The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1904-02-11
TERRY COMMITS SUICIDE
Tragic Ending OF q Murder Trial At
Wilmington.

Wilmington, Specials. Hill Terry,
charged with the murder Of his son.in-
law, George Tate Bland, at the latters
home in this city, last September, put
an abrupt ending to his trial in the
Superior Court here Wednesday after
neon, shortly after / o'clock. by com.
mitting suicide in his cell. in the coun-
ty jail. The weapon used was an old
case knife which had been sent him
with his breakfast from home this
morning. The blade was dull and gap
ped and the physicians who reached
him soon after the tragedy say that
he must have hacked his throat at
least a dozen times. Death ensued In
fifteen minutes after the deed and 8
minutes after the surgeons reached
him. An ugly wound, three inches
long and two inches deep. was found
on the right side of the throat, the
external jagular vein having been en-
tirely severed.
The attention of the Tailor was call
ed to the suicide by two white prison.
ers confined in an adjoining cell
Tney neaIu u sa.hing sound from Ter
rvs cell and peepiIg in through the
bars, saw the man lying On his cot In
the throes Of death. An alarm was CIV
en- and Jalor Gapps rushing to the
scene, had struggle to wrest the
knife from the dying grasp OF the
prisoner.
Terry was about 5S years Of age
| and owned considerable property. He
! was door-keeper in the State Senate
| in 1901. Eleven or twelve jurors to sit
| in judgm ent upon bis case had been
| elected to the Superior Court when
| his rash deed put an end to the pro-
| ceedings. His counselor were very con-
fident Of murder in the second degree,
| but Terry had told them time and
| again he preferred death to a term in
| the penitentiary. Terry leaves wife
| and several grown children, one the
! wife Of his victif, and another W. r.
! Terry, an EN- nploye of the SeabOard Air
| Line at Raleigh.
! AS the remains of the dead man
| were removed from the cell this af.
| ternOon, after g. coroner's inquest had
been held and the jury rendered for.
| NAL verdict that deceased came to his
| death by knife wounds inflicted by his
| own hand. letter was found under
his cot which had been written for him
by a fellow prisoner some four weeks
| ago, ostensibly not to be made public
| until after suicide, or until he had
been executed by law. In the letter
he gives II history of his life at length
and ;ustifies his action in killing his
son-in-law by saying that Bland fired
on him first. He says that he never
bore any malice toward Bland. and had
always tried to help him along in life
He bade farewell to his wife in affec
tionate terms, extolling her virtues
and expressing regret that to her has
fallen an unhappy lot. Terry's son said
his father had been very despond dent
for several days and yesterday in the
court asked him to send him small
knife with which to pare his finger
nails. Later he complained Of rheuma
I tism and asked that 10 cents worth OF
opium be sent him. Neither Of the re
quests were complied with, though
young Terry had no idea that his faith
er contemplated suicide. He also re
marked to his son yesterday during
the same conversation of melancholy
nature that I'm white, and they'll
never hang me or send me to the pen
itentiary for long term of years.
The funeral will be conducted tomor
row afternoon from the late residence
and the remains will be inferred IL
Oakdale Cemetery.