The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-18
Especial to The Messenger.)

tSp~NtIl W 1AAS
Elizabethtown, y. G., October IA
The beginning of The end of Bladen
county's notable murder trial.. which
places the lives of the. two negroes,
Neill Sellers and Dave Brown. in the
balance is here. Three e5sions of
court today has brought il to this
stage, and before sunset tomorrow
the two alleged rapists and murderers
will IN all probability know whether
they are to die or 10 live on. Argu-
ment has commenced and will be con-
Guided tomorrow forenoon. Judge
Wards charge will follow and then
will come the finale whaIever that
may be.
DEFENSE GIVES NO TESTIMONY.
The defense has offered no testi-
mony and is relying on commended in
consistency and inadeouacy Of the
states evidence to secure a verdict Of
not guilty. The absence of testimony
for the defense came as a surprise. as
some abb evidence was expected. 1t
was also anticipated that the stolcal
Sellers would take h stand. but it
was not expected hat the fear n
trembling Brown would testify. His
covering. weak mind would have been
una bic to have stood the raking fire
of Solicitor Lyons sharp cros9 ex-
animation.
BLOOD HOUND TESTIMONY.
The state received one set back by
- - +L4 hJ,Al hound tac-
timony. Solicitor Lyon fought, allie
assisted by his keen sighted colleague,
r. S White, Esq, to get It In as evil
| dence for it would have proven one OF
| the strongest links in the chain OF cir
| cumstances, and Col John d. Kerr
| struggled ardently to have it ruled out
! This combat of wits occurred When
I T. l.. Smith, of Maxton, owner of the
| two English blood hounds that fol-
| lowed Sellers trail took the stand and
| while IT was in progress the jury was
| very properly sent from the court
! room. At the end, Judge War.t de-
| cided that the ability Of the bruteS
| to follow tracks. which were only WIS.,
| bile to the human eye at the scene
of the crime, was too uncertain ID be
| depended upon in this grave matter.
4 He excluded it. and thus a strong INK
| could not he forged.
| SELLERS CONVERSED WITH MR..
CLARK.
The defense also struggled energet-
ically to stop speeches made by Sell
lers to Mr.. O. l.. Clark. but the con-
test was o. no avail as the courl
ruled it's admission competent, as Sci
i lers had talked to Mr.. Clark of his
own volition.
THE STATES CASE.
Summing UP the present aspect OF
the case, the state has penned Brown
in with a wall of circumstances only
weak in one sDot-the absence OF a
third track at h scene Of the crime
This negro's opportunity has beer
shown. his shirt with blood upon it
a knife similar to II owned by him
near the dead woman and turpen-
tine on his pants. AS to Sellers. the
evidence does not appear SO firm, save
for the shoe tracks at the scene.
Upon the commencement of this
mornings session. the state started III
lively TO build it's wall upon the
foundation laid yesterday.
A MAP OF THE ENTIRE SITUA.
TON.
Surveyor John \. Kelly was the
first witness and he presented 4 cleal
Il dIlu a AHoS
tire vicinity in question. locating
plainly all points. like the negroe:
hut, Packer home, blacksmith SHOP
water tank, well-hole, spot Whers
body was found. etc.
J.. II. Lanier, Seaboard agent a
Clarkton, was the following witness
and testified that the train for VIII
mington Cthe one Sellers took te
Council's) left Clarkton h morning
of September 3rd, at 11:3S O'Clock
being 80 minutes late.
BOY AN IMPORTANT WITNESS
The first interesting witness to In
spectators was young Sam Russ, j
years of age and a first cousin OF tn
deceased. His testimony was as fol
lows:
"On the morning of September 5
(the time of the crime) I was staying a
George Packers al the Kelly place
George Packer and his wife. Blanche
were staying there. He was away
working for the Cape Fear Lumber
Company, six miles of. Saturday
morning about 9 o'clock 1 went to Ton
Dorsey's house, leaving Blanche alon'
at the house. She was in the kitche-
cooking. Dorsey'S house is about {
mile from the kitchen. At Dorsey
got some potatoes. Stayed there abou
three-Quarters OF an hour and wen
from there straight back to Georg,
Packers. When I got to Dorsey's
had To cross a tramway near a black
smith shop and when crossing I saw !