The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-02-23
Andrew Walker. colered. ex-alder-

Andrew Walker. colored. ex-alder-
man of the city O Wilmington
and major in the Third N. c.. regi-
ment during the Spanish American
war. was on yesterday given a prelim-
:inary trial before Justice Fowler un-
der the charge Of embezzlement. He
was bound owe to court and placed
under a $3.50 bond- Henry Green,
colored, went on his bond. The case
was tried in the court house
Walker is charged with embezzling
$4,000 belonging To Free Sovereign
Lodge No. 1419. of the Grand United
Order OF Odd Fellows, a colored or
ganizattOn-
The manner in which Walker is
charged with taking the money is
not in taking it direct, but pretending
that he was robbed OF the money
while going to the hodge.
On the night of January the LIST.
this year, Walker claimed that he
was knocked down OnNNun street, be-
tween Sixth and Seventh, and rob-
bed of s2S7. Of which amount 1852,
belonged to the above named lodge.
A committee was appointed by the
lodge after the supposed robbery to
adjust the matter Among others ap-
pointed was r. J. Mcdonald. After
investigating h matter the commit
tee decided to have Walker arrested
and accordingly Mcdonald swore out
a warrant apaincf him nha YOinO pn-
bezzlement-
When Walker was placed or the
stand yesterday he stated that on the
night Of January the 1st he took s2ST
out of his safe and started to Ruth
Hall, h headquarters of the lodge.
He said he boarded a street car at
Seventh and Princess and went to
the corner of Sixth and Nun when he
got off h car ant started down Nun
street in the direction of Ruth Hall.
When only a short distance from the
III he said that lie noticed two
men leaning against a telephone post
INK when he got opposite them that
one of them grabbed him and the
other one struck him a blow on the
head. He said he was knocked to the
ground and robbed OF every cent he
had on his person. After screaming
murder several times he said officer
Howell came to his assistance.
Walker stated positively thai he
did not see either of the men have
anything in their hands or drop any
thing. When Officer Howell was
placed on the stand he produced a
section OF a wagon whip and stated
that when he went to Walker tina
he (Walker) told him he thought one
of the men dropped something in the
middle of the street Upon looking
in the middle of street Officer Howell
said he found the piece OF whip. Off
O e Howell stated further hat he was
going along Sixth street on the night
mentioned and hat the car Walker
got off OF was in front of him and
that the car had not got TO the turn at
Castle street. only two blocks distant.
when he heard some n calling for
assistance. He said he ran to the
person and found that 1t was Andrew
Walker. He stated that Walker was
sitting on the curbing and that he
pretended to be very weak. Two ne
zgroes came along the street and Off
Ger Howell told them to carry Walker
to DR.. ,Masts drug store. which was
done. Walker refused to state to
Officer Howell what amount he had
host
DIR. Mast vas called TO the stand
and testified that Walker came to him
on the night mentioned and that he
examined his head, but found him
uninjured- Walker claimed that the
blow caused his o and ear to bleed
but DR.. Mast said in his examination
that il would have been necessary for
n skull to have been fractured to
have caused blood Il come from Ghe
ear.
a letter. written to Constable Saw
and signed Citizen" was intro
duced. The writer Of the letter pur-
ported to have been the one who as
sau1ted Walker and that one Elijah
Green, calored. one of the leading
members Of h lodge. was the man
VINO had the robbery committed and
who got the money The prosecution
contends that Walker had the letter
written.
Evidence was introduced by the
prosecution which tended to show
End OF January the OF the
lodge would be required to place $500
in the bank. They contend that
Walker did not have the 5000 and
that he thought he would work the
robbery scheme to get out of it The
prosecution contends further that on
the night Walker claimed to have
been robbed that he had not beer
requested to bring any money to the
lodge, but had only been asked to
bring his books so as they could be