The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-21
ALMOST A REIGN OF TERROR
Inaugurate,l I'm TSrreil County by IL
Iici, DistilIers and Their Friends.
Judge Shaw Determined to Suppress
the I.awIeSsneSS.

Elizabeth City, July 15.-The arrest
and arraignment Of alleged conductors
of blind tigers i'll Tyrrel' county dur
ing the present week has caused the
most sensational dc. e:tr'utis 10 ensue
ever kno v III that eo:.nty, for to no
other reas,n fin L.. 1ttt.: I ted the at
tempts u shoot ii ,wu Iiom ambush.
and in CO! blood. :wJ :f Tie sections
most pro AircuI law. er<. o: Edenton.
and the ex-mayor of Columbia, Mr.. K.
NJ. Woodley, which attempts were
made in Columbia last Wednesday
morning. The wOuld-be murderers
were unsuccessful, but evidently
through no fault of theirs, as they
adopted the only means of procedure
by which they had Il chance to accom-
plish their purpose and avoid detec-
tiOn. There is now in session ut Co
lumbia, the county seat of Tyrrell
county, a two weeks term of Superior
court, over which Judge T. J. Shaw,
of Greensboro, is presiding.
The converting of this special term
was ostensibly for the purpose of
HcdElllS civil cases Only, anu IL was
also Judge Shaw's original intention
to hear only civil cases, but he events
transpiring changed his purposes and
he has already bound over to the next
Criminal court seven people charged
with the illicit sale of whiskey. On
Tuesday Judge Shaw acted as Il conf
hitting ma gistrate and, on the charge
above mentioned, Charles Decormis,
| InTtIan TnDoc IanlDc Efhnri1Oo ur1ffA
and three negroes named Smith, Joe
Midget, and Louis ROwsOm, were
brought before him. After hearing the
evidence, he bound them all over to
court. Only three of them could give
the necessary bond and the other fOur
were kept under guard at the court
house.
Out of this proceeding, as previously
mentioned, undoubtedly grew the muir
derOus attempt on the lives of the gen
tlemen named. In the capacity of law
yers, Solicitor Ward and Mr.. Bond
were involved in the case. That night
they had retired in their room in the
Columbia House. About , O'Clock in
the morning Il shot rang out and a
heavy load ploughed through the
boards of the room. In Il moment an
other shot was heard and this time
the load passed through the door of
the room which opened on the street.
Neither of the inmates of the room
were hit, seemingly by the merest acct
dnt. Shortly after this, three shots
were fired through the front doors of
the home of eX-Mayor r. H. WOOdley.
utagain the intended victim es-
capped.
Whom T111ro CJarr <crr,o,oJ ,o,,,4
next morning he stated that he had
come to Columbia to hear &c civil dock
ct. but that he would give notice that
civil cases would be merely side issues
during h remaining time and, if it
should become necessary, he would
stay in Columbia the whole summer
to meet the demands Of unsatis9ied JUS
tice.
During Wednesday about seven
more arrests were made on the blind
tiger charge, three of the defendants
being carried to Columbia from ALI
gator, in the same county. Current re-
ports are to the effect that the illicit
sellers of sfrirituous liquors in Tyrrell
county have formed an oath-bound So
ciety and to- members of this OrganiZa-
ton are attributed the attempts to kill
the lawyers IND the eX-mayor, al
though just how the latter is involved
in the cases OF the week has not been
amde clear. | It's stated that more
trouble is expected from the desperate
men who fired the shots and that the
officers OF the law have prepared Them
selves for any emergency.
The following telegram was received
here this evening: 1.-The officers have
decided to place the men in Jail at
Elizabeth City for safe-keeping."
Mayor J. Is. Leigh was assaulted yes
terday afternoon and slapped in the
face while he vas holding court in the
municipal building, after being sound
ly cursed and threatened. The assault
was committed by Mr.. s. S. Cart
wright. who was arrai2ned for drunk
enness and disorderly conduct. The
case had been heard and a fine
CT 81 and cots had been imposed. Mr.
Leigh was busily engaged in filling out
the necessary blanks in the case and
was taking no notice whatever of MI.
Cartwright, who was leaning on the
site of the table talking angrily about
the case. Perceiving that what he said
received no attention, he deliberately
leaned over and, With his open hand.
struck the mayor 4 blow that was
clearly heard in all parts of the
CONSERVATION reigned supreme for Il
few minutes. IN the records of the
court there was nothing to equal it.
The spectators sprang to their feet and
surged up to the rail II Chief of Po-
| lice Bell at nice rushed on the prisoner
and bore him, backwards and then
waited to see what the mayor
would pursue. After Il moments hest
tatiOn, during which he recovered from
the terrific surprise the blow must have
caused, he simply told the officer to
lock him UP if he did not pay the fine
imposed for being drunk and disorder
ly. and that he would be heard on the
charge of contempt, when he had be-
come sober. Chief Bell was leading
him from the room to the station
house after he said lie would not pay
the fine. On reaching the door the