The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-10-14
Cspecial to The Messenger.)

Especial to The Messenger)
BHzabethtown, ". c., october 12.-AS
on last night. all is quiet here upon this,
the eve of the trial of Neil SeildIs and
Dave Brown, the two negroes cn&rSec
with the brutal murder of Mrs. George
Packer. Nearly all Of the ~speclal-vehlre
of two hundred has been ana
the arduous work of selecting a jury
fin this grave capital case will COM
mence when court convenes at 9 o clock
tomorrow morning.
READY FOR TRIAL.
Both sides are ready for trial, Or as
near so as it is possible to be. Coun-
sci for the defendants have employed
well the short time they have had and
stand ready to c~onscientiously perform
the ~unenviable task placed upon them
by the court. To them will come no
monetary reward, but they will reap
the rich return of realizing duty well
performed" Within the short space OF
time they have had they have made
diligent investigation into the matter
and prepared the defence. Just what
this defence will be they, of course,
have not made public. 1t looks impos-
sfble for them to try and establish an
alibi for Brown, SO consequently they
will bank solely in all probability upon
showing Inconsistency in the states
evidence as TO him. For Sellars they
will also attempt 10 pick flaws in the
states side of the case and will make
an effort 20 establish an alibi for him
by showing tina he was at the depot
at Clarkton during the. period when the
horrible crime was committed. A num-
Der of alibi witnesses ave been sum-
moned.
MORE HOPEFUL FOR SELLARS.
If the minds of the defendants coun>
sci could be read they would evidently
disclose the fact that if any idea for
an acquittal is entertained 1t is as TO
Sellars. h is. no doubt, brought
abou by the fact that the negro Brown
has appeared in the form of a cringinS
wretch ready to tell something at all
times, while SellarS has always appear
ed composed and, under the most tryins
conditions, has constantly maintained
his innocence.
SEuLARS WILL LIKELY TESTIFY.
Whether either one of the defendants
or both of them will go upon the stand
has not been definitely determined by
their counsel, but il is said that IL
Brown does testify in behalf OF himself
he will deny the greater part OF what
he has already told and attribute his
other statement to fear and not TO
honesty. However, it has been about
decided for Sellars to testify and to
keep Brown off the stand.
STRONG CTRCUMSTANTIAL EVI-
DENCE.
Solicitor Lyon, with that keen, analy-
teal mind so peculiar to him and which
stood him SO we'll in hand in the noted
Register case, when he and those able
criminal lawyers, Colonel N. A. Nc
Lean, of Lumberton, and Messrs. Lewis
and Schulken, of Whiteville, brought to
the bar of justice the noted Columbus
county mUrdererS, has searched near
and far for evidence bearing on the case
and will present a front Of strong cir
cumstantial evidence. The states case
is as strong as it could possibly be
under the conditions; in fact, it is as
strong as it could be under any cir
cumstances unless the dead could speak
or the living would confess. 1t is true
that there is no direct evidence, but
the circumstance evidence is strong
and the state hopes convincing. 1t will
be presented in a most compact form
n very logically.
AS TO SELLARS.
Circumstance after circumstance will
be shown to faSten the guilt upon the
TWO negroes. but especially upon Sci.
lars. Since the ~coroner'S inquest a very
important witness has been discovered
in one Mary Wooten, a woman of the
negroes own race and one whose char
acter the state will establish to be good
WE'RE NEAR THE PACKER HOME
She will testify that she saw the tive
negroes in he vicinity of the Packer
home about 10 o'clock on the fatefu
morning n it was between the hour:
OF 9 and 1880 O'Clock that the iendisi
deed was committed.
After seeing the two negroes she haG
ontNRrogreSsed about a quarter of &
Ilfam her errand. which carried he,
paSdthe home of Mr.. A. Santee wher
she heard screams in her wake. At thu
time she was talking to Mr.. Santee AMI
he, too, heard the screams. 1t was thi!
that lead him to go to the Packer home
Sellars does lot deny having seen thi
woman, but claims that at the TIM
he was going to Clarkton.
This evidence places the two negroe
near the scene of the crime and at il
all probability the right time. From
then on the state will commence t
WELD the chain with which it is hopes
to fetter Sellers and Brown to tn,
crime
THE BLOODHOUND EVIDENCE.
The silent man-hunter-the blood
hound-will here forge a link IN tn
chain --IN e.