The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-01-15
Little Done Yesterday
Save in Minor Cases.
WATTS CASE MONDAY
Hospital Attendants Who Captured
Insane Patient to Answer Charge
Of Responsibility for His Death
Three Capital Gases Con
tinued-Biyins Wednesday,.

Superior court yesterday was With
out a feature. Early in the after
noon the jury for the week was Dis
after having had 4 period Of Amos,
unrelenting toll.
There were no features whatsoever
Of the day. The docket was consider
ably lightened by the continuance "f
several capital cases, all on notion
of the defendants. Everett Spence, IN
dicted for murder, was granted a con
t%inuance on an affidavit alleging tl-
absence OF a material witness. ;. v.
Parker, ChaS H. Layton, under bond
for m~anSlaughter for the Killing Of
one Monaghan. alleged the absence
of witness Robert Jones and was
granted a continuance, his case being
set for the first Monday Of the March
term of court; Haywood Morgan in
dictment for burglary. was continued.
Nall Case Oh Monday.
on Monday the trial of King, High,
Durham and Pcele, for the murder
Of the insane patient, Nail, Viii he en-
tered upon. This ease arose under
sensational circumstances the
defendants. Hospital attendants, We're
charged with having beaten to death
Thomas Nall, a patient from Chat
ham county, after having overtaken
him in his attempt 70 escape. The
witness IN chef is one Massey, who
claims to have seen the defendants
capture the man and to haze heard
the sound of repeated blows from the
hillside, where the struggle took place
after the capture. After the patient
had been captured he was brought
to the office Of the Carleigh Phosphate
Works, from which a message was
sent TO the Hospital. He was at that
time in a stupor and had a severe GU
in the head. Soon after his arrival al
the Hospital he died, after going into
coma. Dr. Mckee, the Superintend-
ent. diagnosed the cause of death as
heart Utilization caused by over-eX-
ton and did not at first consider a
c~orOner's inquest necessary. The coro-
ner. however, Went to Chatham county
eXhumed the remains and held an au-
tOpSy in Raleigh, as a result OF when
| the our attendants were arrested and
later indicted by the grand jury. At q
subsequent investigation held by
the Board of Direcors of the State
Hospital at Raleigh who examined
a number of witnesses as to the cir
| cumStanceS and a number of expert
| opinion witnesses as to their opinion
of the cause of the death of q man
suffering from the symptoms deScrib-
ed by Dr. Mckee, the conclusion was
| cached that Nails death was as di-
agnosed by the superintendent, from
dilatation of the heart caused by MS
exert.on on a hot day in his efforts to
| escape and not BY reason of the blow
| upon his head. which it was held af-
fected only the scalp, and did not
| produce compression of the brain. In
the trial of the case this week, the
| defense will probably be n line with
his conclusion Of the Hospital direc-
! tors.
Biyirs Case Wednesday.
THE Nall case must be concluded in
! two days to make way for the trial
of j. II. Bivins, the Seaboard detcc-
| tive who is indicted for murder in the
first degree and for the selection Of
whose jury a special venirc of one
hundred and fifty has been ordered
for Wednesday.
\ Contempt Scare.
One case that Of ARRAY between
Milton Brannon and Herbert Ellis, in
which there was Il plea of guilty and
suspension of judgment, brought
about a slight diversion, There was
another defendant. w. +. Benson, in
the case, but he had taken leg-bail
of his bondsmen. 1t came to the ear
Of the Court that n Lands. who lives
at the .Caraleigh Mill, had advised
Benson to depart from the countv.
WhereupOn the court issued a rule
against Lands to show cause why
he should not be attached for con
tempt.
Lands came into court later, well
frightened. and old the Judge that
he had not meant to advise anything
or to interfere with the proceedings
of the court. The defendant, Benson
he declared, had told him that he
"believed he would run away" and re
spondeut stated that, jokingly, he had
told him that it would be q good thing
to do.