The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1907-11-19

]" Jill
ton When Found, Decomposition
Having Set in-COrOner's Jury Held
Inquest and After Hearing the
Evidence Charged smith With the
Crime and Recommended That He
be Held Without Bull.
AS a result of the inquest held yes
terday by the coronecs jury to inquire
into the cause of the death of Emma
Green, cOlOred, Luther Smith, color
ed, who has been employed at the
Champion Compress is incarcerated in
prison, held FOR trial on the charge Of
murder, the jury's verdict having been
that the woman came to death from
blows inflicted by Smith, and it was
recommended that he be held without
bail for the next term of superior
court. vol
The body Of Emma Green was found
yesterday morning in a small house.
No. 900 North Eighth street, and the
discovery was reported at the police
station. with the further information
that the woman had died at IL o'clock
on the preceding day. Immediately af-
ter this news was received, County
Coroner c.. d. Bell and Chief of Police
Williams wen to the scene and after
F1eViewing the remainG DR.. Bell gave
1t as his opinion that undoubtedly
murder had been committed and ne or
-d&red a rigid investigation into the
4se,
When found the body was already in
a state Of decomposition and present.
ed q horrible spectacle The face was
covered with blood, resulting from in
terlal hemorrhIges and the back and
rlgh1 side were purple, apparently
showing the effects OF blows with soma
kind OF an Instrument OF weapon.
There was d cut also discovered, on
the right I'm, which appeared to have
been inflicted several days ago.
The died at the home Of
Luther Smi,n and Immediately afte:
the examination of the body Of the
woman by Ire coroner and chief OF
police, his arrest was ordered and
Mounted Policeman Jones went to the
{. compress and returned to the city hall
wig his prisoner.
Coroner Bel during the morning
summoned the Following gentlemen to
serve on the coroner's jury: DR.. J.. A
Smith, and Messrs Harvey Cox, Mike
Carroll, John Nigel, J. w. Kerr and
w. n. Hansley. The members of the
jury examined the WOman'S body
shortly after being summoned and they
held the inquest at the city hall at
5 o'clock III the afternoon. Several
witnesses were examined and on their
testimony the holding of Smith was
ordered. s,zsa
Smith denies being in any way CON
nected with the death If the woman
He stated that she came TO his house
early Wednesday morning to do some
washing and that she complained OF
feeling i'll. He invited her into his
house n then went out to summon
medical assistance, returning with DR..
ID. w. Chestnut, a cCIOred physician.
He gave the woman some medicine and
then left. Smith says she continue
to grow worse rapidly until she died
: a few hours later.
Lula Rivers, a cOIOred woman who
lives in the rear Of the house occupied
by Smith, in which the body was found
stated that Smith called her to the
house on Wednesday morning to stay
with the WOman while he went tOget
aActor and she says the Green wo-
nh did not speak 4 word all the
time she was there, being apparently
in eXtremis.
y fact brought out III the case is that
Smith locked up the house after the
woman died and gave the key to the
fivers woman with the order to let
ally II in who came for the body
aLd TO lock the house again after it
had been removed.
Smith. it, is stated, reported at the
city hall on Wednesday that a woman
a lied at his house but he did no
the body
Dr. chestnut admits having been
summoned in the case and that he
administered to the woman, but he
say he made Lo examination as tc
her condition and did not issue a death
certificate, his knowledge of her death
having been received from the cor.
eTer.
The dead woman a about 40 years
Of age and she lived alone on Sew.
enth between Swami and Nixon
streets.
If murder was committed, as appears
from fha wnl1ndc On tho hodx IL amman