The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-16
HIS AGONIzED CRY RENDS
The HEAVY AIR Of NIGHT
Pistols Blaze and Their Sharp Reports Arous {
tie Startled Citizens of Wilson
From Slumber.

Jones borrowed a shot gun from Powell
Brothers, loaded it with No. shot and
took 1T to his room for protection. In
taking out the peace warrant Jones is
said to have told the magistrate that
Whitley was mad at him for indicting W.
/ p. Groom, friend of Whitley's for
cursing and abusing him.
| The testimony before the coroners jury
shows that some Of the parties under ar
rest were drinking before the trouble.
The opinion here is that the crowd did
not like Jones habits and only intended
to thrash him and run him out of town.
Reports also say that Jones had been
gambling at times with some men in the
party, and that he had won money under
suspicious circumstances, that this and
! his conduct with the negro women had
caused the self-constituted regulators to
wait on him.
Jones was about thirty-five years Old
six feet tall, weighed about 165 pounds.
was of ford complexion and smooth
shaven He had said that he was
nephew of Senator James X. Jones, char
man of the National Democratic Com
mittee and had property in Arkansas. 1t
is said that he is son of ex-State Senator
Jones, of Arkansas, and that brother of
his is now In the Arkansas State Uni
versity
| The parties charged with completely in
the murder were seen by police officers
and We're all arrested early this morning.
and it is limited that other arrests may
be made. After arrest they were placed
in charge of Sheriff Sharpe in the county
Jail, as the city lookup was too small 70
accommodate them.
| None of the parties arrested will talk,
acting on the advice of attorneys that they
| say nothing. On the streets there is talk
that whiskey led up to the act, and there
is among citizens of all classes deep re-
greet at the horrible affair, which adds to
the list of killings in Wilson, growing
alarmingly large. 1t is pointed out that
the men engaged in the crime are not
representative people at all, and that
liquor. cards and the affair with negro
women led up to the trouble.
Thank God that we will be rid of some
of these people and the open bar-rooms
, here when the dispensary goes into effect"
said a citizen These crimes make it
more possible for us at some time to put
an end to the cursed traffic entirely. It
OIOuSilC suffering u WILSON,
! for us to rid the town of it entirely"
Late this afternoon telegram was re-
ceived from Jones's brother saying, Take
care of the body and write particulars"
/ Still later another telegram come request
ing that the body be buried here.
THE CoRoNER'S INQUEST.
At the coroner's inquest beginning
shortly after two o'clock eight witnesses
were examined, while seven more are on
the list to be heard tomorrow.
/ The jury consisted of Messrs. Louis
Tomlinson B. f. Lane, d. S. Boykin,
Will Carr, David Woodland and j. T.
Bass. The witnesses examined were
Mr.. Winston Mccoy, Mr.. Jenkins, of the
Vienna Bakery; Mr.. r. E. Townsend, an
insurance man; Frank Felton, and w. p.
Snakenburg policeman; Ed Graves and
/ j. M. Leath, merchants.
Mccoy testified that Jones and told him
of his trouble with Groom and that he
saw Jones after he was shot, but Jones
knew more oil the party Jenkins told
of Jones telling him of his trouble with
Groom and that he had heard Piver say
Jones ought to be run out of town. He
said he had given Jones 81 small Win
chester and that Jones had also secured
shot gun from Ed. Powell
TOWNSEND testified as to the parties
who rented rooms in the Fryar building.
Policeman FELTON, testified that Policeman
Snakenburg had told him that parties
were talking of whipping Jones. That
after the shooting he saw several men run
out of the Fryar building and in the room
! found Jones on the floor in his night
clothes. He said he Thought he recognized
, IN the men who ran out John Allen, John
Pittman, Gil Ward and ]. B. Piyer. The
testimony of Snakenburg was along the
same line.
Mr.. Ed. Graves told of hearing shots
from his room at the hotel and after
wards seeing Piver and another man with
John Allen taking him to the sanatarium.
Mr.. j. NJ Leath told of hearing the
shots from his residence corner of Colds
| boro and Nash streets, and that there was
pause between the first shots and the
| last. He saw one man come from the
building, but did not recognize him, but
thought he was a, man afterwards with
Mr.. Will Clark
The hearing will be taken up at ten
O'Clock tomorrow again and there are
fresh developments expected.
EDWARD e. BRITTON.