The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-05-29
WILSON AFFAIRS.
Blue outlook for the Tobacco and
Cotton CrOpS-NO Special Term of
Court to Try Percy Jones' ~SIayers.
Sing Lee Badly Injured.
Especial to The MeSSenger.)

(Speclal 10 Inc M~eSSenSer.)
Wilson, y. c.. May 23.-Your corre-
spondent went for a drive yesterday
over quite a portion of Wilson county
for the purpose of seeing and talking to
the farmers on the crop outlook. Unless
there is a good rain within the next few
days Wilson county will have the poor
est crop in it's history. Very few farm
ers are done planting tobacco and what
has been planted is no good. 1t is
small and shows no sign Of making the
size tobacco which is generally pro-
duced in his section. Many Of the
farmers were interviewed and all say
that unless there IS a general rain
within the next few days they will not
be able to plant a crop of obacco. In
many instances they are not through
planting and in some cases Where the
planting was early the plants nave
nearly ell died from the lack of rain.
The cotton are very poor.
While the crop, as a rule, has been
planted a very poor stand has been
secured and in many cases cotton
has been ploWed up and planted in
corn. Cotton planted soon after the
end of the wet spell is looking very
well, but the acreage of his planting
is very small. Farmers have not been
able to plant until abou three weeks
g and there having been no rain here
of any since hat time.
Many of the farmers have only about a
half a stand.
The talk of a special term of court to
try the men being held for the murder
of Percy Jones will amount to nothing.
A party who cam efrom Raleigh yes
terday asked the governor if a special
term would be ordered and the COVER
nor said nc special term had been asked
for. 1t has been the custom in Wilson
to get the accused out out on bail n
then let the matter drag itself to death
in the courts. But the finding Of the
grand jury of a true bill for murder,
against the eleven men has made their
progress a little more difficult than is
usually the case. 1t is believed that a
cuort of habeaS corpus will be sworn
out soon and an effort made to a V
the parties allowed bail.
Money sufficient to complete the new
Methodist church has been raised
among the members and work will be-
gin on the structure in a few days. The
building was begun two years ago, but
for the lack of funds no work has been
done on it for the last year. Sufficient
money to finish the building has been
in hand for several weeks. but owing
to the large amount of building being
done in Wilson the contractor has as
yet been unable to secure labor.
Quite a little excitement vas caused
here yesterday by a report hat q
Chinese laundryman had been killed on
GoldSboro street. 1t seems hat a
young man named Thos. Sanders. who
works for Hooking Bros. went to the
laundry to get his clothes. He had lost
his tickle and the Chinaman would not
give Sanders anything, but told him to
get his ticket. Words followed and in
the excitement Sing Lee started for
Sanders with a piece of iron pipe. But
he had run III against a fighter. Sam
GerS took the pipe away from the
Chinaman and struck him several
blows yer the head. His condition was
considered serious last night and San
ders vas put under ono for his ap-
pe2rance this morning.
The remains of DR.. J.. X. Ruffin. who
died here very suddenly last night,
weer carried to kinstOn this afternoon
for burial. Quite a large number of his
friends ACCOMPANIED the remains.