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


on them n A Plenty OF other Wit
neses know the same any thing that
you can o for Poor abe will be
duly appreciated.
yours Truly
II. B. REGISTER.
THE CRIME.
The crime which the Registers COM
mitted was most revolving. No extern
uating circumstances did IL possess, but
stood glaringly forth in CHASTITY horror
without a superior in the annals OF
crime in North Carolina Prompted by
avarice and actuated by a mind dead
ened to morality old man Back Regis
ter. whose face was turned towards the
setting Sun planned with COO deliber-
alton the deed and sent his own flesh
and blood-an only on-together with
even a younger man. Cross Edmondson,
TO do his bidding. To rob even IL il
meant the death of his fellow man was
his command. Into the Ions mouth
he cast his order and the fendish trag-
edy Of March 18th last in Columbus
| county resulted.
label Register and his obedient COM
panion. E~dmondson, went to the home
of Jesse Soles. white, and jim Staley,
colored. and there murdered. plumber
ed and burned.
The house occupied by the two men,
who were sent so summarily before the
Great White Throne. was situated in a
small clearing, at least a mile from the
nearest habitation and presented an
ideal spot for the assassins' work. I'm
conscious of danger and with no
thought of enmity towards either the
Registers or Cross Ermondson the two
men were shot DOWN from ambush, and
then the marauderS-veritable hyenas
crazed by the scent of ~blood-applied
L thn n-aI n-l
burning ruins OF home. This scene was
enacted on a Sabbath night, n time
truly in mockery with the lurid event
and a time, too. when old man Register
sat in his home, then one on the roa
which leads from Vineland to White
Vile. ten miles AVA from the scene,
and thought Of gold soon TO be his.
FATAL MISTAKE.
While the shrewness of old man Buck
directed the success of the double
tragedy. it failed to guide his son ana
young Edmondson from encountering
a snare which trapped them.
Upon leaving the scene of destruction
Jabe and Cross abandoned caution and
instead of returning to Whiteville as
quietly and mysteriously as they left
it they stopped over night at the house
of a negro, Nelson Toon and this alone
lead to detection.
- IL
The plotting of the crime was brought
to a climax Saturday afternoon, March
18th. the day previous to the time of
the tragedy. label. in obedience TO his
fathers command, went in search OF
Cross Edmondson q recogn Zed ally.
label met Cross at the Vineland dep0.
(a!so the Whiteville depoO and told
him that his father wished to see him.
Almost knowing that Cross would lend
his aid label purchased some can goods
at q store near the depot and then the
TWO started for the Register home.
On the way they stopped at the livery
stable of Mr.. Lee Formy Duval.
At the Register home cd man Buck
was on hand and met the pair witt
smile and jest as If his conversation
was to be of picnic instead of crime.
He told Cross that he wanted him and
label to go TO Jesse Soles' and jim
Staley's home and rob-. He knew. he
said. that Staley. a reputed moonshin-
CT. had at least a 81 600 IN cash N the
house.
ON THE WAY.
With a double barrel ~breech-loading
gun each and with the canned goods
purchased at the depot label and Cross
started for Leestown, the scene of the
tragedy. Saturday night.
All night they travelled and the next
day remained secreted in the wood.
W LtH liSHt CtHie Oh lltN wen u n
house Of horror. after drinking freely
of corn beer. which they obtained from
a still discovered in the woods.
When the two reached the Soles.
Staley home the night had developed
into one of keeping with the sctnber
nature of the crime. Sleet was filling
from a sky masked by black clouds
and the air was both damp AMI cold
inside the house a dim lght burned. .
According to Edmondson. the only
witness other than his comp3n on 70
the deed. while he was at a well in the
yard, label walked TO a window of the
house and fred in. Gu ckly followed
another report. but this time IT was in
sid the house. and then Cross became
: frightened and ran. VIII lie he was on the
retreat there was a tn I'd report.
) label went inside the house and Cross
4 hid under a stack Of c-osstes. Ate
an elapse of several mimi es Jabe
r came forth with his own GIN and an
other one (SoIes' gum and he and Cro-s
who still possessed a gun wh oh mad
three. the two men then had. left ta'
scene. They had only progressed a shor
= distance when Cross looking back. be
!, held an immense reflection in The SIX
, and asked about H. label repl ed:
I al reckon Paw and Jesse Soies i
having . settlement"
Chilled and tired the two men stonDe'
at the house OF Nelson Toon, a negro
: and stayed all night. Next mornini
y early they left and on the way {
whiteville encountered several pe+es
tyians
TRAGEDY DISCOVERED.
e Monday morning the tragedy came
\ : light in all of its horror. The d scov
0 cry was made by W. a j.. So'es.
y brother of Jesse So.es He re ide
v about a mile from the scene. Late SIN
Y dav night his vision aG was Edmond
I sons was greeted by the blaze in N
i sky. ~Suepec-ing that something va
9 wrong he went to his brothers hous
3 the next morning and there found
d heap OF smouldering ruins. Amid IN
4 charred debris he discovered two ske