The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-09-28

The judgment IF the court is that
labor in the state prison for a term
of twenty-five years.
Thus spoke His Honor in passing
sentence upOn the negro who entered
the roO of two negroes on virgins
Vile Beach several months ago and
stole two watches. Judge Jones utter
ed the sentence slowly and the negro
sat with his eyes upon His Honor until
the words twenty-five years were
spoken when he turned and looked to-
WardsAlat part Of. the court loom
If he hoped there to find q look Of SYM
patty. Samuel Johnson is now
~thirty-tWO years of age and if he lives
out his sentence he will b. 81 when
&c regains his freedom. but although
a very robust negro now few there are
who are able to stand prison life for a
quarter Of a century.
The room entered was occupied by
CipiO Small and Charles Inman. Both
OF these were examined yesterday and
also Son McDuftie who first saw John
sOn have the watch. Johnson claimed
that he bought the watch in Baltimore.
Solicitor Duffy agreed to a verdict OF
burglary in the second degree and the
judge instructed the jury to return Il
verdict of second degree burglary.
WoOdus Kellum, Esq, defended the
negro. The evidence against him was
conclusive, for when arrested Johnson
had a watch which was identified as
the watch stolen and the real owner
happened to have Il receipt showing
the number and this cOrresponded with
the number in the watch,
This morning at $50 the ShOckley
case will be taken III it is hardly prob
able that anything more will be lone
today than to get Il jury, and there are
some who are of the opinion that it
will take even longer than a day to
get the jury. ShOckley will be defend
ed by the firm Of Bellamy & Rellamy.
Mr.. Herbert McClammy and MI. Walter
GaffOrd. Solicitor Duffy will be assist
ed by Mr.. William J. Bellamy. The
circumstances connected with the case
have been related before in the col
umns of The Messenger and the public
is familiar with the evidence pro-
duced SO far. Just what line of defence
will be followed is not known, but it
has been understood that the attorneys
for ShOckley were going to contend
that the blows that caused Frank Tai
bert's death were dealt after he was
carried from the saloon.
The grand jury was busy a part Of
yesterday investigating the frauds COM
mitted in the recent primary. 1t will
be remembered. mat in the Fourth
ward there were % more ballots Than
had been cast. 1t is also said that
there were some 20 more ballots in the
DeIgadO box for sheriff than should
have been. There have been charges
made that things were not as they
should have beer in the Second ward.
The basis for the latter seems TO have
been in regard to a mistake having
been made as to Mr.. G.. J. Boney. When
he came up to vote it could not be
found that his name was on h reg
~istration book, but later it was found
that an error in spelling Of the name
had caused the registrar to make The
mistake. Nothing had been done in the
matter when court adjourned.
IN addition to the Johnson case, the
following composes yecterday's record:
Wallace Johnson, larceny; pleads
guilty; sentenced to Is months on Coun-
ty roads
Charlie Spicer, assault with a deadly
weapon called and failed; Judgment
nj 81, sci ia and capias.
Viii Gibson, carrying a concealed
p called and failed; judgment
nj 81, sci ia and capias.