Newspapers / Polk County News and … / Feb. 26, 1903, edition 1 / Page 8
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AWFUL TRAGEDY. One Prominent Raleigh Citizen Shoots Another, V SENSATIONAL TRAGEDY IN RALEIGH The Affair a Great Sensation Owing to the Prominence of the Parties Involved. Raleigh, Special--The greatest social and driininalj sensation Raleigh has' ever known developed at 4:20 o'clock Saturday afternoon when, on -Fayette-, ville street, Ernest Haywood shot and killed j Ludlow Skinner. The promi nence of both families is marked. Hay wood is a grandson of the late State Treasurer John Haywood and ,sm of the late Dr. E. Burke Haywood and one of Raleigh's leading lawyers. Skin ner was a grandson of the late Mr. Ludlow, of New York, and a son of Rev. I)r. Thos. E. Skinner, of Raleigh, one of j the best known and ablest Bap tists in the South. At least a hundred persons -must have seen the shooting, certainly that number saw the victim of Haywood's revolver as he reeled and fell upon his face oh the car track in front of the posioffice and Yarborough House and not 40; yards from the court house. One witness said the expression of the dy-. ing man's face was piteous beyond all telling and that he will never forget it. A, thousand persons gathered almost in a minute. The dead body was taken into afdrug store. Haywood was taken by Deputy Sher iff Separk to Haywood's law office and was there for about two hours, guarded by deputies and in conference with 'his attorneys, James H. Pou and Argo & ShaiTdr. Later he was taken to the : court jiouse. where Magistrate Marcolir. had a 'preliminary hearing taking only Separk's testimony, upon which he committed Haywood to jail without bail fqr-murder. Separk's evidence w?.s that lie was in .the court house and heard ja shot and walked out. He saw another Hash and heard a second shot; that Haywood was standing on the sidewalk -in -front .of the postoffice; that Skinner was in the street and made a morion as if to throw his hands towards his pocket, then turned, staggered and fell on his face on the street car track. Separk. as soon as the second ! shot was lired. ran toward Haywood, called the latter. Who said: "All right," took Haywood by the arm; that Hay wool 'asked him to take him to his (Haywood's) office; that on ar rival at the office he asked Haywood to givejhira the pistol, which he did. One cjf Haywood's brothers was wirii him .during the hearing. Ernest Hay wood was very cool, sat easily ijn his chair, twirling a bit ; of paper in his fingers. He had nothing to say, hi$ attorneys said. One 64! them, Mr. Pou, said they were fully confi dent ofjtheir line of defence. . Th.c body of Skinner was placed in Johnson's drug store. His wife, who is a daughter of the late Major John C. Winder; was sent for. She fainted as his body was placed in a carriage to be taken tp his home. At the home Dr. Knox, at the request of Dr. Jordan, the coroner; performed an autopsy. Dr. Jordan says this showed that there was only one wound, this being on median line of left side, about three inches be low left nipple. It grazed the heart, passed through the lung and severed the aorta or great artery. It was such a wound as to cause almost instant death. Health Officer Sale gave to Coroner Jordan the pistol which he said was Skinner's. One witness of the horrible affair said he was a few minutes before it occurred in tho lobby of the postoffice and saw Skinner there, j reading a let ter. He went out on the sidewalk and in a few moments heard the shot; turned and saw Skinner walking rap idly away across the street Haywood was standing on the sidewalk within a few feet of the postoffice, and he saw the latter raise his pistol and aim at Skinner, who was then Only a few feet from the curb of the very wide side walk. He then heard Haywood fire, and saw Skinner walk in an irregular way to the edge of the street with high and wavering steps; then suddenly move, in a sort of circular stagger and fell on his face. Haywood put his pistol in his pocket, walked south a few steps, then started back when! Separk called him: . ' : " ErnestjHaywood will contend that he shot J. Ludlow Skinner in self-defense. It is currently reported here and else where that Haywood will plead, tem porary insanity, but this is denied by Haywood's counsel. Haywood will al lege that! Skinner came up to him and without I provocation knocked him down. Asi he arose both he and Skinner reached if or their pistols. He was quicker than Skinner and fired before Skinner could draw hid weapon. The first shotj Haywood says, inflicted the .mortal wound, and he fired the second because lie thought Skinner, was earn ing5 back to attack him. ; . ' Bishop.Guilty of ilaiislaughtcr.- ' Charlotte, N. C. Special. The jury in the case of Arthur L. Bishop, the shoe druclmer, charged with the kill ing of Thos. J. Wilson in this city, agreed upon a verdict at 12:20 o'clock Sunday afternoon. At 3 o'clock the verdict ras rendered in the county, ccurt house. Tho jury found Bishop guilty of manslaughter. j The 'prisoner was Immediately afterward remanded to the county Jail, where1 he will be kept until I-S o'clock Monday morning", when he will be arraigned before Judge Near to receive his sentence. AN THE LEGISLATURE House and Senate Vigorously at the 1 Work Assigned Them. Liquor Bills Considered. In the Senate Friday tho London liquor bill was up . for discussion. Mr. White, of Franklin, declared 'that every Senate speaker except one had declared h imseif a prohibitionist. "I am npt a prohibitionist." said Mr. White, "for I would not establish State prohibition if I could." He plead with great power for the London bill and made tho most eloquent temperance oration thus far made in the Senate. Those in the lobbies and the galleries listened with absorbed interest.' De mocracy had never won a victory iu this State except upon moral" issues. He was liberally applauded and he was tho -first ..-Senator., in- this debate accorded that distinction. Mr. Lamb, of Cumberland, followed with an .argument for. the London bill. "Seven years ago a man could not be elected to any office in Fayetteville unless he was approved by the liquor men. Today there is hot a bar there, all 13 have been banished. "You say this London bill is not backed by pub lic sentiment? Why it is supported by the Episcopal Church; a great artil lery with its officers in full dress uni form singing 'Rock of Ages.' Then there is the great Baptist nvy singing 'Sweet. Fields of Eden,' while the grand Methodist infantry is behind this London bill shouting, 'Come Ye That Love the Lord.' " Mr. Travis, of Halifax, declared that the question was not what was right because prohibition was right and nothing .short of prohibition was right. The London bill did not meet these requirements hence it was itself an acknowledgement that while total pro hibition was right yet it was not ex pedient. No measure was right that discriminated, against towns and coun ty, sections and localities. Why should tlie town having 299 people be denied a vote which is accorded to towns of 300 or more? He argued that it wrould give the. large towns an advantage over the little places in getting Satur day night trade, for the negroes would go where they could get a drink or two. In Halifax there were 12 towns; under this London bill four of these towns could vote on the question while the eight would be forced to adopt prohibi tion. The petitions for this bill from Halifax had como from the four towns that could vote on the subject. They said let us vote on prohibition, but when you mention allowing the other eight to vote they declare, "No, that would be cowardly." He advocated the substitute which provides that a coun ty shall vote, if it chooses; on whether liquor shall bo "manufactured and sold in only towns of f00 or 300; then re gardless of these these towns may hold elections. The only difference between the London bill and the substitute was leavlng-it to a vote of the people. Un less the sentiment of a county backed any law it would not be enforced. He knew good men who considered the London bill unwise. He quoted Rev. Dr. J. D. Huffham. Prof. Mills of Wake Forest, and ministers of the Gos pel who consider the London bill an unwise and unsafe measure. The city saloons were far more attractive, invit ing and dangerous than the little shops in the country. Whiskey does more to corrupt morals in the cities than in the country. Mr. Justice, of McDowell; said with the sixth section eliminated he favor ed the London bill. He made a power ful speech for the bill. He discussed the measure from the standpoints of morals, practicality and expediency, and emphasized especially the matter of practicality. The bill established prohibition in the country where pro hibition can be enforced, but rightly left the towns, where enforcement de pended on public sentiment, to decide iL Mr. Justice, though the last speak er, held the undivided attention of the Senators. He was interrupted by sev eral questions. Senator Woodard ask ed, "Does the Senator think a State law can make a drunkard sober or a thief honest?" 'if you keep liquor from liirn he will be sober." replied Mr. Jus tice. "Has that ever been done?' 'asked Mr. Woodard. "Yes, I believe prohibi tion in the country really prohibits." declared the speaker. Touching the point of expediency, he declared that it was necessary to deprive the dragon of its sting. The Senate at 2:20 adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow. - . The House Friday had ! tho Watts liquor bill up for consideration. Tho Watts bill and amendments came up on third reading and the first amendment voted on was that by Mr. Rohcrson, of Guilford, prohibiting the manufacture of liquor in towns of less than 500 inhabitants, or the sale of liquor in towns' of less than 300. The amendment was lost. Mr. Benbow's amendment to exempt Yadkin from the operations of the law was lost, ayes 49, noes 59. ! Mr. Murphy's amendment to exempt Rowan was next .voted on. Mr. Mur- .phy was granted permission t speak and full of fire . and eloquence he poured hot shot into those wrho. ha claimed, were, attempting to take away the sacred rights of the people. His earnestly spoken sentiments .were lib erally applauded. The amendment was defeated by a' vote of 49 ayes ,00 noes. Mr. King's amendment to make the place of. delivery of whiskey the place of sale. came hp. This is what is known as the anti-jug law. The amendment was adopted by a vote of 53 to 37. Mr. Luther, of Montgomery, moved to reconsider the vote. Mr. Smith moved to lay the motion to reconsider on tne table. The motion to lay on the table was lost, 42 to 55. The motion to re consider was adopted by a vote of 52 to 50. The amendment was lost hy a vote of 50 to 56. The text of this bill was publisned in full in these columnsisonje weens ago. . . A good day's work was done in the Legislature on ' Monday. -The House held , a night session and many new hills were introduced. Petitions were presented on the liquor question. THE REVENUE BILL. At 11:25 .Monday the House went into committee of tho whole to resume consideration of the revenue bill. Judge Graham asked to be relieved of- the chairmanship - of the committee of the whole some remarks to jnake on the bill. He had been! unable to agree fully with the majority of the finance committee on some of the provisions recommened. Mr. Smith, of Gates, was appointed chairman. Section 4, relating to corporation taxes payable to State Treasurer, was adopted. Section 5, relating to "tax exemp tions repealed" was considered next. This section is designed to repeal all laws exempting from. taxation all prop erty liable to taxation except property belonging to the State and municipal corporations, and property held for the benefit of churches, religious societies, charitable, educational or benevolent institutions or orders, and also1 ceme teries. Provided, That no property whatever held or used for investment, speculation or rent, shall be exempt. The foregoing was amended by add ing the words "unless said rent shall be used exclusive for charitable or be nevolent purposes. or the interest upon the bonded indebtedness of said re ligious, charitable of benevolent insti tutions." That amendment was ac cepted by the chairman of the finance committee. ' Mr. Roberson, of Guilford, moved to amend by exempting the property of fair associations. Mr. Gattis moved to amend theamendment by saying this exemption shall not apply to fairs where games of chance and other im moral and fako attractions are allow ed. The amended amendment was lost. Section G. the inheritance tax provis ion, was opposed bv Messrs. Brittain, of Randolph: King, of Pitt, and White, of .'Halifax. Judge Graham and Gov ernor Doughton explained, the section and it was adopted. Section 7. providing when heirs, leg atees, etc., are discharged from liabil ity was adopted. Section S, providing that if tax is not paid at the end of two years after death of deceiident, G-per cent; per an num shall be charged thereon until paid, was adopted. . . Section 9, providing for the d2duc tion of tax by executors, etc.. wa.i adopted, and the committee at 1:30 ros-3 and made its.report to the House. -PASSED THIRD READING. To authorize commissioners of Hen derson county to levy special tax to repair court house. Amended by Hoey to leave the matter of issuing bonds to vote of the people. To allow tl? city of Charlotte to fund its floating indebtedness and to levy a special tax to meet same. To amend and revise the charter of the town of China GroVe. For the better working of the roads of Burke county. To establish graded schools in NashJ county. To authorizzo the issue of bonds by Gaston county' to improve the public reads. To incorporate the town of Buie's Creek, in Harnett county. House bill: To repeal chapter 410, laws 1899. relating to Rutherford dis pensary. Senate bill: To amend chapter 89, laws 1S77. ' Senate bill: To amend chapter 645, acts 1901, relating to Statesville. ' Senate bill: To prevent the depreda tion of domestic fowls in Forsyth. ' ; The Senate bill to revise the pilotage laws of the port of Wilmington came up. Senator Brown said that he in troduced this bill by request, but he did not consider it a local bill, in that it affected all the people who shipped there. He did not expect the bill to pass over the Senator from Bruns wick's opposition and he would not re sist that Senator, but he thought it ought to pass. Senator Bellamy made a speech against the bill saying the enemies of the pilots are the lumber trust and the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company. The bill would ruin the. pilots and Wil mington, 'i Mr. Pharr. as a member of the mi nority of the committee, favored-the bill. Mr, Brown said the bill was, favored by many leading business men of Wil mington and shippers through tho port.' The bill was deferred till next Wednesday. House bill: To extend limits of Hob good. . House bill: To restore local self government to Perquimans. House bill: To amend the stock law in Ashe county. . Mr. Wellborn said that he was . opposed to the bill and demanded a roll call. This was given and he voted aye. House bill: To make place of deliv ery of liquor the place of sale in. High Point. ' .- House bill: For stock law election in .Alleghany. ! . House, bill: To repeal chapter 64, laws of 1891, affecting stock law in Johnston. " House bill: To restors. self-government to Pasquotankl House bill: To liquidate debt of Mad ison county. ' House bill: To bridge across Tow river. . . To amend and consolidate charter of Burlington. r To establish graded school- at Haw River. . -- To provide for water-works, ' sewer age and electric lights at Elizabeth City.'- ..... , l:. - To authorize town of Smithfield to issue bonds. 1 To provide for! making and working public roads in Henderson. . To authorize Whiteville, and Eden- ton to issue bonds. To authorize commissioners of Mont gomery to issue b.onds and levy special tax ' i --. . - To allow commissioners of Kfarnett to levy special tax to build stock law fence. ; L ! - : , , To amend charter of Graham and al io w. commissioners to issue bonds. BISHOP GETS FIVE YEARS. c - I. - - - - Slayer of Thomas Wilson Sentenced to the Penitentiary. Charlotte, N. C.,j Special Judge Neal Monday morning sentenced Arthur L. Bishop to the penitentiary at hard la bor for five years; for killing Thomas Wilson at the latter sihome in. this city last-October. ' r : j Ccurt convened at j 8 a. m., in order to allow Judge Nsal to leave on the 9 o'clock train foriWentworth to open Rockingham court, j Bishop came int! the room in'chargc of Sheriff Wallace and accompanied by his wife. He j took a seat at his usual place, surrounded by his at torneys, Col. H. C. Jones, Mr. T. C. Guthrie and Mr. C. W. Tillett. Tho prisoner appeared nervous and vras not talkative, saying only a few words to his wife during the ten or fifteen minutes before trie proceedings be gan He' passed the time eating a . lem on or biting his fingerj Across from the prisoner and his counsel were Solicitor J. L. Webb and the attorneys for the prosecution, Messrs. E. T. Cansler and T. L. Kirkpatrick. j j When court had bef n declared open Clerk-Russell read! tlie verdict of the jury, and Mr. Carisler prayed judg ment. Mr. Tillett jthen went through the form of asking for! a new trial, and made a strong and eloquent plea for mercy for the prisoned "There is noth ing left for us," said: he, "but a plea for mercy. I beg your honor to re member that from the time he was 12 years old Bishop has! been an indus trious and hard-working man, and he has proved a good character. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that the city of Petersburg, his home, ap peals tc your honor in his favor. I beg your honor to remember his father and, mother and his wife j and child. We have here a paper signed by ten mem bers of the jury, recommending mercy. Another juryman jhas signified his willingness to haveihis name attached to this request, making eleven in all. They do not sign this recommendation as a jury, but as individuals who have heard all the proceedings of the trial. They join us in asking that your honor be merciful to the prisoner. We ask you to remember! that a year in the penitentiary is alnpst an age. We beg the mercy of the court." Col. Jones said he icould not trust J himself to add anything to Mr. Tillett's beautiful appeal, but he wished to call his honor's attention j to the latitude allowed the Judge in sentencing a man convicted of manslaughter imprison ment from four months to twcShty years. Col. Jones paid a tribute to the jury for the close ; attention during their trial and their patience t in con sidering the issues involved. He thought the appeal made by eleven members of the jury should militate strongly in Bishop's favor, and he begged the judge to remember the prisoner's family. ! Solicitor Webb said die had nothing to say." "Your honor! is! a wise judge," he continued, "and whatever you do will be satisfactory to the State of North Carolina." j Mr. Guthrie called attention to the surrender of the prisoner in order to show that he did not (think himself guilty of any heinous crime. Judge Neal then read the petition from eleven members of the jury, ask ing the court to be merciful to Bish op, and said: "I think the verdict, of the jury in this case is correct, and never in my life halve I seen a jury work harder to reach a just verdict. They paid close attention to all the proceedings, and I j was especially struck with the attention paid to the argument. Even the jlast speaker was closely 'listened to. In) passing sen tence in this case I shall be- guided by my best judgment, regardless of any thing else." Then turning to Clerk Russell Judge Neal said; . "Mr. Clerk make this entry : 'It- is the judgment of the court that Arthur L. Bishop be imprisoned at hard labor for five years.' " Col. Jones gave notice of appeal, and the judge was requested to name the -amount of bail in case it was de cided to carry the matter to the Su preme Court. The judge said that he di'd- hot care to name any amount at this; time, but would do so later if necessary. Court then adjourned. The prisoner received the sentence without showing any emotion. Mrs Bishop, however, sned tears when the decision of the court Wfs announced. Mardi Gras Festivities. Pensacoja, Fla., Special Thousands of visitors from all sections of the country were .here . attracted by the Mardi Gras festivities. The event of today was tins arrival of King Priscus and his attendants, whicjh was announ ced by a salute ef fortyive guns from the battleship Alabama,! followed by a military parade through the nrincinai streets of the city. The parade was composed or sailors and marines from the battleshjps with a band of artil leryman fFom Fts Bairrancas, McRae anu Pickens, and sailors and marines vm tne navy yard. BAIL WAS REFUSED Col. Tillman's Application is Turned Down By the Judge. ' ''.,',. 5' if mi f a i r r n i fir M lie w A3 v icii i dalk I o THfc Jail The Arguments Advanced Did Convince the Chief Justice That h Could Grant Bnll. Columbia, S. C., Special At ' o ciock inursuay atiernoon Chir-f j tice Pope refused , the application flS bail of James H. Tillman, charI witb thi Tniirrlnr nf M . Ci Ci -'Aaies ari'1 n-Tr 4-rrfirrl ir fit a T? 5 x'!i 1 . Uy county jail. The hearing was resumed ih 1. yivww wuii i uum, uavmg OOctl art journed. from Newberry on Uk X2th inst., at 10 o'clock and continuaa un til nearly 5 with ah intermission from 1:35 until 2:40 p. n Andrew Crawford. ' The defen30 was representor ' Congressman-elect G. W. Croft 0 Aiken and ex-Solicicor P. H. Nciaon of Columbia. Ex-Judge O.- W. Buchanan Messrs. J. L. Blease of Newberr and tr. R. .Rembert of Richland, of. counsel for the defense, were also present but not actively participating. During most of tho day-about 100 spectators were in the room, the number at times increasing. Mr. B. R. Tillman. Jr., a son of Senator Tillman, was a spec tator; . At the Opening Col. Croft read a waiver of his legal right to be pres ent by the defendant, Col. Tillman, who did not in person appear. The- reading of the affidavits con sumed one hour and a half, MrrCruw ford reading those of the prosecution and Mr. Nelson those ofjthe defease. In" rendering his opinion the Chief Justice stated that it was not custom ary to assign reasons for refusing ths application on habus corpus proceed ings. Destructive Hotel Fire. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Special. Fiit early Friday morning destroyed the Clifton Hotel, cremated nine of the guests and caused injuries to 42 per sons, who were scorched or forced to jump to the frozen street from the second and third story windows. After an all-day search in the debris, four bodies have been recovered. It is now believed that five more bodies remain in the ruins of the hotel, which is said to have been a flimsy structure and filled with delegates to the State Young r 9 v t a ien s i.nnsiian Association conven tion and the district convention of the Knights of Pythias. The hotel register was destroyed, thus making it difficult to ascertain the number of missing persons. Forty men have been working in the rubbish all day and will con tinue to dig for the remains ol the burned persons all night. The loss is $60,000. The dead are: W. A. Mo wry, What Cheer, Iowa; -E. Young, Minne apolis; two unidentified men, bodies recovered; live bodies still in debris. Nearly all those injured were Iova people. While their injuries are severe in many cases no one was Jatally" hurt A Big Organization. Trenton, N. J., Special. -The Union Rice "& Irrigation Company, with an authorized capital of $6,000,000, was Incorporated here. The capital stock is divided into shares of $5 each and the list of its incorporators Includes about iu iciuii, iit-uny uii oi WXIOUI rtssiac at New Orleans, Baton Rouge an other Louisiana cities and towns. TUo objects of the company are numerous and include glowing and dealing in rice, oats, grain of all kinds, and the manufacturing of the same into various articles. Also the constructins and operating of irrigation plants. Three Negroes Killed! Columbia, S. C., Special.- A prenia ture explosion- at' Stewart's granite quarry, two miles south of this city, Friday morning, caused the death of three negro workmen and the injury of several others. The force of the ex plosion was so great that it shook ev ery house, m Columbia although the city is on a bluffy a hundred feet ahova the quarry. - Resolution Tabled. Washington, ' Special. The resolu tion which passed the Senate provid ing that Rear Admiral Schley be given the pay and allowances of a rear admiral on th antiv Hot wp railed up in the House committee on naval affairs. The resolution was tabled. Messrs. Mudd, Tate, of Georgia, and Rixey; of Virginia, voted against tabl ing the resolution. r- Desparado Shot. New Orleans, Special. After hold ing a half -hundred policemen at bar for several hours, during which scores of shots were exchanged, Lafayette Sims, a desperate negro,, was killed by the police early Friday in a negro uvujut, uuuse. sxtuaieu on duuiu Rampart street. The room in which he was besieged had to be set on firo and the fire department called out be fore Sims could be drigen from his post. As he attempted to escape, still carrying his gun, he was shot dow. The body was taken to the morgue without any demonstration from a mob of several thousand negroe3 who crowded the vicinity of the tragedy. . The prosecution was represented by Solicitor J. W., Thurmond, ox-Attorn4 General G. D. Bellinger and huil
Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.)
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Feb. 26, 1903, edition 1
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