The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-10-01

A foul and cold blooded murder
was committed yesterday morning
about 4 o'clock on Mr.. Owen Mar
tindale's plantation situated about
three and a half miles south of the
city, on the Federal Point road,
when Banks ROthwell, a middle
aged colored man a tenant of Mr..
Martindale's was called from his
house by parties, who are yet I'M
known, and after a short
ton on the outside was shot and
staggering into the house fell over
dead.
Shortly after the killing the wife
of the murdered man summoned
neighbors and the news of the trag-
edy was telephoned to the city.
Shortly after daybreak Constable
Savage and Superintendent J.. r.
Hardee, of the county home, went
to the scene of the shooting, carry
ing the blood hounds with them.
From Constable Savage who re-
turned from the place where the
tragedy occurred about two o'clock
in the afternoon the details so far
as known, were obtained, the story
being hat told the officer by the
dead mans wife.
She said that she was up with a
sick child about 4 o'clock when some
one On the outside called her hus-
bands name. Rothwell asked who
it was and the reply came Martin
dale. Rothwell did not respond at
once and he was called again. On
the second query as to who was call
ing, the reply from the outside was
Cook" and he was asked to come
out of the house for a moment or
two. RothWell went out and his
wife states that h was standing at
the window and after a moments
conversation she saw the men Crap
pie with him and then two shots
were fired, only one of them, how
ever, taking effect. The says
her husband then jumped through
the window into the room, secured
his gun and turned to go out the
door, when he fell to the floor and
expired within a few minutes. The
Woman states that one of the assail-
ants was white and that she believ-
es the other two were also white or
bright mu1attOS.
From those who heard the Tom-
ans tale it is learned that the story
Of the occurrence varied in n or
two essential particulars from an
account given earlier in the day and
the impression is that she has not
told all she knows.
DR.. G.. D. Bell, the county coroner,
went out to the Martindale place yes
terday morning and after reviewing
the remains, turned the body over
to the family.
Examination of the body showed
that the shot had entered in the
back, under the right shoulder blade
and that the ball had entered the
right lung, causing causing profuse
hemorrhage and death.
The coroner has summoned a jury
to hold an inquest today at noon,
the jurors being as follows: Messrs
E. D. Sloan, w. B. Savage, Owen
Martindale, J. R. Hardee, W. H.
Biddle and - Thompson.
1t is expected that there will be
some sensational developments fol-
lowing the inquest. The officers are
making every possible effort to ap-
prehend the guilty parties and it is
believed that clews on which they
are working will lead them to cap
ture the murderers.
A negro who was arrested yester-
gay anu loGheu up Ii jan W NC noio
as a witness is expected to give i'm
portant testimony today. This man
was Tom Sutton, his arrest having
been ordered by the cOrOne
The deceased negro was an i'm
portant witness in the Burriss-Bry-
an forcible tresspass case now pend
ing in the superior court, the case
resulting from a land controversy
between the two parties to the suit
several weeks ago.