The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-12-31
MAN AND WOMAN KILLED
Will Richardson, Colored, Sap
posed to be the Murderer
Coroner's Jury Puts tho Crime on
Richardson, Who Has Left the
City-Dead Bodies OF Man and
Woman Found In Josephine Pig
ford's House-Had Been Dead
Several Hours When Discovered.

y horrible double murder, resulting
n the death Of Josephine Pigford and
Slocumb Williams, both colored. was
committed some TIME during Christ
mas eve night in tho home OF the pig
ford woman. which Is located IN Ter
r. $ alley IN the block bounded by
2rd and Fourth and Brunswick and
Bladen streets.
IL Is believed thar the man was
killed instantly Il that the woman
lived for possibly three or four MIN
utes after being shot. The authOri-
ties are confident that the man guilty
Of the shooting is William Richard
son. n negro who Is familiar in police
circles, who is said to have lcu the
city on the cary morning 5. 4. l.
train on Wednesday. THE only ar
rest so far made in the case rs tina.
OF William Flowers. colored. who was
with Richardson during the AFTERNOON
preceding the tragedy, having been ar
rested on Wednesday morning by Of
flcer Newton. but being released
~ = AlN SA'b - AAAA-'oG NNpAtA u
Flowers is said TO have gone to the
train with Richardson and he was ex-
pected TO furnish some clew as To the
whereabouts OF the guilty man
T:he first sign that a tragedy had
been committed was when some n
passing the house on Wednesday morn
ing noticed blood flowing nom the
house to the alley. a big pool havina
been formed. Alex Davis. the cOlored
undertaken whose place OF business
is nearby was hastily summoned and
he sent for DR.. c. d. Bell. the county
coroner, these two entering the house
together. A horrible sight presented
itself to view. The woman was lying
at the foot Of the bed with her head
! nearly reaching to the door. and VIII
liams was lying on his back on the
floor, by the red, both rigid in death.
From the appearance OF the bodies
death must have occurred several
hours before they were discovered.
Altogether FIVE shots were fired by
the murderer, all of them having TAX
! CI cutCl III one VI llc l"O hlt
Williams was shot in three places.
once in the forehead, just over the
right eye piercing the brain, another
entering the lower lcf: side Of the fac"
and ranging upward into the brain
and the third causing a flesh wound
on one of the fingers Of the right
hand.
The m was shot twice, one bull
let having struck her in the breast
and the other having taken effect IT
her hand.
The shooting was apparently done
at a range Of five or six feet. the Don
being a very small one. and the aim
Of the murderer was sure and GER
tain.
The bodies Of the two murdered peO-
pie were moved TO the undertaking es-
Enlistment Of Davis and after
being viewed by a %corOner's jury per-
mission for their interment was given,
the burial having been made in Pine
Forest cemetery yesterday.
Williams was a young negro mar
ried man, who resided at No. 6l5
North Sixth street. The Williams wo-
man was a ~disreputable character and
a regular fr%equenter at the mayors
court. 1t is believed that Richardson
had been familiar with the wOman and
that in a fit Of jealous rage he fired
the shots which caused the death OF
the two.
The ~coroner's jury which viewed the
remains on "Wednesday net yesterday
morning at - O'Clock in the county
court house to investigate the case.
Several witnesses were examined and
all the testimony went To prove that
Will Richardson had threatened 10
kill ts woman and that on Tuesday
lie actually shot al her three different
times. He was known 10 have threat
cred her life and he was seen in the
house with her late On the night OF
the killing. From the evidence pre-
scented 10 them the jury rendered a
verdict that both Josephine Pigford
and Slocunb Williams came 20 their
deaths at the hands Of VIII Richard
son and he * now a fugitive, on the
charge Of murder. Nothing has been
heard by th@ authorities as to his
whereabouts.
The ~coroner's jury was composed OF
Messrs. J. F. Skipper, foreman; ".
u Cherry, secretary, j. ID. Mote. j..
A. Lewis, J. T. Cowar and r W.
Terry.
u.-o.r Good AdYira