The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-07-20

Inc Horrible Deed of n Midnight As
- Conduct of the Three
Aoung Girls Who Discover the MUIR
der>-Evidence Against the Accused.
confession by One OF Them.
Special TO the Charlotte Observer.

BARRIERS Junction, July 1.-THE
christopher Iyerly home, one OF the
Oldest places in this section % Rowan
county, IS located about two miles
cas- OF here, on the Salisbury-States-
vie 1irt road. There a large fam
II! OF children was raised by Mr.. and
mrs T. I. Lyer!E. One o. the sons
was Isaac LyerIy, who remained a.
the old plantation and reared a fam
NY or his own Tonight Mr. Tsaa-
Lyerly aged SIS years. with his thru
wife. who was Miss August Barr:n-
ger, and two children. Johnnie. : =
year-old boy, and Alice, a 5-year-old
girl, lie dead in the ancestral hone,
Mr.. Lyerly and his loved ones we're
beaten 10 death last night. between
Q and 10 O'Clock, by a cruel assassin
All except little Alice. who fingered
until ) O'Clock this afternoon. Eel, dead
before the muTderer's axe.
DISCOVERY OF THE CRIME
The Lyerlys are hard working. nor
est people. They toll by day and rest
by night. Yesterday evening. after
they had eaten supper and talked over
the simple incidents " the day. sIr.
ana Mrs Lyerly and their five children.
Mary, Addle, jamie. Johnnie and Alice.
retired tor the night. The father an
the son occupied a bed in one cOrner
or the east rOom on the first floor and
the mOtner ana Alice. ne baby -irl.
bed IL the same but in the oppJ-
site corner. Mary. Addie and JAMIE
slept upstairs. BY 9 O'Clock every one
IN the nome nus have been sound
asleep, Tor, about ar later, Wlen
Addle, the 1o-year-old girl, walked up,
she smelc smoke in the house and went
down 10 tell her father. As Addie "a
tered the sleeping room Of her parents
she saw that the bed on which her
father and Johnnie slept was burning.
In an instant she realized that some
thing serious had happened. Rushing
to her father she felt his brow and
found it was cold. She passed her
hand over Johnnie's face and that, too.
was lifeless. After making these dis
cOveries she ran out and called her
older sister, announcing the distressing
news.
TRYING TO SAVE LITTLE CURL
At that hour all was still about the
place except the patter Of the girls
bare feet rs they move about he
house. Soon the three daughters, the
oldest Of whom was but Is. like the
brave heroines they proved themselves,
were at work, trying to save the life
Of Alice, who lay moaning at the side
Of her dead mother. 1t took but a
casual glance to see that Mr.. Lyerly,
Mrs. Lyerly and Johnnie were beyond
human aid. But there vas a chance
for Alice. Mary picked the little gin
in her arms and carried her into
the front yard and laid her on the
grass, in the cool air, and did VIVA
she could to revive her. Seeing, how
that her skull, just above the
left eve, was crushed. and that she
was unconscious her sisters turned 70
the house and fire. which was making
some Roadway in the feather beds.
Water was drawn from the we'll, car
ried to the room and poured upon The
stubborn. blaze. The remains Of Mr..
Lyerly and the boy were rescued from
the flames and dragged from the bed
to the floor.
GAVE THE ALARM.
For an hour the brave girls fought
the fire and did what they could TO
their dying sister comfortable
The might was dark and lot Il soul cid
they have 70 comfort or assist them IN
their labor and sorrow. In their de5-
perate efforts to bring back 10 LIE
little Alice and i save the bodies 81
their kinSmen and their home from
fire which had been started by
murderer they thought not Of fear. !
The fire out and the COrpses cared tor !
as best they could, under the circum-
stances, they turned 10 find a place or
safety. The closest neighbOr, Mr.. 3.
Cooke, lived across the valley, more
than a quarter Of a mile away. Mary
roOk Alice in her arms and, with AddiA
md jamie for company, started for me
Cooke home. On top Of he lill, dlrec--
y in the path that led 70 Mr.. COOKIES
house. STOOD the cabin in which Jack
a negro, whom the girl
suspected Of the crime. lived. There
fore. they could no so by there. Leoy-
nc the trail At he little stream the
children beat tnClr wa through the
briers and guIlies 10 their des-
-inaCiOn.
One can easily Imagine the picture
the flight of the Lyerly girls. When
hey had finished their work a Eome
thoughts turned 10 the Drutc
,r brutes who committed the foul deed
As they gathered their sister and start
ID across the country they recalled that
lack Dellingham had some words With
heir father the day before. They were
also of the fact hat their
had been sauced by Delliag-
1am's wife. Their courage had &C.
.ertad them and they became a trio
innocent, unprotected young ONE
7eeing for shelter al a late hour Of the
hight. AS they moved along they were
,fraid lest D~ellingham should nea"
and come 70 carry out MS pan
wholesale slaughter, But the ZIP
vas made in safety and Mr.. Cooke was
notified. Alice was placed in n bel
md shown such attention as devote
could give.
Mr.. Cooke took Up the work OF TO
flying the neighborS. BY l2:3o men
and women began to assemble a. me
- 1000 Coma "a ~a7 for ma dead