KUROPATKIN
RETREAT
Field Marshal Oyama
Holds Sway Over
Liao Yang
NO RELIEF FOR
PORT ARTHUR
The Only Hope is That the Japanese
Are Not in a Position to Press the
'Seise An Offensive Movement
Against Kuroki Was Short-lived,
AVlien Kuropatkin, by the Over
Avlielminjr Force of the Japanese
I-Hanking Movement Was Compelled,
to Abandon All Ideas of an Advance
and Hurriedly Ordered His Army to
Evacuate IJao Yang and Retreat
Toward Mukden General Stakel
berg, in Command of the First Si
berian Corps of 25,000 Men, Blun
dered in the Carrying Out of Orders
and Was Surrounded and Cut Off. to
the Westward This May Result in
the Loss of the -Whole Corps The
Russians Before Giving Up Liao
Yang Probably Destroyed All the
Stores That They Could Not Re
move. St. Petersburg. September 3. It is
irvfKS.-. Ilir oTinnnnoorl that rjpriPml TC 11 rO-
abandoned, and thajt--Genera.T
s corns has oen cut on.
tvrmLpied Liao Yang.
Siberian army corps, num-
cut off -westward of Liao
The Russians are concentrating
at Yentai. .
'St. Petersburg, September 3. A dis
patch has been received here from Gen
eral Kuropatkin, announcing that he
has ordered his army to evacuate Liao
Yang and withdraw northward.
The Russians blew up the magazines
and set fire to the army stores and
provisions at Liao Yang before evacu
ating that place.
General Kuropatkin says the, first
Siberian army corps, which during the
past ilive days jsufflered considerable
loss, has been obliged to retire several
kilometres westward as a result of the
Japanese attack on Sykwantun; hence
the order to evacuate Liao Yang.
iGeneral Kuropatkin says further:
"On the night of September 1st, Gen
eral Kuroki attacked Sykwantun, eleven
miles east of Liao Yang and captured
a majority of the Jtusian positions, the
occupation of which was completed on
the night of September 2nd, the Rus
sians retiring six miles distant. The
first iSiberian corps was almost sur
rounded. This corps previously saved
General Orloff's detachment by attack
ing the Japanese flank when General
Drloff s -was threatened with . annihi
lation. General Orloff was seriously
wounded."
Russian Troops Ordered to Retire
Northward.
St. Petersburg, 'September 3. The fol
lowing report has been received from
General Kuropatkin dated September 3:
The enemy last (Friday) night at
tacked "and seized most of the positions
occupied. by our troops at Sykwantun,
and the troops holding the positions in
question retired to a rear guard posi
tion between the villages of Shansuntun
and 'Shitshanga.
"The same night the first -Siberian
army corps, which had sustained heavy
losses during the last five days and
which was in danger of having its flank
turned, owing to the enemy's superior
forces, retired several kilometres to the
westward.
"In these circumstances I ordered
Liao Yang evacuated and the troops
to retire northward."
Kuropatkin in Full Retreat.
St. Petersburg, Stptember 4. 12:15 a.
m.. 'All Russia will learn by the morn
ing newspapers that General Kuropat
kin's army is in lull retreat to the
northward, that Liao Yang has been
abandoned and that General Stakel
herg's corps is surrounded and cut off.
The hopes of success raised in Rus
sian breasts by the telegram from the
commander-in-chief, published this af
ternoon.saying that the Russians had ad
vanced against General Kuroki. on Fri
day, and that an attack on the Russian
right had been repulsed, proved short
lived. General Kuropatkin had scarce
ly begun the offensive against General
Kuroki's army when he was compelled,
by the Overwhelming force of the Jap
anese flanking movement, to give - up
all idea of continuing his advance, and
hurriedly withdrew in the direction
of 'Mukden.
The retreat is the logical consequence
of Russian planof leading on and tiring-
W FULL
NORTHWARD
out the Japanese at the successive sta
tions of the road northward, thus plac
ing their foe at the constantly grownng'
disadvantage of lengthening the lines
of communication. The success or this
plan was marred by a -blunder of Gen
eral Stakelberg, who in the words of
General Kuropatkin, insisted on plac
ing his own interpretation on orders,
instead of fulfilling them. General
StakelDerg errea in laiuug v"
Taitse -river when General Kuropat
kin decided that the whole army should
retreat to its northern bank, as was
exclusively reported in dispatches to
the Associated Press on September 1.
This blunder, it is feared, will involve
the loss of the whole of the first Sibe
rain army corps, consisting of the first
second and sixth rifle di visions the
Ussuri Cossack brigade, the first Sibe
rian artillery brigade and a Sapper
battalion. , ,
The abandoment of the whole, posi
tion at Liao Yang involves the Joss of
a great accumulation of stores though
it is believed that many of these al
ready had been sent north before the
commencement of fighting- y,nvsTpr
Ht is 'more than possible, . howev er
that the 'Russians destroyed what they
could not remove!
Sbmething akin to consternation jre
vails among (Russians V.
ed of "the disaster to general s take,
berer's corps. All realize that there
ismalMiope now JH'SfflSlSi
Arthur but the militory offi'cials ar
t nLus in the belief that it would
only b folly for General Kuropatkm lo
remain and run the risk of being sur
rounded 'with his whole army and that
the commander-in-chief, y-ia a
drawal north, has actually converted
what might have been faster to
himself into what is ie?etdh Baan";
-prcsfv for the Japanese, for the laimre
irthejlpanese to hold general Kuro
patkin's army and inflict a rrded
Slow.' it is claimed, cannot be res arded
otherwise than a reverse. Field Mar
.ahal Ovamas tenacious frontal attacK
and thl clever flank movements cou d
nof haVhad any other object th an to
compel the Russians to accept a decis
doubtedly have a discouraging effect
on the garrison of .Port ArthUr .J vhich
the sieeMti -it-is me l-
KSat they have diverted a portion of
I that tney i . - re5nforGe their
the oesiesms . YrvvMiT-ia This
corps operating m Manchuria. This
would account for the empM
in tho fiffhtinff there. It is noticeaDie
. Sat the Iregereports reaching here do
not mention further ass aults on & the.
fortress, but only speak of bombard
ments.
Russians Giving Way Before the
. Japanese.
fokio, September 3.-10:30 a. m. The
Russian force confronting (Field Mar
shal Oyama's left and center continues
slowly to give ground in retreat, and
is crossing to the right bank of tne
Taitse river. !A portion of the Russian
army occupies a line of defense .works
extending northwest from a point soutn
of Liao Yang. The Russians also hold
an eminence northeast of "Nuchang, on
the right bank of the Taitse. This is
evidently intended to shield the general
retreat of both the left and center.
The Japanese armies continued to press
the Russians yesterday. They moved
forward and occupied a line extending
from Tatepjif to Yanehilintzu; Oyma
telegraphs that he hopes they will reach
the right bank of the Taitse this morn
ing. . .
General Kuroki, after serious fight
ing, succeeded yestrday in taking a po
sition of eminence near Heiyingtai. De
tails of this fighting have not been re
ceived. Russians again appear to be concen
trating in the vicinity of Yehtai coai
mines, twelve miles northeast of Liao
Yang. Possibly another great battle
will occur there. -
The present trend of the movements
indicates that possibly the 'Japanese will
move past Liao Yang, temporarily leav
ing the- city untouched.
Russians Make a Stand.
ToJcio, September 3. The following
dispatch has been received here:
"Headquarters of the Manchurian
army, September 3.-9 a. m. The re
mainder of the defeated Russians are
making a stand outside the walls of
Liao Yang. Our left and center armies
are attacking them."
Russian Advance Against the Japa-
nese.
St. Petersburg, September 3. gener
al Kuropatkin. telegraphing under to
day's date, describing the change of
front resulting from (General Kuroki's
flanking movement, says the Russians
advanced against Kuroki yesterday
and adds that the Japanese the same
day attacked the IRussian right, but
were repulsed. -. .
THE RAILWAY LEASE.
The Deal Completed Suit in Federal
Court to be Dismissed.
(Special to The Messenger.)
Raleigh, X. C. September 3. The
lease of the Atlantic and North Caro
lina railway is complete. The lessee,
Mr. Howland, has deposited his hun
dred thousand dollar guarantee with
Governor Aycock, who has completed
the ratification of the lease, which
completes the transfer of the proper
ty. ' .
A formal motion will be made before
Judse PurnelKnext weeic by Thomas
B .Womack, representing the largest
private stockholders, to dismiss atl
proceedings in the Federal Court re
garding this road. It is taken for
granted dismissal will be made at
once, as Judge Purnell has said to the
attorneys that he was pleased with the
lease and will do nothing whatever to
opstruct it.
I SYNOPSIS OF WAR NEWS.
v.
J
The flag of japan flies over
Liao Yang.
Field Marshal Oyama, who led
his famous second army Into Port
Arthur during the Chino-Japa-nese
war of 1894-'9, and who in
that struggle also captured Wei-Hai-Wei
and Talienwan, today,
by dint of incessant fighting, in
which his men were spared
neither because of casualties nor
because of hardships, holds sway
over Liao . Yang, . and General
Kuropatkin, through whom Rus
sia believed its arms would be
secure, is in full retreat north
ward, while one of his chief
aides, General Stakelberg, - with
his command, the Firsc Siberian
army corps, numbering 25,000
men, is cut off to the westward of
Liao Yang.
The Russians are concentrat
ing at Yentai, but the dispatches
thus far have given no intimation
as to whether or not xTiey will
make a stand there, or even if the
Japanese are pursuing their foe
in flight.
This last blow to Russian arms,
though it is spoken of in St. Pe
tersburg as the logical conse
quence of Russian plans, doub
tless will be taken much to heart
by the subjects of Emperor
Nicholas, who, after a succes
sion of defeats and retirements
by their army, had expected a
finality of the struggle at Liao
Yang in their favor.
In the loss of Liao Yang by the
Russians, xTie Japanese probably
will gain little except in the way
of a strategical standpoint, for
the Russians blew up the, maga
zines and set fire to the enormous
quantities of army stores and
provisions there before they
evacuated.
J
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I i I i i A A i i
OLYMPIC GA3IES REVIVAL.
Competing Athletes Show Fine Form
and Establish Three Xew Records.
Si'. Louis, Mo., September 3. After
a meet probably unequalled in -the
sporting .annals of this country or any
other, the Louisiana Purchase Exposi
tion revival of the Olympic games has
concluded.
Again today did the competing ath
letes show championship form, and
three Olympic records fell before their
assaults. '
Not only did James D. Lighibody,
of- the Chicago . A. A., clip three-fifths
of a second off the 01ympiGLecordfr
the 1,500 meter run, but he won the
event in one of the finest finishes that
has marked the entire meet. Light
body, Vener and Hearn, all of the C.
A. A., were well bunched at the begin
ning of the last lap. It was seen that
they were moving at a wonderful rate
of speed, but when three-quarters of
the way around the track on the last
lap, Lighibody developed a burst of
speed that left his clubmates several
yards in the rear and brought the au
dience to its-feet. His time was 4:05
2-5.
There was an unusually fine field in
the pole vault contest. ' Five men
broke the Olympic record before the
event narrowed down to the final
jumps, with three men eligible.
Charles IS. Dyorak, of the C. A. A..
then demonstrated his class, and from
the 11 -foot mark he competed alone,
the other four men being tied at that
mark. Dyorak's best was 11 feet
inches, breaking the Olympic record
of ten feet 9 9-10 inches, held by I. K.
Baxter, of the 'University of Pennsyl
vania, made at the Paris Olympiad.
The keenest competition of the en
tire week's program developed in the
discus throw. M. J. Sheridan, of the
G. N. Y. I. A. A., and Ralph W. Rose,
of the C. A. A., tied for first place, wii'h
throws of 128 feet 10 1-2 inches,
breaking the Olympic record by more
than ten feet. .
As splitting points is jiot allowed in
an Olympic championship, the men
were forced to throw off the Tie." The
best' that Rose could do was 120 feet
6 3-4 inches, while Sheridan, although
beating him. also showed a reversal of
form, and the distance that gave him
first place Was 127 feet 10 1-4 inches.
The New York Athletic Club won
the Olympic championship with 63
points, Chicago Athletic Association
with 59 points. A protest has been
made by the C. A. A. against several
entries, and the award of the cham
pionship cup has been withheld.
The New York Athletic Club team
won the four mile international team
race. Time. 21:17 4-5.
ANOTHER HOMICIDE.
A Young Man Killed by His Step-
Father Near LaGrange.
Raleigh, N. C, (September 3. A spe
cial from LaiGrange, N. C, says: Wil
liam Exum shot and killed his step
son, iGuy 'Walstin, this afternoon at
their home about two miles from In
stitute, on John (H. Dawson's farm. A
difficulty arose and Exum went to the
bureau drawer, took out his pistol and
shot Walstin through the chest. The
young man rushed into his mother's
arms for protection when Exum placed
the muzzle of the weapon against Wal
stm's head and fired, blowing his brains
out. Exum is at 1
stin's mother were" married about la3t
Christmas.
Death of the President or the Brad
street Company.
New York, September 3. Charles
Finny Clark, president of the Brad
street Company, died in London, Eng
land, today of heart failure, presum
ably caused by an attack of indiges
tion. Mr. Clark's life work was the
development of Bradstreet's Mercan
tile Agency. The business was incor
porated in 1876 as the Bradstreet
Company, Mr. Clark becoming secre
tary and later he was elected to the
presidency.
ARRIVAL OF STATE MILITIA.
DrVISIOX CAMPS BEING POPU
LATED RAPIDLY.
Canvas Cities Sprang Up like Magic.
The Reception Program Carried Out
Exactly as Planned Manoeuvres
Begin at Midnight Monday.
Camp Number 2, Thoroughfare, Va,?
September 3. The two division camps
at Manassas and Thoroughfare are be
ing populated rapidly today with state
militia. Long troop trains are constant
ly arriving at the two camps and can
vas cities are springing up among the
hills with startling rapidity. .The
Twelfth 'New York regiment was the
first to arrive at Thoroughfare ancL add
ed S50 men "to the strength of the
iBrown'' army, under 'General J3ell.
The regiment came in two sections,
from New York, going over the Penn
sylvania road to Washington and then
over the Southern to Thoroughfare.
The detraining tracks were utilized and
illustrated to the militia and also the
regular troops who witnessed the de
training, the advance in railway facili
ties for handling troops. The baggage
cars were switched to a separate siding
arid by the time the troops filed out of
the cars and marched to their camps
on a hill, a short distance to the west,
their tents and equipment were on the
ground. The ground had been staked
in advance, each company was assigned
a "Street". The men stripped off their
coats and brown shirts and rapidly
hoisted tent poles and spread canvas.
The regiment was snugly in quarters
an hdur after its arrival. This opera
tion was repeated as other regiments
came in and at each camp the reception
programme was carried out exactly as
planned without a hitch.
The charge has been made that the
government is paying for elaborate din
ners at Corps headquarters, attended
by officers in full dress and by other
guests. This is said to be inaccurate,
as the officers of 'General COrbin's staff
are paying for the officers mess at
which the guests are entertained, en-;
tirely out of their own pockets.
Regimental drills will be held Mon
day in both camps. By that time it is
expected that most of the militiamen
will be settled for the manoeuvers,
which will begin at midnight Monday.
The two camps will be in great activity
tomorrow, in receiving the remainder
of the state troops.
The quick work shown by" troops in
detraining is a source of gratification
to the officers." The excellent trackage
facilities provided by "the Southern
Railway for this purpose aided greatly
intlnj jvork.
A LEAK IMPOSSIBLE.
Agricultural Department Officials
Deny the Accusation that Cotton
Figures Were Known Before Pub
lished. - ... ';-.-Vl " "
Washington, 'September "3. Officials
of the agricultural department today
denied the accusation emanating from
Savanna'n, that there had been a leak
in the cotton report issued yesterday.
It was, they said, but a repetition of
charges made in the past which had
been proven to be false.
In a telegram addressed to -Wright,
chairman of the committee on infor
mation, Savannah cotton exchange,
dated yesterday, Secretary Moore says:
"The claim of any person to have
been in possession of the government
cotton figures before 1:15 today, the
time of their official promulgation, is
absolutely false and without founda
tion. "Spurious claims are frequently
made, but usually they are falsified by
the official figures themselves anl
speedily forgotten.
'Surely it is not reasonable to pre
sume this occasional agreement as proof
of a leak. The secretary of agriculture
is always ready to investigate any
change of this kind if it is accompanied
by substantial evidence or testimony,
but the means adopted to safeguard
the figures during the short time that
elapsed between their being arrived at
and their promulgation, renders a leak
impossible and a mere coincidence of
figures as in this case amounts to noth
ing in itself."
PARKER TO ADDRESS EDITORS.
Will Make Short Reply to the Address
of Their Spokesman.
New York, September 3. Josephus
Daniels, chairman of the committee
on arrangements of the Democratic
editorial conference, today received a
letter from Judge Parker in wlich he
said:
"I shall be glad to see the delega
tion of editors, and in accordance with
your request, will be prepared to makt
a brief reply to the address of their
spokesman."
The banquet will be given on Wed
nesday evening, September 7, in the
ball room of the Waldorf-Astoria,
when the following editors will re
spond to toasts: Henry Watterson,
Louisville Courier-Journal ; Clark
Howell, Atlanta Constitution; John B.
Stolt, South Bend Times Herman Bid
der, New York Staats-Zeitung; Willis
J. Abbott, Detroit United States Daily,
and Andrew McLean, Brooklyn Citi
zen. JUDGE BROWN RESIGNS.
George W. Ward, the Democratic
Nominee, Appointed by the Gover
nor. (Special to The Messenger.)
Raleigh. N. C September 3. Gov
ernor Aycock xoday received and ac
cepted the resignation of George H.
Brown, Jr., as Superior Court judge,
effective October 7th, and appointed
George W Ward to fill the vacancy,
Ward being the Democratic nominee.
H. T. Ward was appointed solicitor,
vice George W. Ward, promoted
judge.
SEVEII PERSONS KILLED.
IN COLLISION BETWEEN A TRAIN
AND ELECTRIC CAR.
The Accident Occurred at the Sarah
Street Crossing in St. Louis Be
sides Those Killed, Eighteen Others
Were In jured. One Fatally and
Nine Seriously. - "
St. Louis, Mo.. Sept. 3. Seven per
sons were killed and eighteen were in
jured, one probably fatally, and nine
seriously todar, by the collision of a
Wabash World's Pair, shuttle train,
with a suburban electric car at the
Sarah Street crossing. Therft were
twenty-five passengers in the car aud
none escaped injury.
Thft dead are: John W. Wilson. St.
Louis county, aged 70; George W". Ma
jors, aged 60, St. Louis county; Mrs.
Charles Merkley, Ottawa; Andre w
McKinley, 12 years old St. Louis; two
unidentified women. !M. B. Bristol,
aged 50, Webster Groves, St. Louis
county.
Fatally hurt: H. B. Culp, aged GO,
ISt. Louis, skull fractured.
The shuttle train was returning to
Union Station from the World's Fair
grounds at the rate of about twenty
miles an hour, it is stated. The street
car which wTas on its way to the sub
urbs with a load of people return
ing home, stopped directly in front of
the engine, and was cut in two. The
trucks of the car were knocked one
hundred feet away, while Part of its
roof was carried two hundred feet
further by the train. Bodies' of the
dead and injured, with wreckage of
the dismantled car, were scattered
along the track for that distance.
A. W. Burbank, engineer of the
shuttle train, who blames the motor
man of the electric car for the accident
said:
"I was within one hundred yards of
the suburban crossing when I saw the
suburban car start across the track.
It looked to me as if it had ample
time to get across." 1 .
The watchman and the flagman at
the crossing and some "of the passen
gers confirm the statement that the
car stopped, started across the rail
road track, and then stopped whero
it was struck.
No satisfactory explanation has been
given why the car stopped in the mid
dle of the track. Theodore Cook, the,
motorman. whose shoulder was fract
ured, is held a prisoner at the city
hospital, and the conductor of the sub
urban car, Patrick Sheehan has been
arrested.
ESCAPED CONVICT CAPTURED.
"Dart Taken in Citizens" Clothes at the
River Bridge.
(Special to The Messenger.)
Fayetteville, Sept 3. This morning
Octavius Dart, the negro mentioned
as having escaped yesterday from the
chain-gang was recaptured at the
railway iron bridge over the CaPe
Fear River by two guards, Oscar Hay
wood and Charles 'McLarium, placed
there by Sheriff Marsh for the purpose.
Dart was in citizens' clothes and
was free of his shackles, which, he"
stated, had been filed from his leg by
a negro woman living near 'Mineral
Springs, who had also eivenxbim the
suit of clothes.
A few minutes afterwards Deputy
Sheriff 'Monaghan and posse came up
with the blood hounds, hot on the
trail. r ,
STALWART THE WINNER.
He Captures the Twenty Thousand
Dollar Century Stakes and Breaks
the Record.
iNew 'York, September 3. Before a
crowd of twenty five thousand Stal
wart, at 9 to 2, won the $20,000 Century
stakes, one mile and a half, at Sheeps
head Bay today, defeating the 11 to 2
favorite. Ort Wells, in one of the clos
est (finishes of the year. The time
2:31 1-5 is a new track record,- two
'fifths of a second faster than the best
previous record made by Waterboy
last year. The Drake-Gates combina
tion bet a small fortune on Ort Wells
the Drake representative forcing his
price down from 5 to 5 to 11 to 20.
Thomas in the meanwhile was placing
his money on iStalwart whose price
dropped from 16 to 20.
Delhi took the lead, but was passed
by Ort Wells at the turn. The head
of the stretch was by the side of Ort
fWells. In the stretch both boys began
to ride with whip and spur and graually
drew from the field. (Slowly Redfern
foged his mount into the lead and in a
driving finish in which both horses
were extended to their utmost Stalwart
won.
-Sidney Paget's Tradition, who ran
second to Artful in the .Futurity, today
easily captured the $10,000 flatbush
stakes, seven furlongs of the Futurity
course. She was heavily played.
BIG BLAZE AT MEMPHIS.
Fire In the Wholesale District Causes
Loss of $800,000.
Memphis, Tenn., September 3. Fire
on Front street in the heart of the
wholesale district today destroyed prop
erty approximating m value $800,000.
The fire originated in the Oliver-Finnie
Company's grocery from an unknown
cause. The stock and building were
destroyed. The building on the north
of the Oliver-Finnie Company, owned
by John Denie's Sons, stored with lime
was partially crushed by falling Walls.
The Memphis Paper Company's build
ings were crushed.
The Oliver-CFennie Company's loss is
between $400,000 and $500,000. Winnie.
Xv & Co. and JJehr & Co., were also
among- the firms who suffered losses.
Frank Guffenhaugh, a fireman, was se
riously injured by falling from a ladder.
'Six other firemen were overcome by
heat and smoke and were removed to
hospitals. jAll will recover.
AWFUL
GRME
Mrs. Geo. Packer As
saulted and Murder
ed Near Clarkton
THE PEOPLE
In the Vicinity of Clarkton Greatly
Roused, and if Negro is Found lie
Will be 1ynched Mrs. Packer's
Throat Was Cut From Ear to Ear
and Her Head Was Beat Into a Jelly
She Was Dragged About Two
Hundred Yards From Her Home.
One of the most horrible crime3
ever committed in the Stat of North
Carolina was enacted yesterday morn
ing near Clarkton. when Mrs. George
Packer, the young wife of a highly,
respected laborer, was dragged from
her home by a human brute ad had
her throat cut from ear to ear and"
the back of her head (beaten inta a"
jelly. All the country In the vicinity,
of Clarkton is aroused, and in case the
negro is identified there is little doubt
about his being lynched, and he may.
have already paid the penalty ere this
is .read.
Mrs. Packer lived in the edge of
Clarkton, a small town on the Coast
Line, about 40 miles from this city.
Her husband left yesterday morning
and went to his work, leaving his
young wife, who was only 19 years'
of age. at the house alone. Yesterday,
about 12 o'clock a young boy went to
the house to see Mrs. Packer about
some matter, but found the house de
serted. He went to Mr. Packer, ' the
father of George Packer, and told him
the house was all open and that he
waited for a long time, but could find
no one. Mr. Packer and thp. boy re
turned to the house to see what hosl
become of Mrs. Packer.
When thfey entered the house they,
found a tray in the kitchen in which
was dough which Mrs.- Packer had
been kneading. They called but re
ceived no answer" and then It waa
that they went out into the yard to
see if they could find any trace of
her. Tracks were noticed in the yard
leading in the direction ot a corn field
and these were followed. The tracks
showed heel tracks, in the ground:
where the frightened woman had im
printed her heels in her fruitless
endeavor to stop the negro who was
dragging her off. Along with her
tracks were the heavy tracks of a
man who had worn new shoes.
Upon reaching the corn field thrj
foot marks became plainer and the twa
had not proceeded far when a most
horrible vision presented itself. Ly
ing between two corn rows with her
head bent forward and leaning on her.
right arm, was Mrs. Packer. Har
clothes had been torn to shreds, hec
throat cut,, from ear to ear and th
back of her head beat into a Jelly. The
sight was onft to make the tolood run
cold. Lying on the ground was a case
knife and a piece of fence rail about
threft feet in length. The knife was
covered with blood and the rail was
also bloody. The knife had been
stuck in Mrs. Packer's throat on the
left side and drawn across her throat,
the gash extending nearly to the right
ear. v
Quickly -Mr. Packer returned to town
and gave the alarm. It was but a
few minutes ibefor $200 was raised to
charter a train and get blood hounds,
but it was impossible to get an en
gine and this idea had to be abandon
ed, although blood hounds were car
ried there last night on the train from
Maxton. A crowd quickly gatherel
and a search 'begun for the fiend in
carnate. For some feet around where Mrs.
Packer was lying the ground was torn
up, showing what a desperate strug
gle the poor woman had made to free
herself. The body had not been
moved last night, but was still in th
corn field waiting for the coroner to
hold an inquest. A body of men en
circled the. spot where the body was
lying to guard it.
Dave SBrown and Neil Sellars, two
negroes living at Clarkton, were arrest
ed yesterday on suspicion. (Neither of
these negroes were at work yesterday
morning. Sellars told a very straight
story as to where he was during the
morning but tBrown made several state
ments -which were very conflicting and
many think him the guilty party. He
and Sellars were at a lumber camp
near where Mrs. packer lived yesterday,
morning. Sellars contends that he left
the cam at 9 o'clock and that Brown
remained there. On account of the
close proximity of the camp and the
house it is not believed that a person
could have been at the camp and not
heard the screams of Mrs. Packer.
When CBrown was arrested he was
washing his clothes and this looked
suspicious.
A number of people went to Clarkton
last night from Maxton and many also
went from the vicinity of Council's Sta
tion. ';;,
Mr. Tt: W. Ring, of Kernersville, was
in Clarkton yesterday afternoon and
visited the scene of the double crime.
He 'came to Wilmington last night and
gave a full account of the horrible
crime to a representative of The Mes
senger. ,