The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-04-14
WANTED FOR VAGRANCY.
SHOT DOWN LIKE A DOG
Elizabeth City's Man Killing Policeman Takes
Car Load of Help to Run Down Negro Boy in
the Country, Without Warrant or Author
ity-Boy Shot in Back and Left to Die
BY w. o. SAUNDERS.


human came to light in Pasquo-
tank County the other day when
Davis Overton, Jr., a 15-year-old
colored youth was found fam
ished, delirious and nearly dy-
ing from loss of blood in ditch
near his fathers home on Body
Road, four miles from this city.
The boy had been shot in the
back by'.a party of five men
headed by Policeman George
Twiddy, before sunrise on the
morning OF Sunday, April 2. A
81 calibre bullet hit the boy in
the small of his back, just below
the twelfth rib, narrowly missed
a kidney, penetrated his liver
and right lung and lodged be-
hind a rib in his chest.
And having left the boy wounded and
a. Tho ,oint % dootb Tu;ddr CANA.
hoor. % to,.r ood cold ,,o.hino ohor. :.
The boy after lying in the woods for
four days. had managed to crawl back
to the field near his home, more dead
than alive There his father found him
neor sundown Thursday. following the
Sunday Of the shooting. His father
was away from home ot tbe time of
the sbootinp The boy was taken TO
tbo Community Uosnitol bv the Countv
ETooltb o&cor Dr Gland Williams and
DIR, John Saliba. There was hone of a
miroculous recovery for the boy when
this was written.
Davis Overton was wanted on
charge of vagrancy and a warrant for
vagrancy was held by Sheriff Chas.
Reid. But Twiddy had no warrant for
Davis Overton aud no authority TO go
ort 90 hin ;mn;sa;ot;on H. a.. Shan
iff Reid sent him. Sheriff Reid saws
Twiddy lies. that be did NOT send him
for tbo Overton bov or outborize him
to mcddIe in tba case Rut tbe imnor-
tant fact is incontrovertible. George
Twiddv ormod with murdorous
Smith G. wosson ord oooomnoniod h.,
conn otbou man ,ro,t ., ,,o, H..
bo+,,.oor do,.hrool, o,,d s,,,u;.o of 4,.t
pIorious first Srndov in Anrir Tbov
found tbo bov in q sbontv hoc,; from,
thp road. the hoy fed at the sight of
srcb q nosse Of mon coming unon him
in the dawn He fed and n voIIov of
shot was frod oftor him He was shot
IN tbo hocL lilo doo An ;,roro,+
kindly disnosod rt+Io no.
oro vontod nv +bo oonntv ou+bor;tio,
for vaprorcv bunred ot dovhraok hv .
possp of five men led bv big brutal
cowardlv CITY poIiceman and shot down
like q desnerodo unon whose baad was
Il price.
u,hv euo, possoo
Ihe men WHO accompanied IWiauy
vi UIi 'H.s ma" e. ""ii' were DI'u'S @heriH
~, ''''' Ivy ''',''' VI ".''''i 'ouh'S
i''.p' "'''''" anu i'i,'"oo" Oat'-
''7''' "" -, 'cm"s INV" VIM "is "sIsh
oorS ol '"eril seymour anu fe'e D.
cortIv mixod nm IN tho tboft of how
of tools and who is a friend of Twid-
dy'S. How Camden County Deputy
sheriff and his neighbors came to be
hooked up with George Twiddy is ex-
planned by Sheriff Seymour who says he
came to town Saturday night. April /
to look for a young man named uet-
trick who was wanted for a .heft in
Camden. With Sheriff Reid's pernis-
sion Seymour had hunted Hettrick un-
until nearly daybrcak. when
he decided TO 90 home, Twiddv had
Dccn with him on the hunt for rr.t-
trick
11o,; u;
n;a,. T,.;Sa., % 49, p 'As s,,r nun. ,or iie'-
and his friends to On with him into tho
country TO get the Oyerton bov The
Camden men piled info car with
Twiddy and Pete Sawver And tbots
low deputy Sheriff and two other
men from another county came to he
n the dastardly business.