The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-03-01

Soon the people OF rood old columbD
lcounty and vicinity heard the news and
In search for the perpetrators OF the
foul act commenced
! II was not long before Nelson Toon
land his wife started talking Of label
and Edmondson's sudden a~ppearanse
Iat their house h night OF the Tragedy
people. who had seen the two
Itoxefher coming from the Toms the
Iday subsequent TO the fatefuI night.
ALSO commenced to talk and II was NOS
long before suspicion pointed IN the
right direction
The mutterings OF approaching storm
was not lost upon old man Suck he
almost TO read h future ana.
latter attempting In vain to get Ed
Irnondson TO kill Nelson Toon. he .
for time disappeared from
lwhitevilia
Confessed ALL
Edmondson's arrest and confession
tsoon followed. Then Buck was CAP
itured at his home and the day os hts
preliminary trial the alert officers Of
columbus captured label in hiding In
Ia false ceiling at the Register house.
The Registers both branded Eimond-
as a liar. bu, 1T the i've days trial
which followed. commencing last An
tgust Eth. and At which Judge Fred
Moore. OF Asheville. presided. they at
tempted TO establish an abb Il, was
Ifruitless. as corroborative evidence for
~lEdmondson was too strong. too couvine~
ling. The alibi only exemplIfied to What
extent woman's love viii go. Buck
Registers wife n " Of his daugh-
tiers made oath-clad statements. which
IJabels own confession have since prov
len were false.
The trial was n most interesting .
land was ably onducted by Solicitor
IC. c. Lyon. Colonel ". A. Mclean. of
ILumberton. md Messrs. Lewis & Schulz
ken. OF Whiteville. for the state. and
Hon.. John ID. Bellamy. OF wilmlngto1
lex-United States District Attorney O.
81. Bernard. OF Raleigh. and Do1aid
lMcRackan. Esq, OF Whiteville.
VERDICT OF GUILTY.
The jury was out only a short time
when a verdict OF guilty VAS returned
las 10 both Registers. Jabe was ser
ltenced to hang and the Cd man TO life
Imprisonment. the penalty for an aces
lsory before the fact.
Edmondson. IN view OF his confession
land and in bringing the more guilty 40
Justice. was only sentenced TO six years
imprisonment in the ~penitentiary.
APPEAL TAKEN.
The case was appealed 10 the SUI
lpreme court. but without effect. Bucks
faithful wife and daughters next sought
49, 80 -
failed also in this.
To his guilt label confessed shortly
lover a week ago and implicated Cole
imam Smith. white. who was at the
lSoles-Staley house the fatal Sabbath.
lSmith was one OF the first men sus-
Ipected OF the crime and was arrested.
but his case was mol pressed.
Upon labels confession he was re-
larrested and is now in jail here await
ling trial at next weeks superior court.
If labels confession was a shrewd
lscheme TO gain a respite IL was n fall
lure.
FATHER AND son.
Buck Register. or III. b. Register. TO be
lexplicit as TO name. was a man whose
life was spent amid vice. but notwith-
standing he was prominent in local pol
litics. AS "A republican he was post
master, a United States deputy marshal
land a United states commissioner. He
Iran for clerk OF the superior court and
Twas also an Independent republican
candidate for the legislature al one
thine. lie is ca years OF age.
label was 30 years old and all Of his
life was passed under the black tutor
lship OF his father.