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

Within four days -wO murders a V
been committed in this city and both
murderers are still at large. On sun
dav night a negro by the name OF
Charles Washington was killed by
Fred Hill. Yesterday a few minutes
after the hour of II a negro woman,
Zenia Ashe was shot dead by her hus-
band, William Ashe. The fatal shoot
ing occurred near Taylor and Sixth
streets and there were several eye
witnesses 20 the tragedy Officers
the city but were unable to find any
clue of the murderer and il is suppos-
ed that he crossed the Hilton bridge
into the adjoining county. There
were conflicting reports as to his hav-
ing crossed the bridge. He IS a very
small negro and does not weigh more
than 125 pounds.
The Ashe negroes did not livn in
Wilmington but at what is known as
Mount Misery, which is not far from
Navassa. From what can be learned
on Sunday night William Ashe and his
wife had a quarrel and resulted in
Ashe whipping her. His wife ran
away from home and came to Will
mingtOn and went to the house of
Florence Ounce on Sixth street. The
woman was at this house yesterday
morning when William Ashe came and
ordered her 10 return home. Tney
are said to have had some words and
Ashe pulled out his pistol and shot at
her, the first shooting having occurred
in the house. The woman ran from
the back door and as she turned to
dart around the corner or the house he
fired at her again but the bullet went
wild of it's mark. The frightened wo-
man dashed into the street and had
not gone many steps when her brutal
husband reached her and they crap
pied. A second later William Ashe
drew his pistol and shot his wife in
the left breast, the bullet piercing her
heart. She dropped to the ground
dead.
The murderer lost no time but
quickly fastened in the direction OF
Hilton and at last accounts had not
meen captured, although Sheriff Sted-
man and several officers spent o por-
ton of last night looking for the
negro.
Soon after the murder was commit
ted DR.. c.. D. Bell, coroner Ct New
Hanover county, was Motif, q and a
jury was summoned and an inquest
held. Those composing the jury were:
Messrs. P. A. Harris, Charles Shep-
herd, J. D. Sudbury. r. l. Sellers, T.
NJ. Brown and W. B. Sell rs
The principal witness examined
was Mr.. c.. H. Casteen who was an
eye witness to the shooting. Several
negro women were also examined. all
eye witnesses. After hearing all of
the evidence the jury found that
Zenia Ashe anne to her deah by a
pistol wound inflicted by William
Ashe.
It is no uncommon occurrence for
murders to be committed in this city
and for the past two years there is
a long list, most of them being among
the negroes. In the majority of cases
the negro murderers have made their
escape. It often happens that court
wv ASeAoNo oAo IL 1o IL - SSIoA
they are on their good behavior but
such does not seem to be the case here
for last spring a murder was commit
ted during court week and two muir
ders have been committed so fir this
week and the weekly only half gone.
Solicitor Duffy in speaking Of the mat
ter yesterday said he thought that by
all means this county should have
blood hounds. He was confident that
if there had been blood hounds here
the two negroes who committed muir
der during the present week would
now be behind prison bars. This
makes three murders that have b en-
committed in this city within the past
few weeks, the third being LOnnie
Snipes who shot W. L. Williams and
who is now in the New hanover Jail.
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