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

'Aou " eos lsuop V1Ll q ll51
either; but at the time it amused the
whole court Don nightly"
One OF the most celebrated tr:al5
h a ever took place in the old Cum
barland court house on St. James
square was that Of Ann K Simpson
for the murder IF her husband by ar
senical poisoning. The case created
intense interest, for Simpson was very
popular, and his wife was a beautiful
young woman II was said that she
loved another man, though | have
never heard that her passion was re-
turned, and the children Of that man
are living in this community today.
The Simpsons were neighbors Of our
family on Haymount (before th6
~pOisOning), and as a child I-used 10
be greatly Mortified TO see Mrs. Simp
son with male and female companions
playing cards on the front porch OF
Sunday.
Thomas Ashe was solicitor in the
Simpson trial and the array OF cOun-
sci for and against the defendant n
Guided such men as DObbin Strange,
Warren WinsIOw, Edward l.. Winslow
Duncan X. MacRae, etc. The roll OF
professional witnesses was hardly less
distinguished, there being, ca1lel as
medical experts DR.. Benjamin Robin
son, Dr.. MaIlett, Dr.. Haigh, and The
learned Prof. Simeon Cotton. principal
of the donaldson Academy. A clerk
in a drug store afforded no little
amusement by Ceining thR-dofference
in arsenic. White arsenic he said
would make rats run TO water, and
red arsenic would make them run
from water" AS is we'll known Mrs.
Simpson was acquitted; the reason
therefor may be summed up in the re-
mark Of McGregor, a Scotch juryman:
All, she's a woman-don't hang her;
whip the pretty little hus5y.' 1t is
said-and, if true, it is Il startling YER
ification of the warning that be sure
your sins will find you Out'-tnat
between two pines OIL a vacant lot in
the eastern part Of Fayettevill the body
Of Ann X. Simpson lies in a grave
utterly unmarked. She left Fayette-
Vile after the trial. and it is averred
that she married again, and poisoned
that husband for which she <vas exc
cuted; that her friends obtained pos
session of her remains and brought
them here by night from a railroad
station some miles away.
Col. Robert Strange, son Of Judge
Strange. was born four miles north Of
Fayetteville at Myrtle Hill," the fam
lily homestead. where are now the ex-
tensive vegetable and fruit farms Of
Mrs. Cochran, the general manager
being Mr.. Samuel H. Strange, grand
,,~ 20 T,,Joo Ctro,1n Tn1Nnp1 Robert
Strange was a man Of exceptionally
striking personality, handsome Of face
and graceful of form, with superb
polish and refinement of name and
bearing. He stood high with the bench
and was an able nisi prius lawyer. [
think hat the three most attractive
and commanding men Of bench or bar
that | have ever seen in the court
room, were Judge Person, Judge Settle
and Colonel Strange. He removed to
Wilmington many years ago
Soon after the civil war there was
n suit in Cumberland superior court
against the Cape Fear Navigation coni-
pany for non user Of charter; and,
although the case was dry and prOSy,
with polk details about dredging,
damming, jetties, etc, large Groves
dIlcIlucu IL lulOuSlOul IlOl1 IL
est attaching to the counsel engaged.
There were from F%ayetevil g the Jaw
firm of B, and T. c.. Fuller, J. G.. Shep~
herd, VIM. B Wright; from Bladen the
brilliant Devane; from Wilmington,
Strange, Empie, A. NJ. Waddeu and
his father. Hugh WGdde}l - a
charming old man, with a noble head,
hair like silver and as fine as silk. II
manner as soft as velvet, and a vote
strung on golden chords. He was a
Sir Galahad of the Olcen time. The
peOple hung on the words Of these
masters of their profession, never
wearying of the feast.
Col. VIM. Mel. McKoy, who was long
a prominent figure at the Fayette-
vile bar, was prostrated by a stroke
of a~pOplexv at L~umbertOn, while
arguing a case in the superior court
Of Robson county, and either died in
the court room or a few minutes after
removal.
Col. McKOy was an effective public
speaker on the hustings, and was
in great demand during the excited
party campaignS. He a a stock an
ecdote, which he told with great gusto,
NNNNN~'
and for which he never failed to ind
a place in every speech, so that it was
associated with his name all over The
Cape Fear country. 1t was the story
of an old preacher, who. on changing
his pastoral field. and riding away on
his gray mare, described how every
animate object Of his old home seemed
sorrewfully 10 say: Farewell. Brother
Crawford!" Finally at tie cack'ing,
and futtering wings of a flock Of geese
he and the animal which he bestrode
suddenly parted company; and, as he
old gray mare kicked up her heels, and
galloped away, she, TOO, seemed to
say: Farewell, Brother Crawford"
t During the session of a superior
court in one Of the Cape Fear counties
presiding judge assigned TO Col. Nc
Koy the task of defending a tough
-s1L l~--@ $50