The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-29

Mr.. r. Z. Hamme, the halter, in
l~capturing a gang of thieves that were
lin his store yesterday morning, sho
one Of the negroes and the wound
lis of such a nature that his recover
lis very doubtful.
For the past week a gang of negroe:
lhave been going in Mr.. Hamme's
store on Front street early in the
morning and making a small pur.
lchase. This practice became such g
regular occurrence that it attracted
MIR. Hamme's attention. Master Lin
wood Hamme, the 14-year-old son OF
MIR. r. F. Hamme, generally goes to
the store about z a. m. and opens it.
THE negroes always appeared soon af-
tier the store was opened.
On Thursday morning in arranging
lsome clothing on one of the tables a
clerk noticed that a pair of trousers
lwere missing and at once called Mr..
lHamme's attention to the matter. 1t
twas decided at once that the negroes
who had been making the early morn
ling purchases were the ones who were
stealing the clothing. Yesterday
morning Mr.. Hamme went to the
store, entering from the rear door,
land concealed himself near the front
Iof the store. Young Linwood came to
the store as usual and soon after
Opening the door the negroes made
their appearance. For several morn
lings they had been buying collars,
but yesterday they asked to see some
~lsuSpenders. A box of S~uSpenderS was
Iopened and one of the negroes even
ltually selected a cheap pair. 1t was
necessary for the clerk to go to the
middle of the store to wrap them up,
and as soon as he turned his back the
negroes began their work. One of
them took a pair Of pants and tucked
them under his coat, another took a
lcoat, n opened a box that was filled
with gold collar buttons and proceed
led to take a handful, and still another
took several pair of s~uspenders.
Mr.. Hamme was standing behind a
lcurtain, which ObScured him from
view, not ten feet from the negroes.
HE remained perfectly still until the
then stepped into view and at the
lsame time covered the negroes with
IA 48-calibre revolver. The instant the
negroes saw him they started to I'll
land he commanded them to halt. Two
lof the negroes obeyed the command,
IDul liz OlilSI Two hSpl SoilSp III VI
them saying, Il am going to stop, I
am going to stop" but he did not do
$50. Mr.. Hamme says he commanded
1.-THE negro to stop three time n when
he saw he had no intention of stop
lping, he fired upon him. When he shot
the negro, ne had just stepped upon
1.-THE sidewalk. With the report of the
pistol the negro fell, but instantly
Isprang to his feet and ran down Front
street to the alley which runs by the
hardware store of w. E. Springer Il
Company. He ran up the alley to
Second street and had reached the
store of s. w. Sanders. on Market
street, when he was caught~by officer
Frank George. The negro appeared
Ito be suffering very little from the
WOUND.
When the negro was arrested 1t was
Learned hat his name was Charley
IHankins. The two negroes who were
lin the store were, Joe Hawkins, a
brother of the negro who was shot,
land Salem Bell. George McClaTmy
twas the name Of the negro who es-
lcaped.
When Hankins was carried back to
1.-THE store where the prisoners were,
the ambulance was summoned and
1.-THE negro sent to the James Walker
Memorial Hospital. AS a result of an
Operation it was found that the bullet
lGnlGTeu lne DdCh ALI plcTCSu II dD-
ldomen, ranging upward and came out
lin front. The inteStines were pune
ltured in nine places. The negro was
istill living last night and the advices
from the hospital were to the effect
THAT he had a fighting chance for re-
Icovery.
Just after the shooting Mr. Hamme
Surrendered himself to the city au-
liberties and was released under a
$4,000 bond with Messrs. ]. G. Bar
Irentine and ]. II. Boatwright as sure
tiles. The case will not be tried I'M
It'll it is seen whether or not h ne
tgro dies. Mr.. Hamme expressed him.
tself yesterday as being very sorry OF
1.-THE occurrence, but he said when the
negro refused to stop and when he had
lust seen him stealing his goods, that
The knew of nothing else to do but to
ishoot him.
The cases against Joe Hankins and
1Salem Bell were continued and it is
not known yet when they viii be
heard. Mr.. Hamme has employed Mr..
Holm D. Bellamy to defend him and
been retained a counse for Joe Han
lkins.
The police visited the houses yes
lterday where the gang lived and sue
decided in finding a new hat. pair oil
Inew trousers and a basket full OF such
ARTICLES as handkerchief. mems hose
collar buttons. a large number Of pen
lcils. soap. cologne. bottle of Oil to
make kinky hair straight n other
ARTICLES too numerous to mention. The
lHankins negro lived at their faith
,er'S, Joe Hankins. at 10 Nun street
THE other two negroes lived on Sew
ZENITH street ear Castle.
The majority of the articles were
found at the house on Nun street Joe
IHankins, the father of the thieves. 1:
Isaid to be a very respectable negro
lana worth some property. XII of tn
negroes are young. their ages rangins
from about Is to 81 years.
From the articles recovered at tn
lhomes of h negroes Ii is apparen
THAT they had been stealing from
clothing. drug and book stores. Onl,