The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-16
TUMULT FOLLOWS
A BLOW IN COURT
Mayor Struck in Face,
Perfectly Cool.
LIQUOR AND VIOLENCE
Full Story Of Attempt to Kill Messrs.
Ward and Bond. Are Blind Tiger
Men Linked Together in Oath
Bound League? More Law
Iessness Expected.
Especial to News and Observer

Especial to News and Observer
Elizabeth City n. c.. July 10
Following wire received this evening
from Columbia:
''The officers have decided to send
the men to Jail at Elizabeth City for
safe keeping.
Mayor j. 4. Lee was assaulted yes
terday afternoon and slapped in the
face while he was holding court in
the municipal building after being
soundly cursed and threatened. The
| assault and battery was committed by
Mr.. S. S. Cartwright who was arraign-
ed for drunkenness and dis orderly
conduct. The case had been heard
and fine of two dollars and costs
had been imposed. and Mr.. Leigh was
busily engaged in filling out the
blanks of some paper, taking no notice
whatever of Mr.. Cartwright who was
| leaning on the side of the table talk
| ing about the case.
Perceiving that what he said receiv-
| ed no attention he deliberately leaned
| over and with his open hand struck
| the mayor a blow that was clearly
heard in all parts of the room.
CONSERVATION reigned supreme for a
| 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, and Chief of
| Police Bell at once rushed on the
prisoner and bore him backwards, and
then waited to see what course the
mayor would pursue.
After a moments hesitation, during
which he recovered from the terrific
| surprise the blow must have caused,
| he simply told the officers to lock the
man up if he did not pay the fine i'm
posed for being drunk and disorderly
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 he would not pay
| the fine and on reaching the door the
prisoner turned about and commenced
curSing the mayor who had apparently
J just treated him with so much len
iency using names that are generally
deemed unprintable, but he had not
| time to say much as he was hurried
forward and in moment more the
doors of the lookup had slammed be-
| hind him.
Attempts to Murder.
The arrest and arraignment of al
| legged conductors of blind tigers IN
|
week haus caused the most sensational
developments to ensue ever known in
| that county, for to no other reason
| can be attributed the attempts to
| shoot down from ambush and in cold
! blood two of the sections most prom
| inent lawyers, who are Solicitor Hallet
| S Ward, of Plymouth, and Mr.. w. NJ.
Bond, of Edenton and the exmayor
of Columbia, Mr.. r. H. Woodley,
| which attemptes, as already stated in
| the News and Observer, were made in
| Columbia last Wednesday morning.
The would-be murderers We're unsuc-
cessful, but evidently through no fault
| of theirs, as they adopted the only
| means of procedure by which they
| had a chance to accomplish their pur-
| pose and avoid detection
There is now in session at Columbia
| the county seat of Tyrrell, a two
weeks term of Superior Court, over
| which Judge T. J. Shaw. of Green's
boro, is presiding. The convention of
this special term was ostensibly for
the purpose of hearing civil cases only
and it. was also Judge ShaW'S original
intention to hear only civil cases, but
the events tranSpiring have changed
his purposes, and he has already
bound over to the next criminal court
seven people charged with the Illicit
sale of spirituous liquors.
On Tuesday Judge Shaw acted as a
committing magistrate and on the
mentioned charge, Charles Decormis,
Jordan Jones, James Etheridge White
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 We're kept under guard at the
court house.
Out of this proceeding as previous
ly mentioned undoubtedly grew the
murderous attempts. In the capacity
of lawyers Messrs. Ward and Bond
were involved in the case. That night
they had retired in their room in the
Columbia Hotel. About three O'Clock
in the morning a shot rang out and
a heavy load burst through the boards
of the room. In a moment another
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 acciGent.
Shortly after this three shots were
fired through the front door of the
home of ex-Mayor T. H. Woodley. But
again the intended victims escaped.
An Oath Bound League?
When Judge Shaw convened court
next morning he stated that he had
come to Columbia to hear civil
docket but that he would give notice
that the civil cases would be merely
a side issue during the remaining time.
and if it became necessary he would
stay in Columbia the whole summer