The gold leaf., 1910-08-11

Aquilla Powell, Son of E. E. Powell,
Murderer of Chief of Police Dunn of
Scotland Neck, Shoots Himself With
Suicidal Intent In Durham-Dies as
Result of SeIf-Infiicted Wound Four
Days Later.
Durham, \. C., Aug. ), 1910.
This afternoon at 4 O'Clock a young
man walked into a near-beer saloon
in this city and asked for a piece OF
paper upon which he wrote his own
name and that of ". FL. Josey,
Scotland Neck, n. C. This young
man was Aquilla Powell, son of f. f.
Powell of Scotland Neck, who is now
serving 30-year sentence in the
State prison for Staying Chief of
Police c. W. Dunn, of Scotland Neck,
at which time State Senator T.. L.
Travis aud Representative Paul
kitchin were both shot and danger
ously wounded by Powell.
Saying that he had but a few min
utes to live when he had finished
writing young Powell placed pistol
TO his right side and fired. The bull
let, a 3S calibre, took effect just
under the lower rib and appears to
be a dangerous wound. Another
shot, the first one fired, bystanders
say, went into the floor Powell was
at once taken to Watts hospital and
if he RECEIVERS he will have fight for
his life
1t was learned that Powell had
been here several days though his
presence was known to but few. At
the time of his fathers trouble in
Scotland Neck he was working here,
having left his home on account OF a
difficulty he had himself gotten into,
out of which the awful Scotland
Neck tragedy grew. He engaged in a
cutting affair that caused old man
Powell to write to Senator Travis
After this terrible affair Aquilla
Powell was warned from Scotland
Neck not to come back. He did
later, however, and has not been
back here since until this time. His
stay in Scotland Neck was short Che
went on account of his mother sick
ness or death) as he was arrested on
an old warrant and made his escape
while being conveyed to the county
jail that night. Since that time
Aquilla Powell appears to have been
q wanderer and he was not at work
anywhere.
Opinions differ AS to his condition
prior to shooting himself. Some of
these are to the effect that lie had
been on n debauch and was coming
from under the demoralizing effects;
others are that he had brooded over
his misspent life and the trouble he
had brought upon himself and his
family. He had been heard to Ia
ment that he had caused his father
to commit murder, his sisters trouble
and his own banishment from his old
home. His aged father in the States
prison for the rest of his life, his
mother dead, his only brother under
Indictment in several cases for vio-
lating the law and his two sisters
crushed in spirit and broken in health
in consequence of the troubles that
have crowded upon them, when
Aquilla Powell surveyed the past
and conte mplated the future life to
him did not seem worth while and in
his terrible desperation he decided to
snuff out his miserable existence and
end it ALL
LATER-Aquilla Powell died at $50
o'clock Tuesday afternoon. The
bullet that killed him entered the
right side, pierced the liver and
passed through the body, making
several perforations of the intestines.
The body passed through here yes
terday being taken to Scotland Neck
for burial. His sister, Miss Alice
Powell, was along with it. Mr.. +. E.
Powell, Jr, went TO Durham as soon
as he learned that his brother had
shot himself, but returned home after
staying short while as there was
nothing he could do.