The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-09-27

of the News and Observer, made an
estimate OF the same amount State
Treasurer Lacy at the time told the
finance committees of the Legislature
that he thought a hundred million
would be about the limit. Today your
correspondent was in the Office OF
Auditor Dixon, Treasurer Lacy being
present, and inquiries made of these
gentlemen as TO what they thought
the increase would be. DIR. Dixon
said it could not be known until the
settlements by sherifs all came in
and that these would not begin TO
arrive until after the first Of October
| Mr.. Lacy said that he thought his
| hundred million dollar estimate to be
| very close to the figure, and that he
| did MOI believe it would exceed this
| amount. Some counties show large
| increases; for example, Buncombe,
| three million and Wake three and a
| half million, but as many little coun-
( ties do not reach half a million in
crease, he can therefore see no reason
| to change his estimate DR.. Dixon
says possibly increase would go TO
s125, 600 900, taking railways and every
thing. The expenses this year were
based upon an increase of about one
hundred million, and if that figure
is not reached the treasury will be a
little short, perhaps.
There are some funny tax assessors
Auditor Dixon told of a case in which
a representative Of a couple of cor
porations asked him to assess these,
other property had been valued at
only one third of it's real value and
that the assessors lac made this the
rule there. Auditor Dixon asked how
in the world the assessors could do
{ this when the law plainly requires
| them to assess at the value of the
property at a natural sale and not a
forced sale and they are put on their
oath to SO assess.
At two o'clock this morning Mrs.
Thomas r. Purnell, wife of the Judge
of the United States district court,
died in a hospital at Richmond, where
she had been taken in order that an
operation might be performed. She
had been an invalid for the past three
years, and her death was not mex
pected. Her maiden name was ZeTely
and she was a member of an old and
honored family of Salem, where her
father was for a number of years the
postmaster.
The p~enitentiary authorities an.
nounce the escape from the con.
vict gang near Lumberton of Johr
Moore, white, aged 40, who was sen
from Wilkes county two years age
to serve five years for manslaughter
This is the second convict to escape
this month. The number of escape:
during the past two years have beer
much less than before that time, a:
| special care has been taken to guar(
convicts.
The hearing of the Southern rail
way rate case which is to begin mex
week will, no doubt, be full Of inter
est. The state is certainly very mucl
pleased at the status Of the matte
at present and consider sthat it's Pc
sition is very strong and has beer
made even stronger by development
in what may be termed the cross
examination of Mr.. Plant, Of tn
Southern. The expert accountant
for the state, Hillman and Gleason
who come from indianapolis, viii
look very narrowly into everything
They stand very high in their pro
fessiOn.
A large number of people from
Raleigh and this county were at Sci
ma today at the picnic of confed'
crate veterans and school, people
Money was raised for the Wyatt
monument which is to be erected in
the capitol square.