Bertie County NcArchives History .....Bazemore, Romulus - Mysterious Death Of Wife ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Gerald Thomas gerald_thomas00@comcast.net April 22, 2020, 4:12 am ROMULUS BAZEMORE AND THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF HIS WIFE MAY 1898 by Gerald W. Thomas 2020 On a day in late May 1898 near Aulander in northwestern Bertie County, Romulus Bazemore furnished medicine to Leora "Mitty" Bazemore, his wife of thirteen-plus years. Bessie Lee Bazemore, the couple’s ten-year-old daughter, observed her father provide the substance to her mother. Within approximately thirty minutes after consuming the medicine, Leora was in dire physical distress and discomfort. She began convulsing – experiencing sudden, violent, and irregular movements of her body caused by involuntary contractions of muscles. Neighbors were called to the Bazemore residence and found the stricken woman clinching a post on the piazza. The neighbors moved Leora from the porch and shortly thereafter, she passed away. Romulus claimed that he had given his wife a dose of calomel, also known as mercury chloride. Calomel was a popular medication into the nineteenth century and was used to treat a variety of ailments and fevers. The drug acted as a purgative and killed bacteria, but could also do irreversible damage to internal organs of humans. Drs. William J. Harrell and Edgar H. Horton were summoned to the scene and examined Leora’s body. However, Romulus’ actions and demeaner caused the individuals present to suspect foul play and they notified Bertie County coroner, Harvey J. Slade. Slade impaneled a jury of inquest. The doctors’ examination and inquest by the citizens, prompted Slade to have Mrs. Bazemore’s stomach removed for more detailed analysis. Slade also sought the investigative assistance of North Carolina’s state chemist, William A. Withers, who declined. Slade placed Mrs. Bazemore’s stomach in a jar for transportation to a qualified medical expert for further examination. Slade immediately traveled with the organ to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland where that state’s foremost chemist, Dr. Walter Jones, examined the organ. Jones reportedly found that Mrs. Bazemore’s stomach contained strychnine – a highly toxic and colorless substance used as a pesticide. When consumed, inhaled, or absorbed into a body, strychnine causes poisoning which results in muscular convulsions and eventual death through asphyxia. Mrs. Bazemore was buried. In the meantime, Romulus fled from Bertie County before Slade returned from Baltimore. Law enforcement authorities launched a regional manhunt for Bazemore, but after two-plus weeks, he had not been located. At the time, the United States was at war with Spain (Spanish-American War, April 25, 1898 – August 12, 1898). The state of North Carolina was organizing several volunteer regiments of infantry at Raleigh for potential service during the conflict. On June 21, an individual going by the name of John Moore enlisted as a private in Company F, Second Regiment North Carolina Infantry at Camp Russell in Raleigh. Moore indicated that he was a resident of Winston. "John Moore" was an assumed name – the person who enlisted was Romulus Bazemore of Aulander. Coroner Slade had returned to Bertie County from Baltimore where Dr. Jones "thought he saw signs of poisoning" in Mrs. Bazemore’s stomach. He requested Slade to provide Mrs. Bazemore’s heart and liver for additional analyses. Mrs. Bazemore’s body was exhumed and the two additional organs were extracted from her remains. Slade again traveled to Baltimore with the two organs. Several state newspapers, quoting an article from the Windsor Ledger, reported on June 17, "The chemist, who is said to be the best in Maryland, made a thorough examination of the … [stomach, heart and liver] and failed to find satisfactory evidence of poisoning. Of course this vindicates her husband, Mr. Romulus Bazemore." At Camp Russell on Saturday, July 2, Major Benjamin F. Dixon, approached "Pvt. John Moore" who "at once started to run." Dixon caught him and asked "Is your name Moore?" "Yes" the man replied. "No" said Dixon, "you are Romulus Bazemore and you murdered your wife." Bazemore, realizing his true identity was known, replied "Yes, my name is Bazemore." Army officials immediately turned Bazemore over to the mayor of Raleigh, William M. Russ. He was placed in the custody of the Raleigh police department which notified Bertie County sheriff, Turner C. Bond, of Bazemore’s apprehension. Bond traveled to the state capitol and returned with Bazemore to Bertie County. Bazemore was charged with murder and confined in the Windsor jail. Romulus Bazemore’s identity was revealed on June 30 by an unidentified soldier from Bertie County assigned to a different company of the Second Regiment. Based on that information, Mayor Russ was notified and went to Camp Russell on Saturday afternoon and advised Major Dixon. While the identity of the man who divulged Bazemore’s identity cannot be ascertained from available records, there were six residents of Bertie County (other than Bazemore, alias "John Moore") who had enlisted in the regiment on June 19 (five men) and June 21 (one man). All were residents of the west-northwest sector of Bertie County – four listed their home towns as Aulander. All of the enlistees were assigned to Company I. Logically, all of the individuals would have known about the mysterious death of Mrs. Leora Bazemore and the fact that her husband was actively sought as a suspect in her death. The following table lists the Bertie County men who enlisted in the regiment (excluding Bazemore). NAME DATE ENLISTED RESIDENCE 1 McDaniel, Robert June 19, 1898 Aulander 2 Deans, Michael June 19, 1898 Aulander 3 Vaughn, Thomas June 19, 1898 Aulander 4 Parker, Joseph P. June 19, 1898 Lewiston 5 Parker, William H. June 19, 1898 Kelford 6 Askew, Aaron June 21, 1898 Aulander On Wednesday morning, July 6, Sheriff Bond delivered Bazemore to the civil authorities in Washington County. He was incarcerated in the Plymouth jail "for safe keeping, as fear of lynching [was] entertained in Bertie." While initial newspaper accounts conveyed that Dr. Jones had failed to find "satisfactory evidence" that Mrs. Bazemore had been poisoned, subsequent accounts soon conveyed a different result. The July 7, 1898, edition of The Patron and Gleaner (Lasker, Northampton County) disclosed that Jones "found strychnine and reduced it to its original state" and had it preserved as evidence in the event that Romulus was tried. The Goldsboro Headlight of the same date reported that Mrs. Bazemore’s stomach contained "more strychnine than was necessary to kill." The Semi-Weekly Messenger (Wilmington) of July 15, 1898, reported that "It now turns out that the chemist at Baltimore has never made an official report of his investigation of the stomach of Mrs. Bazemore and the rumors heretofore given were based more on suppositions than facts. … the chemist now says that Mrs. Bazemore was given strychnine with calomel." Romulus denied that he killed his wife, maintaining that he merely "bought medicine" for her. During the week of September 12-16, Romulus was returned to Windsor for a grand jury hearing. The jury found the state’s indictment to be "a true bill." Bazemore was returned to the Plymouth lockup to await trial for murder. Bazemore’s case was continued through several sessions of Bertie County’s Superior Court until the Spring Term 1899. On Thursday, May 4, the case of the State vs. Romulus Bazemore was taken up by the court with Judge William A. Hoke presiding. Walter E. Daniel of Halifax County, Solicitor, represented the state. Three attorneys – Francis D. Winston of Windsor, Robert B. Peebles of Jackson, and a Mr. Martin – appeared for the defense. During two-plus days the prosecution and defense presented their evidence, most of which was largely circumstantial. Dr. Walter Jones testified regarding his findings from the examination of Mrs. Bazemore’s organs. Bessie, the Bazemores’ daughter, testified and according to an account of the trial’s proceedings, "exhibited mental capacity far beyond her years." Late in the day on Saturday, Judge Hoke gave his charge to the jury which began deliberating about seven o’clock. Within half an hour the jury returned a verdict of not guilty. Romulus Bazemore was acquitted. * * * * * Romulus Bazemore married Fannie J. Harmon on September 20, 1899 – four and a half months after his acquittal. They resided in Bertie County and reared their family. Romulus died at Lewiston on August 15, 1948. He was almost 84 years of age. Fannie died at St. Johns, Hertford County on September 27, 1949. Bessie Lee Bazemore married Braxton G. Harrell in 1905. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/bertie/history/other/bazemore94nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ncfiles/ File size: 9.0 Kb