Bertie County NcArchives History .....The Killing Of Thomas Stephenson At Roxobel April 9, 1902
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Gerald Thomas gerald_thomas00@comcast.net June 10, 2024, 8:39 pm

THE KILLING OF THOMAS STEPHENSON
AT ROXOBEL
APRIL 9, 1902

Gerald W. Thomas

Research assistance by Gregory Tyler
© 2024

Wednesday, April 9, 1902, was a day of great celebration by a large crowd of African
Americans who assembled at the small crossroads community of Kelford in western
Bertie County, North Carolina. The celebration was in observance of Emancipation
Day, which occurred almost four decades previously when Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued
his Emancipation Proclamation (January 1, 1863) which declared freedom for all
slaves in the Confederacy in areas which were still in rebellion against the United
States. People from Bertie and Northampton counties, and most surely other
jurisdictions in the immediate area, attended the day’s events in Kelford.#1

	During the morning of April 9, Joseph E. Peele of Rich Square, Northampton County,
stopped at Peele Brothers general store in Roxobel and ordered twenty pounds of meat
and a sack of corn meal from Charles T. Peele, proprietor of the store. Joseph Peele
(an African American) was most likely on his way to Kelford (two miles from Roxobel)
and informed Charles T. Peele that James Stevenson would stop by the store later in
the day and pick up the meat and meal.#2

	Between four and five o’clock in the afternoon, James Stevenson arrived at the
Peele Brothers store in Joseph Peele’s horse-drawn wagon. Stevenson went into the
store and asked Charles T. Peele for the meat and meal ordered earlier by Joseph
Peele. Next, Stevenson stated that he wanted to look at some shoes to which Thomas
Stephenson, clerk in the store, told his boss to show the shoes to Stevenson and he
would weigh the meat and meal. Thomas went into the "grocery room" and Peele "went
for the shoes." About this time, Melton Belfield, John W. Belfield, and Junius
Bishop entered the store. All four men now in the store were related – Melton and
John were brothers and James Stevenson and Junius Bishop were the Belfields’
brothers-in-law. In short order, other Belfield family members arrived at the store
– Ellen Belfield (mother of Melton and John) and her daughters, Louisa Belfield
Stevenson and Luella Belfield Bishop (wives of Stevenson and Bishop, respectively).
Additionally, Dora Savage (apparently a Bishop family relative) and Isaac Jacob
arrived. All nine individuals had attended the celebration in Kelford and were
passing through Roxobel on their return to their residences in Rich Square.#3

	Melton Bishop, immediately upon entering the store and in an apparently unprovoked
demeaner, cursed the twenty-four-year-old clerk, Thomas Stephenson. Junius Bishop –
apparently trying to intercede into the obviously developing confrontation between
Belfield and Stephenson – implored the clerk to "weigh the meat" (apparently so that
the four men could get the items Joseph Peele had ordered and leave). Melton
Belfield continued cursing and "quarreling" – "bringing on trouble" – to which
Charles Peele ordered him to leave the store. Belfield’s directed his vulgar tirade
toward Thomas who had become irritated with the unwarranted abuse. Thomas Stephenson
retorted to Belfield that he was "getting tired" of Belfield’s antics. Thomas
Stephenson "reached up" (apparently to a shelf) and retrieved a pistol. Belfield
tauntingly remarked that he was "not scared." Peele attempted to cool the quickly
embroiling situation by offering a soda to Melton and directing him "to get out [of
the store]."#4

	As the confrontation between Melton Belfield and Thomas Stephenson intensified,
Junius Bishop, John Belfield, and James Stevenson exited the store and gathered in
the road in front of the establishment. Momentarily, John Belfield returned to the
store, grabbed his brother by the arm and asked him to come out. Melton would not.
John again left the store and Charles Peele escorted Melton to the door who again
cursed Thomas Stephenson. Thomas broke toward the door and inexplicably, Peele – in
the midst of Melton and Thomas’s heated exchange – turned and headed toward the
grocery room (apparently to get the meat and meal for James Stevenson). Peele was
"about half way" to the grocery room when he suddenly he heard "pistols fire."#5
  
	Thomas Stephenson was standing in the doorway of the store when Peele turned for
the grocery room. Upon hearing the gunfire, Peele quickly returned to the door and
saw Melton Belfield shoot Thomas Stephenson. According to Peele, Junius Bishop, John
Melton, and James Stevenson were about fifteen to twenty yards away from Melton and
Thomas in the road. Ellen Belfield, her daughters, and Dora Savage were also in the
road in front of the store standing behind Bishop, John Belfield, and Stevenson.
Thomas Stephenson who had exited the store behind Melton Belfield apparently tried
to turn and run from Belfield. As quickly as Peele could get to the door of the
store, multiple shots had been fired. Peele saw Melton Belfield, who was standing
over Thomas Stephenson who was down on the ground, fire his last shot into
Stephenson. Within minutes, Stephenson was dead.#6
 
	The sudden burst of rapid gunfire echoing through Roxobel alerted a number of the
town’s residents. John L. Andrews, whose home was less than forty yards
(door-to-door) from the Peele Brothers establishment, reportedly heard fifteen to
twenty shots. Andrews described the gunfire as sounding like "pop-cracker." Also,
Asa T. Livermon and Dr. Alanson Capehart each heard fifteen to twenty shots.
Livermon describe the shooting as occurring in bursts – first there were "over four
or five shots," then a "slight lapse of time" before more shots were fired from
several pistols. Dr. Capehart was inside his home located about 125 yards from the
Peele Brothers store when the firing started and immediately looked out of a window
toward the store and saw the "flashes of pistols" simultaneously being fired from
"different positions and … directions." Benjamin F. Burkett, an employee of Tyler’s
store, was working behind the store and "could not tell" how many shots he heard.
The weapons being used in the gunfight were loaded with black powder cartridges
which produced significant amounts of smoke when fired. Burkett noted that smoke
"was coming from more than one [gun]" as from his vantage point he witnessed
"different puffs of smoke." Livermon noted that the gunfire produced "so much
smoke."#7

	Melton Belfield stood over the stricken Thomas Stephenson and fired a coup de grace
into his body. Junius Bishop, John Belfield, and James Stevenson were yelling at
Melton to "come on, come on" and leave the area. Junius Bishop, John Melton, and
James Stevenson fled in wagons from Roxobel up the road into Northampton County that
led to their homes in Rich Square. According to Asa T. Livermon, Melton Belfield was
the last man to leave the scene of the shooting and he fled on foot.#8

	Charles Peele ran to Thomas Stephenson lying in the road "about fifteen steps" from
the store – Stephenson was dead. Dr. Capehart quickly arrived and found Stephenson
lying on his back. Citizens picked up Stephenson’s body and carried it into the
Peele Brothers store. Dr. Capehart examined Stephenson’s body and observed that it
had been hit by four projectiles — one on the left side of his neck, one in the back
in the region of the kidneys, another about six inches to the left of the spinal
column between the eighth and ninth ribs and ranged internally, and the fourth ball
hit in a shoulder and passed diagonally into a lung. Capehart surmised that three of
the wounds (except the wound in the neck) individually would have been fatal. The
doctor concluded that Stephenson had been shot all four times from the back – none
of the wounds were made from shots that came from his front.#9

	While Stephenson’s body had been punctured by four bullets, seven holes were found
in his clothing. At least three bullets did not take effect in his body.
Furthermore, at the scene a bullet fell from Stephenson’s clothing, one was found on
the floor of the grocery room, and one on the ground in the road the next day.
Bullets of two calibers – .32 and .38 – were recovered from Stephenson’s body.#10

	Law enforcement authorities immediately began searching for the four suspects –
Melton Belfield, John W. Belfield, Junius Bishop, and James Stevenson. North
Carolina newspapers carried stories in the next day’s (April 10) editions
publicizing the murder, citing Melton Belfield as the killer and that he was on the
run.

Newspaper images
The News and Observer, The Morning Post (Raleigh), and The Daily Press (Kinston),
April 10, 1902.


	Melton Belfield was seen in Halifax County (where he was known by some residents)
the day after Thomas Stephenson was killed. That night shortly after midnight,
railroad yardmaster D. A. Lawrence spotted Belfield at the Weldon rail facilities
where he was waiting to secretly board a northbound "night train." Belfield was
"standing around" and aroused Lawrence’s suspicions who summoned Weldon chief of
police Seth M. Dickens. When the chief arrived at the scene Belfield bolted to run
and Dickens ordered him to stop. Belfield did not and Dickens fired at least two
shots at Belfield as he was attempting to flee. One bullet grazed Belfield’s head (a
superficial wound) while a second projectile hit him in the back, causing him to
collapse to the ground. Belfield was paralyzed "from the waist down." Dickens took
the wounded Belfield into custody and notified Bertie County law enforcement
officials of the suspect’s capture. Belfield had on his possession when captured a
.38 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol (revolver).#11



A .38 caliber, model 1899 Smith and Wesson revolver,
likely similar to the handgun in Melton Belfield’s possession when he was captured.
Credit: Google.

	Bertie County sheriff Turner C. Bond arrived in Weldon on Tuesday, April 15, and
took custody of Belfield who reportedly confessed to a reporter that he killed
Thomas Stephenson. Sheriff Bond began transporting the wounded Belfield to Windsor
via the railroad through Suffolk, Virginia rather than more directly by the rail
line through Kelford where the citizens were "wrought up" and Bond feared Belfield
might be lynched. Bond and Belfield spent much of April 16 in Suffolk where they
boarded a southbound train about five o’clock ultimately destined for Windsor.
Meanwhile, by this date law enforcement authorities had arrested Junius Bishop, John
W. Belfield, and James Stevenson for the murder of Thomas Stephenson and
incarcerated them in the Bertie County jail at Windsor.#12

	On Friday, April 18, two Bertie County magistrates (unidentified) "held court" (in
essence, a pretrial hearing or grand jury session) at Kelford into the evidence
against Junius Bishop, John W. Belfield, and James Stevenson. According to a
newspaper account, the magistrates held the proceeding to "save the prisoners from
being lynched" who were being detained "under strong guard." The jury indicted
Bishop, Belfield, and Stevenson for first-degree murder. The trial for the three
suspects was set for Thursday, May 1. Melton Belfield – the principal instigator of
the chaos at Roxobel – did not live to stand trial as he died from complications of
his gunshot wound in the Bertie County lockup on Wednesday, April 23.#13

The murder trial for Junius Bishop, John W. Belfield, and James Stevenson was held
in Bertie County Superior Court on May 1. Judge George H. Brown presided over the
proceeding with court-appointed lawyers, W. R. Johnson and J. R. Mitchell (both of
Windsor), for the defendants. Walter Daniels, solicitor for the Second Judicial
District, served as prosecutor. Witnesses for the state were Charles T. Peele, John
L. Andrews, Asa T. Livermon, Dr. Alanson Capehart, and Benjamin F. Burkett.
Witnesses for the defendants were Ellen Belfield, Louisa Stevenson, Luella Bishop,
Isaac Jacob, and Sheriff Turner C. Bond.#14

	Evidence presented by the state’s witnesses was consistent in regards to the
conduct and actions of Melton Belfield and the three defendants, the estimated
number of shots (fifteeen to twenty) fired by multiple persons during the April 9
meley, and the wounds suffered by Thomas Stephenson and his demise in the road in
front of the Peele Brothers store. Ellen Belfied, Louisa Stevenson, and Iaac Jacob
testified that Thomas Stephenson fired two shots at Melton Belfield before Melton
returned fire and killed Stephenson – shooting "him until he was down." In esence,
they implied that Melton shot Stephenson in self defense. Furthermore, Ellen
Belfield, Louisa Stevenson, and Luella Bishop all testified to the effect that
Junius Bishop, John Belfield, and James Stevenson did not shoot at Thomas
Stephenson.#15

	The jury deliberated for about ninety minutes and found Junius Bishop, John W.
Belfield, and James Stevenson guilty of first-degree murder. Judge Brown sentenced
the men to be hanged at Windsor on August 1, 1902. The defense counsel filed notice
that they intended to appeal the verdict to the North Carolina Supreme Court on the
grounds that sufficient evidence of premedication to commit murder by the defendants
was not proven to warrant a verdict of murder in the first degree. Also, the defense
lawyers further perceived that Bishop, Belfield, and Stevenson were caught up in an
"unfortunate" circumstance in that the man they were charged with killing was white
and they were "negroes."#16



The News and Observer, May 4, 1902.

	On August 1, the gallows at Windsor were not readied for the hangings of Bishop,
Belfield, and Stevenson as the North Carolina Supreme Court agreed to hear the
appeal of their case during its September session. The executions were canceled.


The News and Observer, August 1, 1902.

	W. R. Johnson argued for the defendants before the Supreme Court that sufficient
evidence had not been provided to sustain a conviction of first-degree murder per a
North Carolina law enacted in 1893. That law established two categories –
first-degree and second-degree – for murder convictions and evidential standards to
be met for each. The justices of the court ruled on November 18, 1902, in favor of
the defendants that the state "absolutely failed to show that there was
premeditation and deliberation which in addition to malice create murder in the
first degree." The court ordered that the Bertie County authorities conduct a new
trial for Bishop, Belfield, and Stevenson.#17
		
	The new trial on the lesser murder charge was slated for the next quarterly session
(February 1903) of Bertie County Superior Court. The session began on Monday,
February 16, and the capital case of Bishop, Belfield, and Stevenson, along with
another capital case, "brought a large number of people to Windsor." The trial was
held on the first day of the court session and the three men were convicted. Judge
Frederick Moore sentence the men to fifteen years of hard labor to be served in the
state penitentiary at Raleigh. Sheriff Bond escorted Bishop, Belfield, and Stevenson
to the prison on Thursday, February 19.#18



NOTES

#1  The Durham Sun, April 12, 1902, reported that "1,000 or 2,000 negroes" attended
the Emancipation Day celebration at Kelford. Clearly, the wide range of the
estimated number of persons who attended the celebration can only be inferred to
indicate that the crowd was large.

#2  Testimony of C. T. Peele, State v. Bishop, Supreme Court Opinion, November 18,
1902, https://casetext.com/case/state-v-bishop-128  (hereafter cited as State v.
Bishop). Rich Square is located between six and seven miles from Roxobel.

#3  Testimonies of C. T. Peele, Ellen Belfield, Louisa Stevenson, Ella [Luella]
Bishop, Dora Savage, and Isaac Jacob, State v. Bishop. 
Thomas Stephenson, born ca. 1877-1878, was the son of Jesse Thomas Stephenson and
Sallie Hoggard, resident of Roxobel. See 1880 Federal census of Bertie County,
Roxobel township and various genealogical information available at Familysearch.

#4  Testimony of C. T. Peele, State v. Bishop.

#5  Testimony of C. T Peele, State v. Bishop.

#6  Testimony of C. T. Peele, State v. Bishop.

#7  Testimonies of J. L. Andrews, A. T. Livermon, Dr. A. Capehart, B. F. Burkett,
State v. Bishop. 

#8  Charles T. Peele stated that when he went to the door of his store, Melton
Belfield "fired the last shot and was standing over" Thomas Stephenson. John L.
Andrews stated that when he went to the door of his house, he saw "Melton Belfield
standing right over Mr. Stevenson [Thomas Stephenson], and he shot him." A. T.
Livermon noted that he saw four men "pressing" one man who was "trying to get away.
…  I saw him [Thomas Stephenson] when he was falling ... [as] the pistols were
firing repeatedly." Testimonies of C. T. Peele, J. L. Andrews, and A. T. Livermon,
Stave v. Bishop.

#9  Testimonies of C. T. Peele and Dr. A. Capehart, State v. Bishop.

#10  The Times (Richmond, Virginia), April 16, 1902; The Roanoke News (Weldon),
April 17, 1902; Testimonies of C. T. Peele, Dr. A. Capehart, State v. Bishop. 

#11  The News and Observer, April 12, 1902; The Morning Post (Raleigh), April 12,
1902.

#12  The Times, Virginia), April 16, 1902; Richmond Dispatch, April 16, 1902.

#  The Roanoke Beacon, April 25, 1902; Roanoke-Chowan Times (Rich Square), May 1,
1902; The Farmer and Mechanic (Raleigh), April 29, 1902; State v. Bishop.

#13  The News and Observer, May 4, 1902; State v. Bishop.

#14  Testimonies of C. T. Peele, J. L. Andrews, A. T. Livermon, Dr. A. Capehart, B.
F. Burkett, Ellen Belfield, Louisa Stevenson, Ella [Luella] Bishop, and Isaac Jacob,
State v. Bishop. 

#15  The News and Observer, May 4, 1902; State v. Bishop.

#16  State v. Bishop; The Semi-Weekly Messenger (Wilmington), November 21, 1902.

#17  Judgment Docket D [Superior Court], February 1903 session, 219, Office of the
Bertie County Clerk of Court; Windsor Ledger, February 12, 19, 26, 1903; The
Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk), February 21, 1903.

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