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

lava @Hhtous 6ouy. W.. ltson.
Coiy; j. r. Cole. White Oak: a. A.
Mcleod. Turn Bull: ]. A. Purdy. White
Oak; A II. johnson, Elizabeth: w
T. Suggs. Central
FIRST APPEARANCE IN COURT.
Under escort OF guards. the negroes
entered the crowded court room 500
after the morning session was COM
mencec There was no demonstration
whatever as they made their entrance.
There was not wen a buzz, though
hundreds OF eyes were fixed on them
and followed hem until they too seats
by their counsel. Colonel John D. Kerr
and r. s Lyon, Esq, within he bar.
SELLARS MOST COMPOSED.
AS on previous trying occasions Sell
lars was the NEST composed and sat
nearest their counsel. with whom he
conferred occasionally about a prospee
tive juror.
Brown confined his conversation 10
a nod or a shake of the head. How
ever, he appeared more composed n a
Yer before, though such compcsure was
probably forced by a dazed condition.
TYPICAL NEGROES.
Both Sellars and Brown are typical
negroes in appearance, but the former
is of a ginger-eake hue. The close
crop. curly hair. the thick lip and the
fiat nose is prominent in each prisoner.
Both are Slight Of physique in compar-
ison with the majority OF the male sex
OF their race. Neither IS probably thir-
ty years OF age, though Brown is sew
eral years Sellars' senior. He is also
heavier and he possesses a fugitive eye,
which Toams almost constantly rou
in the sockets of their black mask.
THE JURY CAUTIONED.
The jury after being duly impaneled
and timely and closely cautioned about
the grave nature Of it's duty by Judge
Ward, was placed in charge of a spe-
cially appointed officer. From then
until the finale of the trial, tbs jurists
will live a part from the world. They
must be but one in movement and to
others out themselves remain in seclu-
sion, ave when in attendance upon
the trial.
CALM BEFORE THE STORM.
This afternoon the state commenced
the preseRtment Of its case and though
the greater part of the two witnesses
testimony was not interesting to the
spectators and to them seemed unim-
portant, it was really of vast moment
and furnishes the fundamental princi-
pies for the states theory of the horri-
iDle crime. During their entire testi-
mony the names of Sellars n Brown
"CIC Oilly lIlSilliOlSu OllCc. IL was not
necessary that it should be otherwise,
as the state was simply laying a foun-
misunderstanding a mine to be exploded
tomorrow. That Colonel John d. Kerr,
leading counsel for the defendants, rec
ignized the calm before the storm was
evinced by the detailed and keen man.
ner in which he conducted the cross ex-
animation.
DIR CLARK TELLS OF THTE HOR
ROR OF THE CRIME.
The first of the states duo of wit
nesses was DR.. @. L. Clark and to him
fell the sad task of unfolding the ghast-
Illness that surrounded the death of the
young woman. His recital of the signs
which showed plainly the horror that
attended the death and the awful ravish
ing Of the body of the young woman
was both pathetic n sickening. Every
one present experienced a lumpy SUBJ
stance in the throat and to the eyes OF
the jurors each, no doubt thinking of his
beloved wife at home-the tears came.
1t was an affecting scene. DR.. Clark
gave a graphic description of the mutt
lated condition of the body, showing
the back of the head crushed in, the
delicate throat torn by the hands of the
brute, the slender right and that had
tried to defend, cut by a knife, portions
of the face bruised by heavy blows and
last the clothes torn in ShredS and the
body desecrated. On the person, he
stated were spots Of turpentine. These
insignificant spots will play an impor-
tant part in the conviction of Brown, as
the state expects to prove that upon
the knees of his pants the day of the
crime, was turpentine and will argue
that they left tell tale marks while ac-
complishing his un-holy object.
OF foot prints at the scene of the
struggle, DR.. Clark also told. There
was foot prints Of heavy. new shoes,
thought to he No. s Supposed TO have
been worn by Sellars) and the impress
sions of small, bare feet Chose of the
deceased) he testified. He said that
later he had seen a pair Of new shoes
worn by SellarS n which to all ap>
p~earances could make similar tracks to
the ones ne a seen at the Packer
home. e he stated hat he had
been shown a shirt Zone found in
Browns posSeSsion) n that this ar
ticle of wearing apparel had a dark
stain on the wristband, which he
thought was blood; that the shirt ap-
peared a sthough it had been quickly
dipped in water in an effort to wash
it hastily. Some time was then devoted
by the witness to describing different
points Al and near the Packer nome.
MP. JOHNSON a WITNESS.
after which he stood aside.
The second witness was A. G. John
son and he, too described the foot prints
and other signs at the scene of the
crime, but the cardinal part Of his tes-
timony was relative to locations, which
will! figure Importantly and extensively.
He described the situation of the Pack
er home, and testified that from the ne
groes hut, or a nearby well hole, both
close to the Packer home, it is impossi-
bic to see a person in the kitchen Of the
house, wen Mrs. Packer was first at
tackled, but that a clear view could be
obtained from a tram-way near the site
of an old blacksmith ship. Upon this,
the theory Of the state is based.
THE STATES CONTENTION.
1t will be contended that shortly after
| 8 O'Clock on the fateful morning, young
Sam Russ left the house to go to
Clarkton. AS he left by a direct path
from Tho home TO Clarkton he observed
II $685. --zI1 - -