The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-26
Interesting Stoy Brought Out BY an
Investigation Of the Affair
Governor GIenn's Action i'm the Matter
Of PardOn-Receiyed fed for Best
Essay on North Carolina History.
Census of Raleigh's Poor-Stafe
Biologist Makes a Broad Statement.
A Confederate BattIefiag-Trade APP
pretended by Bad Weather.
Messenger Bureau.
Raleigh, N. c., December 81.

Investigation into the killing of Wat
son Jernigan, m~oonshiner in Duplin
county by Deputy Revenue Collector
Downing, reveals the fact that the il
licit distillery where the killing oc-
Cured, most probably belonged to Nick
Rogers, moonshiner and counterfeiter,
who is a product of Rollesville, this
county. Your correspondent procured
from a high official of the government
today a very interesting story about
this man Rogers. He was convicted
of counterfeiting here about ten years
ago and sent to the ~penitentiary. He
returned to the state n set up a
%Eloonshine still at Newport,a few miles
this side of Morehead City, was arrest
ed and sem 70 Jail at Beaufort, where
the sheriff allowed him the run of the
town. for which offence against ,he
federal law Judge Seymour imposed
a heavy fine upon the sheriff, Rogers
having scaped. He was S o daring that
he turned up at Newport again n
for many years operated a mOOnshlne
outfit there, lodging the officers with
great skill, but finally was arrested
and taken to Beaufort, where a Unit
ed States commissioner very foollshlE
allowed him to give a bond for $2O0,
Rogers of course fleeing FORGETTING this
and his bondSmen paying 1T and the
commissioner narrowly escaping dis
| missal from Office for his carelessness
in the matter. Rogers has a brother
who was arrested at Newport with
him, was tried at New Bern, convicted
| and at once made a break from the
courthouse, it taking four officers TO
catch him. He was sent to the penl-
| Tertiary for a couple Of years. There
| is. now a case pending against NICK
| Rogers at New Bern. The next heard
| of this man was as the owner OF the
still where Jernigan was killed. Dl-
| rectly after the killing OF Jernlgan
| Rogers had a sort of row or dispute
with members of the Jernigan family
regarding the division of the product
of the still. One of the officers who
made a raid on the still saw Rogers,
but could nc. capture him. h high
official who gave this information
about Rogers says that he is a desper-
ate character and that he has de-
bauched every ~neighborhood in which
he has carried on his illicit business
Governor Glenn acted today in re-
gard to three applications for pardon
He refused clemency to Jordan Jones
of Tyrrell, who was convicted OF re
failing whiskey without license and
sentenced to three months on the pub
lie roads, the governors comment De-
ing that the sentence was light enough
He refused to pardon Joe Mason, con-
victed in New Hanover of secret as
sault, the comment being that the ac'
was wilfnl and deliberate and witt
intent to kill. In the case of Claut
Boyden of Rowan, convicted of larceny
and sentenced to two years, and WAC
has served one year, the governor
grants a conditional pardon, on The
recommendation of the judge and so,
licitor, the co-defendant in the case
having made an affidavit that Boy
den was not present when the crime
was committed and knew nothing
about it.
The weather has been very trying
on the business people who had pre-
pared so deliberately for the holida,
trade. The farmers have been largely
cut out by the rain from getting into
the towns.
Revenue officers made a raid Sun
day night and near Wake Forest, at
ter capturing a still, vent to tn
house of a, negro where they fount
whiskey hidden. This man is charg
ed with m~oonshining and he made oil
escape from the officers but strang
to say he came here and ~surrenderei
himself to the United States commits
sioner.
The ter.u of the United district cour
has nearly ended and all the lars
cases have been disposed of.
5 At the centennial public schools her
this morning James Watson was pre-
scented with q gold medal offered b
the DAUGHTERS of the Revolution 70
the best essay on North Carolina his
tory. Secretary of State Grimes mad
the presentation speech. The Daugb
tiers of the Revolution give a media
for each year and it is very highl
priced.
Mention has been made of the fac
! that next month two parties woul
take the field from the state agricul
tural department, one in the northeas'
ern counties and the other in IN
southeastern. to hold farmers inst
tutes, one party being under the di-et
ton of DR.. TAFT Butler and the othe
under DR.. Hume. Among the speai
ers at these Institutes will be W v
Cobey. tobacco expert of the Unite
States agricultural department.; ID
Edward Porter of Fender, on true
farming; DR.. W. J. McLendon, of Al
son: Secretary Thomas B. Parker.
the North Carolina Cotton Grower
Association and also the secretary
the Farmers Alliance; Assistant Ho
ticulturit Reimer, and Manager j.
Jeffries, of the test farm in Edgecon.l
county. The institutes next year a
= to be made more thorough than ev,
before, and a marked increase in a
tendance is expected.
The census of the Raleigh VIII
DOOR. as made by the Sunshiners,s ho
$50 families. the average number
children to the family being abe
three. 1t is the first census OF T
kind ever made here and is very |