The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-10
RAISED BILL FROM 81 no .1o.
interesting Case Tried Yesterday i'm
FEDERAL Court-SeveraI Retailing
Gases Tried. :.

Gases Tried.
AS a rule. when Federai court 1:
IN session the court room is filled
with people who are either present
as witnesses or are ttraete by that
FASCINATION which attends the trial OF
m cases. but such is not the
case during the present term. For a
criminal case to attract a crowd
tnough II is necessary for It to be of
q more or less sensational nature.
not the common place case, UGH as
retailing or operating an Illicit distiI-
iery- The latter named kind is the
nature Of the majority OF cases being
tried at the present term.
The only really interesting case
crIed- thus far was a case in which
Alex Evans, a negro who lives in
cumberland county, was charged
with passing a bill which he knew
70 have Seen changed from one TO
ten dollars. This case was given to
the jury late yesterday afternoon,
out no verdict had been returned
Wnen court adjourned.
The manner in which the bill had
Deen changed was the same as that
practiced in different parts of the
oAdlG- Inc DECENTRALIZATION Oh the Dill,
as shown by figures in the corner.
had been changed from a Il" to 10"
The york was done remarkably well
and was evidently that of an expert.
At a mere glance IL was almost i'm
possible to tell that the bill had been
tempered with. The only bungling
part of the work was where the word
zone" had been changed to ten"
The letters of this were a fraction
larger than those printed on the
bill.
The defendant conducts a small
store in Cumberland county, and &C
cording to his testimony he carries
about a $50 stock. His story Of the
way in which he came into possession
of the bill, was that one night just
after dark a stranger stopped his
wagon in front of his store, entered
the store and wished to buy some
: coffee. The coffee was weighed out,
twenty-five cents worth, and when he
went to pay for 1t, the defendant
said the nan remarked that he would
have to pull a ten dollar bill on him.
The witness said he asked the man
If he did not have some smaller
change. and the man replied in the
negative. He said he then went to
his house, which was a few yards
away. and secured the change, hand
ing the nan 1915. In a few days
he paid the bill to some one and the
lACEI udS he Sldleu TIA II was DTOuSuI
back to him, with the statement nat
it was not good. He said it looked
to be perfectly good to him, and he
got a fellow who was in the store
to carry 1t to a man near there and
get it changed.
This Was the act that got the old
negro into trouble. If he had been
content to lose the ten dollars he
would nave been all right, but his
went hard with him, n hence his
trouble.
The case against w. J. Terry. of
Richmond county, in which he was
charged with misappropriating funds
belonging to the government. he be-
ing postmaster at Roberdel, was
adjusted upon the recommendation of
the postoffice de- rtment. Judgment
was suspended upon payment of the
amoun ~defaulted, which was s154.-
35, m the costs. On motion of de-
PENDANTS attorney he was allowed
hwenty days to file bond for payment
of cost.
Other cases disposed Of were as
follows:
Coy Ivey. Robson county, retail
ing; verdict guilty and defendant
sentenced to 80 days in prison and
TO pay 500 and the costs.
Charles Graham, Of Scotland, re-
failing; verdict guilty; 80 days in
prison and fine of 800 and costs
Nelson Farley, of Scotland county,
retailing; verdict guilty: so days in
prison and fined 500 and costs.
Percy G. Blake. of Robson coun-
ty, retailing; verdict guilty; 60 days
in prison, 800 n and the costs.
On motion Woodus Kellum, Esq,
of Wilmington, was admitted to prac-
uce in Federal courts.
Thomas H. Maxted was appointed
by the marshal and sworn in a bailiff
for the remainder of the term.
Court adjourned at 8 o'clock to
meet this morning at 10 o'clock.
The jury in the case against Alex,
Evans was given the case just before
court adjourned and the clerk order
ed to take the verdict, provided one
was reached last night. The jury
could not agree, at least they had no
early this morning, n the prospects
are that it will be a hung jury.