The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1908-02-11

ClJ ali"
An apparently cold-blooded murder,
committed without pro~Vocation SO far
as Is KNOWN, occurred Sunday alter
noon about / o'clock in a
owned and operated by owen Smith,
ce9ored, which is situated on Wright
street between Second and Third
streets. just Two blocks away from
where the dead body OF CHARLES Ed
wards was found on Sunday two weeks
ago. ne having been brutally murder
ed, by parties who have not yet been
apprehended.
The crime on Sunday was commit
ted by Herman Lee, a young white
man about % years of age, when he
shot point blank at George Robinson,
a. young colored lad about 16 years OF
age, the ball taking effect in his LETT
eye and resulting in les sthan four
hours later in his death at The James
Walker Memorial hospital where he
had been hurriedly taken in the am
bulance.
Robinson, when struck fell to the
floor u]nconcious and he died about 8
O'Clock without having regained con-
seriousness.
Lee. Immediately after having fired
at the negro ran from the scene, being
closely pursued by several white men
ard Il number of negroes who a been
attracted by the morse of the pistol.
He was followed up Wright into Third
then to Meares and On M=oso % to 4th
being captured on Fourth betWeen
Dawson and Wright streets by Mr.. Her
bert Hankins, one of those in the pur-
suing party. A slight demonstration
by several negro men in tn ecrowd
made to take Lee fl ON Mr.. HankinS
was easily frustrated by the white men
who joined with Mr.. Hankins. In a
few minutes Magistrate j. H. Sykes
was on the scene and Lee was formal
~ placed under arrest. Shortly after
wards he~was turned owe to the police
officers who had arrived and by them
was taken to the city hall and incarce-
rated in prison. Lee was trunk when
arrested and appeared to be unable to
give his nam and make any reference
to the shooting.
DR.. C. D. Bell, the coroner, was mott
fed of the tragedy shortly after the
death of Robinson and he summoned
n %cOroner's jury to inquire into the
cause of the killing, the jurors being
Messrs. Rheuben Grant, w. D. Walker,
III. B, Hankins, w. II Howe J H Sykes
and LOUIS T Moore.
The jury met yesterday morning and
viewed the body of the dead negro at
the hospital at 10 o'clock after which
permission was given for the burial
of the remains.
At noon the coroner's jury met at
the court house, Mr.. Sykes being made
foreman and Mr.. Moore secretary.
-Four witnesses, Mr.. John Brinkley,
and Owen Smith, Dunk Henderson n
Tom Brown, the latter three colored
were examined and on their testimony.
after considering the evidence, the jury
rendered a verdict that "the deceased,
George Robinson, came to his death
rs the result of a pistol wound be-
Keved to nave been inflicted by herman
lee"
None of the witnesses saw the shoot
ing and testimony was only circumstan
fiai-
The coroner stated last night that he
would release Lee on bond if he could
raise a sufficient amount, because the
killing was not premeditated, but Lee
had stated that he could not furnish
bail, therefore he will be held until
the next term of superior court which
meets in March.
From what can be learned it appears
that Lee took offense at the salutation
of the negro in return to a casual re-
mark be made to Robinson while the
latter was standing in the door way of
the restaurant, and that without warn
ing he pulled out his pistol and fir
ed
Lee. for several months past has
been employed at the Wilmington cot
ton mills, having received, it is said,
his discharge on Saturday night. Rob-
ison is the son of George Robinson, a
well known colored shoemaker, and
he was employed by George Bellesares
at the latter's restaurant on South
Front street.
When Lee was arrested no pistol was
found on his person but later a search
OF the route he had travelled while run
ming revealed a pistol which was found
In a hog pen in a nearby yard. The pis-
n was empty but several cartridges