The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-24

6trument.'
On this finding Adams was sent to Jail
TO await trial for murder
Robert Bridgers, in giving his testi-
mony before the jury, said that on his
return from Raleigh Friday evening,
about sunset, he hollered for his wife as
ne got near the house, as the COW had
broken loose. Getting no answer he went
In and found his little girl Lille and her
little brother George lying on the floor in
great agony, with wounds about their
head. He asked Lille: where is my
wife, and she said: "She is dead" He
then ran out into the yard, where he
found tracks coming from the direction
OF MIR. Masseys, and he knew the tracks,
that they were made by Will Adams,
who had hung around his house, and who
asked hi| wife where she would be on
Friday. He started towards Adams
house after getting his gun, following
he tracks and passed near his wife's dead
body without seeing 1T. The tracks were
fresh and he thought Adams was hid in
the pines. He turned back and found his
wife's body, the head crushed and later
found his axe at the wood-pil with blood
on it. Then he went to Sid Halls, a
neighbor, who came to his house, where
he looked after the children. Lille died
shortly after. Then he went to Mr.. Mas
sey's, who told him Adams had left his
place a little after II O'Clock, going to-
wards his, (Bridger's) house. Next he
went to Magistrate Pool and swore out a
warrant for Adams and carried it to Dep
uty Daniels. He said that $50 had been
taken from a drawer, and that he thought
Adams had chased his wife from the
house killed her. came back and Drained
the children, as they had seen him, and
had spared the eight-months child in
the cradle.
Sidney Hall, colored, who lives about
hundred yards from Bridgers, confirmed
the statement OF Bridgers and said Lille
had died viii lehe was in the house, and
that he had taken the wounded boy,
George, four-year-old, to his house. He
said that Bridgers and his wife had lived
peaceably together. His statement was
that the children were in great pain, roll
ing and tossing, and that he saw little
blood He stated also that he was with
5ridgers when the dead body of Mary
Bridgers was found.
Mr. T. Fl. Massey, who lives about a
mile from Brigers home, said that Bird
gers came to him about I or o'clock,
and that he told him that Adams had gone
towards his home about II o clock, that
he had given Adams four cents he owned
him.
Miss Emma c. Holding testified that
about 1 o'clock Friday, when passing
Bridger's house, she had seen negro
man standing at the corner OF the house
and identified Adams as the man she saw.
Il i r,,,; 10
ing from Raleigh about sunset, when he
was about 200 yards from the place where
the dead woman was found, he saw ne
gro run across the road and squat down
as if to hide He hollered at the negrc
but got no answer. The negro looked
scared to death. With Mr.. Holding was
his son who said the negro worked at
Dolly Jones. Said he did not know
Adams. He then identified the prisoner
as the man he saw squat by the road.
Deputy Sheriff Daniels said that he
went with a party to execute the war
rant for the arrest of Adams, and he was
slow to get up and would not open the
door. On being told that unless he open
ed the door it would be forced Adams de-
clared that 'If you come in / will kali
you. Then he kicked the door open
and Adams struck at him with stick,
after which he, Oaniels), shot twice
through the door Finally Adams was
forced to stand IN the middle of the floor
and throw his hands up. On him Deputy
Daniels found two fifty cent pieces and
four coppers
In the party that arrested Adams were
seven negroes and two white men, and it
took them nearly two hours to get in the
house The crowd shot through the win
dow and finally broke In the door, Adams
at first fighting savagely. He declared
Re was not the man wanted. After the
capture he was put in a tobacco barn at
Magistrate POOLS and guarded until the
trial before the magistrate.
Adams said to reporter yesterday at
teTnoon that he fought the crowd and
would not let them in, as he thought it
was party of robbers who wanted to
kill him. While, he declares ne was at
home all the afternoon it is said that his
wife says that he came home about sun
set, his clothes all wet
The negro came from South Carolina
and has lived near Milburnie for about
two years. His wife comes from John
ston county. Adams was once under ar
rst in Raleigh for a drunken scrape ana
submitted.
The little boy is at Sandy Halls. His
face is bruised, his mouth cut, and his
teeth broken out. He is said to be feeble
minded. His condition as reported yes
terday was serious, but was not regarded
as critical.