Goodwin
"'Certainly,' he replied.
Mrs Goodwin l said. will you
marry Jimmy?'
Certainly she replied.
'When?' l asked
"'Oh some day. said Whistler.
That won't do l said: we must
have a date
so they both agreed I should
choose the day, tell them what church
to come to for the ceremony, provide
a clergyman M give the bride away.
L fixed an early date and got them
the chaplain of the House of Commons
to perform the ceremony. L took
place a few days later. After the cere-
mony vas over We adjourned to Whist
ler's studio, where he had prepared y
banquet. The banquet was on the
table, but there We're no chairs, so we
sat on packing cases. The happy pair
when I left had not quite decided
whether they would go that evening 20
Paris or remain in the studio.
How impractical they We're was
shown when I happened to meet the
bride the day before the marriage ID
the street.
Don't forget tomorrow" l said.
No h replied; I am just going TO
buy my rousseau
"A little late for that; is it not?'
I asked.
mo she answered; for I am only
going to buy a tooth brush n a new
sponge. as one ought TO have new ones
when one marries.'
However. there was a more
successful marriage. They adored
each other and lived most happily to-
gether, and when she died he wa;
broken-hearted. indeed. He never re-
covered from the loss
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
GENERAL LEE on LYNCHING.

General FItzhugh Lee was in Kansas
City one day last week. He was in
t~erviewed on the subject of lynchiHs.
He expressed his views in the follow
ing words
L don't believe in lynching. No
body believes in l%ynching. Be carefuf
that you get that right. Nobody does.
However. there is one of the objects
attained by lynching that is seldom
considered. If a man. say a negro,
shall assault a Oma perhaps ON
very dear relative of yiurs. he has got
to be killed or arrested. If his negro
is arrested after his crime and *
brought into the court room. the Wo-
man. the one who has suffered al
ready, Is the principal witness. She
must appear. and perhaps undec the
cross examination of lawyers. relate
even the details of the assault, thus
subjecting her to humiliation 10 an eX-
treme degree.
In the above General Lee voiced the
sentiments Of nine-tenths Of the men
not only OF the south. but of the
whole country 1t is the horror of this
idea Of the unfortunate woman being
brought INTO the presence of the court
and being made 10 recount h@r fear
full experience before a crowd Of men
assembled 10 satisfy their disgusting
curiosity that : the friends Of the
brute's victim to take the law into
their own hands in cases wher" they
know that there : no chance for the
guilty one to escape execution At the
hands OF the law if he is allowed It.
stand a trial. II is this more than
the thirst for vengeance which causes
the lynching of such criminals. While,
as General Lee says no one believes
in Iynching. it IS going 10 continue 50
long as the crime continues to be COM
mitted. and those very people who de-
clare that they do not believe in lynch
ing in the abstract. would. We're &C
casion to arise. assist in lynching the
fiend under the circumstances u by
General Lee.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
Cleveland Won't Discuss Politics..

Chicago, Aug. 3.-James H. Eckels,
who extended the invitation to ex-
President Cleveland on behalf of the
commercial club to be the club's guest
mex October. has received a letter
from Mr.. Cleveland definitely fixing the
date as the fourteenth. In the course
of the letter abiding to the report that
had been spread that Mr.. Cleveland
was going to discuss politics in his
after dinner speech he says:
I wonder whether it cannot in some
way be given emphatically that in
what l say at the clubs dinner not a
word OF politics will cross my
lips and that nv so-called address will
be simply an a~fter-dinner talk Of prob
ably a half hour
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

So the Hawaiians hav already
grown tired of being a part of the
United States. The annexation fever
Uncle Sam drove the SpaniarGs out CT
Cuba and set the island of the Carjb-
bean up in housekeeping for itself.
Gov they think he should do the same
for the Pacific islands,. But they will
never get it. We are too closely akin
to the Britisher to ever turn loose n
territory we once get our hands On.
1t was a bitter pill TO many Of us
that we We're compelled to carry out
the pledge Of independence to the
Cubans.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
Who He Was,

Peter a. 3. Widener, the PhiIadel-
phia %financier, is so immersed in bust
ness that he does not often find time
to wander over the grounds of his
magnificent country place. Lynwood
Hall, which is decidedly the show
place Of Pennsylvania, says the New
York Tribune.
One day. however. Mr.. Widener had
an hour of idleness and stroIled
through his huge stables. In a cor
ner he came upon a little boy the
mead cOachman's SON at play with a
for terrier. The financier and the
child admired the terrier for a while
together and then. for some reason,
Mr.. Widener said
DO you know who I ann"
Yes. sir" said the boy. 'of course
l do
well who am u"
Why, you're the man that rides in
my fathers carriage"
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
NEW WRINKLE IN NEWSPAPER
DOM.

The Evening Chronicle, of Charlotte,
opposes to start a new and remark
able feature in connection with It's
paper. It is nothing less han the
establishment Of an automobile line
between Charlotte and Concord for the
delivery OF its papers in the latter
town and at intermediate points. This
is newspaper enterprise with a vim.
We nope the scheme will be attempted
for we are curious to know how the
venture will turn out The Chronicle
has our best wishes for its success.
OF its proposed undertaking hat pa
per says:
The Chronicle makes the following
propositions: If the commissioners Of
Cabarrus and Mecklenburg counties
will agree TO grade n macadamiZe
the road between Concord ard Char
lotte and put it in good shape, the
Chronicle will establish an automobile
service between the two cities. An au-
tomobile will leave Charlotte for Con-
cord as soon as the issue of the
Chronicle comes from h press every
! afternoon. Returning, it will leave
Concord about s o'clock the next morn
ing for Charlotte, and will carry pas
| SenReTS ana PACKAGES, UOln SOlllS ana
| coming. The present railroad sched-
| ules do not permit of the Chronicle
| reaching Concord in good time, but
| with the proposed automobile service
| the people of Newell, Harrisburg and
| Concord can be served with an after
| noon . at an early hour in the
| afternoon. The road between the two
towns is at present not in good con-
dition but as soon as the commission
ers of the two counties remedy the
defect, the Chronicle will start this
service"
It will be seen from the above that
the Chronicle has been driven to this
proposed step by reason of poor mail
facilities. The Messenger can SYM
pathize with that paper in this mat
ter. We have but one suitable SEIZED
ule out of this city for a morning pa
per. The late our in the morning at
which trains on all the other lines
leave the city works great hardship
TO The Messenger, as we'll as to the
business interests of the city, bit Il
seems the matter canno be remedied.
Everything has been done that could
be to induce the railroads to give our
city better schedules, but in vain. The
present ones seem to suit the railroads
and that is, it seems, all that should
be expected.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
How to Make Silver and
Gold.

Merlin, Ore, August 81. La Rix,
and metallugist, has made sill
.vec from gold and develops a new
from slate from which he expects
to produce gold. From his notes which
We're scanned by the government in
spectors, it seems he has developed a
metal from commercial slate,
here, which has an affinity
the atom of gold and silver which
calls "RiXum."
The process consists Of a strong acid
solution combined with powerful cleo
tric currents and long exposures to
their action, causing the destruction of
a portion of the atom by electrical con
veyance into a similar solution of
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

1t seems that many of the North
Carolina negroes who went 10 New
York to better their condition have
been disappointed and are returning
TO their old homes. One hundred of
these arrived in Raleigh Saturday on
one train. We feel sorry for these
poor people. Their disappointment
must have been great. They expected
when they got to the north TO be
among friends, to receive high wages
the south and to have a good time
generally. They find the south the
best place for them and the southern
people their best friends.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
Perfect Bliss.

Williams table manners were MOTOR
iously bad-so bad that he was faceti-
ously accused of spelling the manners
OF a pet coon chained in the back yard.
says L~iDpincotts. He grirped his fork
as though afraid it was going to get
away from him, and he used it like a
nay-fork. Reproaches and e~ntreaties
were IN vain. His big sisters plead
ing, Please, William. don't eat like a.
pig made no impression upon him.
n day William and his bosom
friend. a small neighbor, dined alone.
and William was heard to say in a
tone of great satisfaction as he plant
ed tt elbows on the table, "say, Har-
~, they's nobody here but US. Let's
a like hogs and enjoy ourselves"
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
SALE OF LIQUOR IN DIsoRDERLI
HOUSES

To the police of Raleigh: You die
veil in arresting the proprietor OF one
disorderIv house who has feder@I II
cense TO sell liquor. There are two
others All three will be sent to he
roads If YOU do your ty.-Ne and
Observer.
Can't the Wilmington police 10 as
we'll as those Of Raleigh?It would not
he difficult to find out what disorder
" bouses in this city take out federal
license TO sell beer or whiskey.
It is q matter Of common belief in
this city that several of the disorderly
houses here hold federal license ara
selI beer.
No one is going to purchase a fed
eral license except for profession
against prosecution in the -ederaI
court for violation Of the inter
nal revenue law. Every one knows
that a person buying such license IN
tends to go into the business u SELL
ing beer or whiskey. There is much
more fear Of the federal courts Than
Of those of the state in such matters.
AS said above, it is easy TO nnd out
who have taken out such licenses n
not procured any from county ana
city. his information SHOULD De Sc
cured and placed IL the hands or me
police and they be instructed to press
the matter vigorously
The facts of securing a fedora! IL
cense n OF the purchase IN large
quantities of beer OF liquor should be
made by law prima facie evidence or
the sale Of the article, and 1T should
he made encumbent on the party ac-
cIsed TO show what lawful disposition
was made of it.
There is in force in Union county n
law which makes the possession Of
liquors over a certain quantity by any
one not licensed by county and cit!
prima facie evidence of the unlawfu
sale of the same, and the person
charged must show for what awful
nurpose he has this large amount OH
hand.
1t is extremely hard to prove the
actual unlawful sale Of liquor, and the
way to conviction of these vloiators
of the law should be made easier by
the above suggested amendment TO
the rules of evidence.
This selling Of beer or whiskey in
houses of i'll repute SHOULD be broken
up, and we believe it can be If gone
about in the right way.
Every person convicted of such of
tense should be sent to the county
Jail or the chain gang. Fines have nc
terror for them They are recoupeO
by a few days profits on beer at from
fifty to se~venty-fve cents a bottle
which costs about eight and . third
cents. Let it be understood that those
convicted of this Offense will surely sc
to prison for a good term and there
will be created q wholesome fear OF
the violation of the law by this elias:
of people.
The sale of liquor in houses of il
repute is this business in its worst
MN demOralizing to q com
munity and most debauching Of IN
young men. This is the lowest grad'
of unlawful liquor selling and it woul'
be a good idea for those opposed t.
all traffic in this article to begin a
this end OF the line before lnau
gurating a crusade against the mel
who conduct the business in a legal
wed manner. They could surelT 4
their community infinitely more goo
by suppressing this branch Of TN
traffic than the latter.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

Those I'VE kentuckians who had an
impromptu duel last week seemed 10
appreciate the difficulties the courts
of that state have in trying murder
cases. Therefore they very consider
ately relieved the courts Of all trouble
and witnesses of any embarrassment
they might feel in testifying against
the survivor, by each n killing the
other, so there could be no indictment
and trial for murder.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07
The Association Trial.

Georgetown, KY. Aug. 3.-The COM
monwealth announced itself ready
when the special term Of the Scott
circuit court. was convened to try eX-
Secretary Of State Power for the third
time on a charge of completely in the
e assassination.
The state will call about fftv wit
nesses. Among the defense witnesses
are about 80 who have never taken the
stand before in this case. Fullr a dozen
Of them were defense witnesses in the
last trial of James Howard.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

The Southern Railroad Company
has another suit on its hands-:nis
time by the conference Of the Metho-
dist Protestant church for trespassins
upon the lands recently purchased a.
Greensboro for the Methodist Profess
tant college. The Southern had begun
grading on this and for the purpose
of placing there its new shifting yard.
This Dad seems to be getting into hot
on all sides.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

IN Tell-Tale Smoke Still Emitted
From the Chimney of the Sistine
Chapel-The Secrecy Around the
Vatican is SO Profound That no
news of the Ballotting Gets Be
yOnd the Guards-ThOusands In
terested in The COncIave-Pictur-
esque Peasants.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

We We're in hopes the negroes in our
state had been taught a sufficient les
son to put a stop to the crime OF
criminal assault on White women, but
it seems not to be 50, from the ac-
counts in Sundays paper Of TWO
heinous offences committed, one near
Statesville. 1t is a d]eplorable state Of
affairs when a woman cannot be left
alone in her home without being in
danger of some black brute's villain
Gus assault, and the white people will
not put up with il.
The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-08-07

Honduras mas a revolution on tap.
but a. the belligeCents are railroad
bondholders it is not believed that the
hospital corps will be overworked.-
Washington Post.
The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-03-27
NEwsY cLsANINcs.

M0U0r omnibus services are proposed
Tor eight towns In New Zealand.
The official valuation Of the Philadel-
phla City Hall and grounds is $13,GOI,-
600.
The culrass, lance and helmet Of the
French cavalry are soon to be abol-
ished.
German girls are being strongly adj
vlscd in Berlin to seek husbands in
America.
Ecuador intends to have n worlds
fair as soon as the Guayaquil Railway
Is finished.
Italy's King is paying unusual at
tentiou at present to American Ambas-
sador Meyer.
The Russian censor Is more than or
dinarily busy with the examination Of
books from America.
Andrew Carnegie's offer of $4,000
for a library has been accepted by
Colorado Springs, Col.
The Ontario Jockey Club has decided
to make It's spring meeting twelve
days, from May % TO June 6.
General William Booth, commander
ln-chiei Of the Salvation Army, has in
spected the army posts at Atlanta, Ga.
The Minnesota House has passed
resolution asking Rear-Admiral Schley
to be the guest Of the State at st. Paul.
The Ordnance Department has been
notified that the fire in the Rock Island
arsenal did damage estimated at ST.
7C5,O00
Russia will send her Siberian exhib-
It's to the Worlds Fair at st. Louis
through the agency OF the East Chinese
Railroad.
A Home for COnsumptive Actors is
to be established at Manitou, Col, in
MIiramOnt Castle which was built in
1897 as a home for consumptive priests
but never occupied.
Peter Johnson, of Chicago, convicted
of using the mails to defraud former
Sheriff w. K. BurchineIl out Of ST.
5Ot, has been sentenced to the peniten-
tiaTy for fifteen months and fined
$1,000.