Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-09-13
Argument Over Khiskey Results in Weldon Man
Being Stabbed to Death Early Sunday Morning
Negro Held
For Murder
Of q. B. Miles

A roadside qu"-rel over some
whiskey cost the life Of Gordon
Bryant Miles, 20, World War II
veteran farmer, of Weldon late
Terry, alias George, Northamp-
ton County Negro, was jailed on
a murder charge in the death.
Terry, now being held in an
undisclosed Jail, will be brought
before Judge Charles Daniel in
Halifax County Recorders court
tomorrow, when Judge Daniel
will sit as committing magis-
trate in the preliminary hear
ing.
The dead youth, who lived
with his family in the Mush Is
land section near Weldon, was
fatally wounded when Terry
allegedly slashed the left side
of his troat following an argu-s
ment between Miles and the
young Negro.
Sheriff H. A. House, who con-
Quoted an investigation of the
case, said the knitting took place
about a quarter of a mile from
Weldon on the old highway
which leads into the Mush Is
land section. ~
Quarrel En.uss
The sheriff said r. ..s told
by Miles younger brother, W. T.
Miles, Jr., who was with him
at the time of the knitting, that
the two boys were driving up
the road toward Weldon about
III p. m. when two Ne
|g gro boys thumbed ride
The boy told the shelifts that Tire
two Negro boys had pffGfea to
sell them some bootleg whiskay
and had gotten mad whei1 they
refused to buy it. The two white
youths got out Of the car and
Miles was cut by the Negro. who
then started to run.
The injured boys brother said
he got in the car and attempt
ed to run the fleeing Negro
down, but drove into a ditch and
had to go back down the road
to the home of his father, Wre-
ford T. Miles, to get a pickup
truck in which to take his in
jured brother to the hospital at
Roanoke Rapids.
Miles died en- route to the hos
pital from the wound and loss
of blood.
Sheriff House, aided by mem
bers of the Roanoke Rapids and
Weldon police forces and State
Highway Patrol officers, made
an immediate investigation of
the case, and about four o'clock
Sunday morning they went TO
the home of Terry's grandma
ther near Gumberry in North
ampton County. A deputy sher-
iff from Northampton County
accompanied the officers to make
the arrest.
Terry, who had been identi-
fled by young Miles as the kill
er of his brother, surrendered
to the officers and was brought
to the Roanoke Rapids jail. The
sheriff said the Negro had no
weapon on his person at the
time of the arrest, however he
said he admitted cutting the
white youth and told officers he
had cut him with a pocket knife
and had lost the knife. Ter
ry had been living near We'll
don and working in the vicinity
for several months.
Another Negro, John Harrison,
who was with Terry at the
time of the alteration, was
picked up by the officers early
Sunday morning at the home of
his father at Garysburg and is
being held as material witness
in the case.
Negroes Story
Sheriff House quoted the Ne
groes as saying they were walk
ing along the road from Mush
Island when they were overtak-
en- by a car. The Negroes told
the sheriff they had some ABC
store whiskey and said the white
youths had demanded that the
Negroes give them some and
had gotten angry when they re-
fused. Terry said Miles slapped
his face and said he then drew
out his pocket knife and cut
him.
The sheriff said both Negroes
were taken Sunday to an undis-
closed Jail where they are be-
ing held until Tuesdays hear
ing at Halifax.
| Coroner Rufus Britton said
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