Lenoir County, NC - Taylor Collection, Miscellaneous

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MISC – TAYLOR COLLECTION

These clippings were found in an old scrapbook kept by Francis 
Hartsfield Taylor, wife of Bruton Taylor. Although there are no dates, 
Mrs. Taylor died in 1912.


DANCE LAST NIGHT

The New Year dance of the Lenoir German club was given at the opera 
house last night and was enjoyed by the participants.  The following 
couples were in attendance:
Mrs. W. A. Mitchell with Miss Anna Hanff, of Raleigh
Mr. C. R. Dodson with Miss Margaret Bryan, of Newbern
Mr. W. C. Fields, Jr. with Miss Mamie Hines
Mr. H. C. Wooten with Miss Wita Mitchell
Mr. Jno. Adams with Miss Mary Stevenson
Dr. H. D. Harper Jr., with Mrs. J. M. Hostetter
Mr. Arthur Einstein with Miss Hannah Dawson
Mr. I. M. Tull with Miss Helen Gray
Mr. J. Frank Webb with Miss Bessie Mitchell
Mr. H. H. McCoy with Miss Susie Taylor
Mr. H. H. Stevenson with Miss Mary Rogers

Chaperones, Mrs. Alice Hunter, Mr. and Mrs. Jno. A. Long
Stags, Mess. Hoge Irvine, Claude Chamberlain, Jno. Warters, T. M. 
Porter of Goldsboro, Guy Webb, J. H. Herbert, Ed Einstein, Theodore 
Kemmitz, Ellis  Goldstein, E. H. Stevenson, Frank Quinerly, S. A. 
Quinerly, E. R. Wooten, A. S. Wooten and Dr. C. L. Pridgen

NOTE: Based on the marriages of some of these people, this dance was 
held prior to 1903

*********

A HORRIBLE HOMICIDE

In Which Daniel G. Taylor Gets Cut, and Shoots and Kills Ex-Sheriff 
James D. Sutton.  The Corner's Verdict and Cause of the Homicide

On Monday evening, a few minutes after 8 o'clock, Mr. D. G. Taylor, who 
lives in this county about ten miles from Kinston, met ex-sheriff J. D. 
Sutton of Kinston, in H. C. Harrison's saloon.  Following a discussion 
of a bond matter, Mr. Sutton cut Mr. Taylor two gashes, very near each 
other, across his neck on the left side, about an inch under the ear, 
the gash being about four inches long and reaching from his neck around 
a part of the jaw, and Mr. Taylor shot twice at Mr. Sutton, the first 
ball striking him, the other shot missing.

As well as we can gather the fact are about as follows.

Mess. J. D. Sutton, J. L. Murphy and several others were at the bar 
taking a drink, when Mr. D. G. Taylor walked in.  Mr. Sutton said: 
"Come, have a drink, Uncle Dan." Mr. Taylor shook his head and said 
something about "you can't buy me with a drink."  Then the others 
drinking invited Mr. Taylor to drink but he refused to do so.

Mr. Taylor said something further to Mr. Sutton about couldn't buy him 
with a drink and that Sutton knew he (Taylor) had to pay out 340 some 
odd dollars on Sutton's bond as sheriff which Sutton had promised to 
pay but hadn't paid.

Mr. Sutton remarked that he couldn't help it, had done the best he 
could and didn't care to talk about it, etc, and walked into the back 
room of the saloon.

Mr. Taylor soon followed him into the back room and continued to talk 
about having had to pay out money for Mr. Sutton, which Sutton had 
promised to pay back and hadn't done so, and said if Sutton denied it 
he lied.

Mr. Sutton said to Mr. Taylor about as follows: "Uncle Dan, don't call 
me a lie: don't repeat it, if you do I must cut you."  Mr. Taylor 
repeated it, and Mr. Sutton drew his picket knife and cut Mr. Taylor 
twice across the neck, seemingly trying to cut his throat.  Mr. Taylor 
drew his pistol and shot Sutton.

Mess. J. L. Murphy and J. G. Tilghman grabbed them and pulled then 
apart, Murphy having hold of Taylor and Tilghman holding Sutton.

Sutton was assisted to his home and as he reached Einstein's corner 
fainted from the shock or from the loss of blood.

It was first thought that Mr. Taylor might be seriously injured.  Dr. 
Hyatt sewed up his wounds and his injuries are not regarded as serious.

Mr. Sutton was taken home and the doctors tried to locate the bullet 
but failed to do so.   It was finally decided to perform an operation 
and Mr. Sutton was taken to Dr. Hyatt's Sanatorium.  The operation was 
begun about 10 o'clock and took about an hour to an hour and a half.

The operation was performed by Dr. Hyatt assisted by Drs. H. Tull, V. 
E. Weyher, F. A. Whitaker, and G. P, LaRoque.

Mr. Sutton lived a half to three quarters of an hour after the 
completion of the operation.  He died about twenty minutes after 
midnight.

The examination and operation showed that the bullet entered the right 
flank between the naval and point of the hip bone, right over the 
appendix, but did not strike the appendix.  The bullet was 32 calibre.

As soon as the abdomen was opened there was an enormous gush of blood, 
indicating several internal bleeding caused by the bullet wound. 

The examination after cutting into the abdominal cavity found the 
intestines were perforated in eight places by the bullet, which also 
perforated the mesentery in four places.  All the holes in the 
intestines and mesentery were carefully patched.

There was scarcely any hope of saving Mr. Sutton's life, but the 
operation was performed as a matter of duty, to give him the benefit of 
a bare possible chance.  The immediate cause of death was loss of blood 
and shock from the wound.

Corner J. B. Langston and the following jury held a postmortem 
examination today:

N. D. Myers, F. Dupree, J. T. Cockrelll, W. H. Whitfield, C. A. 
Broadway and F. M. LaRoque, Sr.

The post mortem examination was by Dr. J. M. Parrott assisted by 
medical student Mr. Ray Pollock.  The ball was found lodged in the 
socrum left of the lower part of the backbone.  The ball was not 
removed.  There were found twelve perforations of the mesentery and 
nine of intestines.  One part of the intestines was cut clean in two.

Dr. Parrott said the death was caused by the shock and hemorrhage.

Eleven witnesses, as follows, were summoned to appear before the 
coroner's jury: W. T. Oast, J. G. Tilghman, J. L. Murphy, Ed Morton, H. 
W. Rogers, W. F. Dibble, Milton Sutton, and Dr. Hyatt, Tull, Weyher, 
Whitaker and Parrott.

The jury examined J. G. Tilghman, J. L Murphy and W. T. Oast and 
decided it was not necessary to examine any others.

VERDICT OF THE JURY

The corner's jury found that the deceased, J. D. Sutton, came to his 
death by a gunshot wound in the hands of D. G. Taylor.

The post-mortem was held at the home of the deceased.  Then the jury 
adjourned to the office of Justice L. J. Moore, where the witnesses 
were examined.

Mess. A. J. Loftin and N. J. Rouse have been employed to defend Mr. 
Taylor.

It is probable that the solicitor will draw a bill and send it to the 
grand jury and that the trial of Mr. Taylor will not take place at this 
term of court.

Mr. Sutton had $3,000 insurance in the Royal Arcanum and $2,000 in the 
Knights of Honor.

The burial will take place this afternoon at 5 o'clock at the cemetery 
conducted by St. John's Lodge No 96.

NOTE: It appears some of this article was cut off.

NOTE: This happened before 1 February 1908 when Daniel G. Taylor, son 
of Green and Penelope Simmons Taylor, died.

***********

AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR

Mess. A. S. Wooten and A. S. Copeland Assault Mr. L. P. Tapp

Mess. A. S. Copeland and A. S. Wooten were before Mayor Temple Thursday 
afternoon, charged with assault and battery with deadly weapons on Mr. 
L. P. Tapp.  They were bound over to superior court, in the sum of $100 
each.

There has been bad feelings for two years between the two tobacco 
warehouses in Kinston.  Some of the men connected with each warehouse 
have been saying hard things of the competing warehouse.  It seems that 
one the morning of the difficulty, Mr. Copeland  spoke to a farmer 
coming out of the Bank of Kinston, after cashing his check for tobacco, 
and asked  him why he did not sell at the Atlantic.  The farmer replied 
that he had lost money by Mr. Copeland deceiving him. It seems that a 
buyer had bought the farmer's tobacco in the country and when he 
brought it to market the buyer saw he was 'stuck" in the trade. Someone 
soon told the farmer he had sold too cheap and offered a larger price 
for the tobacco.  Then the farmer asked the buyer to let him off, which 
the buyer finally did upon the payment of $10 from the farmer to the 
buyer. After that the man who offered an increased price could not be 
found.  The tobacco sold on the floor for less than the buyer had 
bought it at.  The farmer said Mr. Tapp told him that Mr. Copeland had 
something to do with the transaction. Mr. Copeland took the farmer to 
the Atlantic and sent for Mr. Tapp to come from the Kinston-Carolina to 
the Atlantic, and asked him before the farmer if he had made the 
statement as alleged by the farmer.  Mr. Tapp replied that he did.

After some further words Mr. A. S. Wooten struck Mr. Tapp on the head 
and Mr. Copeland struck him just under the left ear, cutting it quite 
badly and knocking him out of the door to the sidewalk. Mr. Tapp was 
knocked senseless and his back was sprained in the fall.  At the trial 
Mr. Copeland acknowledged having brass knuckles in his pocket, but 
disclaimed using them.

The Free Press dislikes to publish such bad news.  We believe that the 
jealousies and bickerings between the two warehouses inured the Kinston 
market last year.  Unless some means can be found to stop it, it will 
injure the market materially this season. Kinston has excellent 
facilities to handle tobacco and as strong a corps of buyers as any 
maket and the object of each warehouse should be to get all the tobacco 
possible to come to Kinston, to itself if possible, but to Kinston 
anyway.  It does not pay in any business to speak ill of competitors, 
but pays to attend to your own business; speak as well as the truth 
will stand of your own business and say nothing against the other man.

********

C. W. JOYNER KILLED

Entered Home of G. H. Heffner by Mistake and Shot by Heffner, Who 
Thought He was a Burglar

About 11:20 o'clock Monday night Mr. Council W. Joyner, of LaGrange, 
met his death by a mistaken shooting in Kinston.

It seems that he was under the influence of liquor and was looking for 
Sheriff J. C. Wooten's residence, and by mistake went into Mr. G. H. 
Heffner's yard and rattled the window, which alarmed Mrs. Heffner, who 
was sleeping downstairs.  She screamed and called her husband, who was 
asleep upstairs.

Mr. Heffner rushed down stairs with a pistol and went to the door and 
opened it.  As the door opened Mr. Joyner started in and Mr. Heffner 
shot him, the ball entering just below the left nipple, going through 
and striking the spinal column.

Mr. Joyner asked to be taken to Sheriff J. C. Wooten's.  he was carried 
there and Dr. J. M. Parrott was hastily summoned. Dr. Parrott staid 
there all night trying to stimulate the wounded man so he could perform 
an operation , but in this he failed, death taking place from the shock 
of the injury at 9:35 Tuesday morning.

Mr. Heffner expresses much regret at the unfortunate mistake.  He says 
he thought it was someone trying to break in his house.  It was very 
dark and he could not see very well.

Mr. Joyner was about 45 years old.  He leaves a wife and six children, 
two brothers and two sister to mourn his death.  The body was taken to 
LaGrange Tuesday on the freight and the interment took place that 
afternoon.

Mrs. Joyner, wife of the deceased, and Mr. John P. Joyner, his brother, 
came from LaGrange in time to see him breathe his last.

An inquest was held over Mr. Joyner's body at 12 o'clock.  The 
following composed the jury: T. B. Ashford, Harry Wooten, Geo. L. 
Kilpatrick, T. B. Brown, J. A. Haddock and Jerry Humphrey.  Dr. R. W. 
Wooten as coroner.  The verdict was that Council Joyner came to his 
death by a pistol shot fired by Geo. H. Heffner, and that the killing 
was justifiable on Heffner's part.

***********

MR. LUDLOW SKINNER MURDERED

Last Saturday about 4:20 pm, the saddest tragedy enacted in our city in 
scores of years, occurred.  About the time above mentioned, Mr. Ludlow 
Skinner came out of the main entrance of the postoffice and proceeded 
straight across the side walk facing the other side of the street. Just 
about the time he stepped off the side walk into the street, Mr. Ernest 
Haywood approaching him from the south, fired a shot which seems not to 
have taken effect.  Skinner increased his speed, and proceeded in the 
same direction, when another was fired which entered his back, grazed 
the heart and passed through both lungs, and Skinner fell dead on the 
street car track in the middle of the street.

The prominence of the parties and the ignorance of the public as to the 
motive behind this act, has caused great excitement, and been the first 
subject of conversation since.

Mr. Ludlow Skinner had witnessed the burial of his mother scarcely 24 
hours before this sad occurrence.  He was the son of Rev. T. E. 
Skinner, DD, one of the best known Baptist ministers of the South and 
son-in-law of the late Maj. Jno. C. Winder.  He leaves a wife 
and one child.  He was a gentle, tender, unobtrusive, inoffensive man.
Mr. Ernest Haywood is one of the foremost and best known lawyers in the 
State, and a son of the late Dr. E. Burke Haywood of this city.

NOTE: There appears to have been more to this article but it is gone.

***********

A GOOD RECORD

Kinston young men who have gone off to various institutions to receive 
training for vocations in life have as a rule made exceptionally fine 
showing.  In fact this has been so to such an extent that it has often 
caused comment.  A number of years ago, about eight, a young man not 
now known very well to the large numbers of newcomers,  but well known 
to the older inhabitants, left Kinston for the state university.  After 
attending that institution a few years he conceived as his life's 
ambition to enter the medical profession.  He entered the study of 
medicine in 1895 under Dr. H. Tull, of this place.  He mapped out a 
course of study that would give him the opportunity of placing himself 
at the top of his chosen profession.  After studying here he left for a 
training at Bellevne hospital, New York.  From there he entered the 
medical class at the University of Pennsylvania, recognized as one of 
the first schools of study of medicine and surgery.  During his course 
of learning he has achieved many works of distinguishment which at his 
own request were not published in his home paper, but which his 
intimate friends in keeping track of him have known.  On July 18 last 
he was among the graduating class of that high institution of learning, 
the University of Pennsylvania.  The young man referred to is Dr. Paul 
LaRoque, son of our townsman, Mr. W. D. LaRoque.  The faculty of the 
institution of which he graduated showed their appreciation of the 
brilliant record made by him during his course of study by bestowing 
upon him the highest honor that is given by that institution by 
electing him resident physician and surgeon to the University hospital.  
This is an honor that cannot be bought but which is given to the one 
student in the graduating class who in the estimation of the faculty 
has made the best showing.  He also won the prize offered for physical 
diagnosis of a noemacytometer, given by Dr. Judson Donrand, one of the 
faculty.  To show the thoroughness of his training this young man has 
taken to reach the top, the following history of his course is given; 
studied in wards of Philadelphia hospital; was assistant in medical 
dispensary of the University hospital, registrar in dispensary for ear 
diseases in post graduate hospital and medical school, records to Rush 
hospital for tuberculosis and allied diseases; graduated from 
Philadelphia lying-in charity hospital for diseases of women and 
children and was elected to membership in Sigma Xi honorary scientific 
fraternity.  Kinston is indeed proud of a native who has achieved such 
honor in his chosen and loved profession, and regrets that he has 
decided to locate for his practice in Philadelphia instead of Kinston.

*************

HORRIBLE MURDER IN PITT

R. C. Turnage Murdered in His Brother's Store, Which Was Burned Down.  
The Body Rescued from the Flames by His Brother. Bloodhounds on the 
Track.

NOTE: part of the right margin was cut off on this clipping

Mr. R. C. Turnage, who clerked for his uncle, Mr. T. L. Turnage, in 
Pitt county about three miles from Farmville, was murdered Tuesday 
night and the store was burned.

The murdered man was a brother of the wife of Mr. H. V. Williams, clerk 
of the superior court of Lenoir county. In answer to a phone message 
Mr. Williams left immediately for the scene of the crime.  The murdered 
man was about 2? Years of age.

It seems that Mr. T. L. Turnage, ??? proprietor of the store, who lives 
nearby was awakened Wednesday morning by the glare of the store being 
on fire, and rushed through the flames and got the body of his nephew 
out before it was burned.  His nephew's throat was cut, his head badly 
beat up, and there were several gashes on his hands and his body was 
city in several places, as if he had been in a severe fight.  The 
murdered man evidently made a desperate resistance.

The store was evidently robbed, the clerk murdered, and the store set 
on fire to hide the crime.  The store burned down.

From the Greenville Reflector we learn "The young man's head was almost 
severed from the body, there being a terrible cut on the throat and 
another on the back of his neck.  There were also several cuts about 
the temple, shoulder and on the hands, the young man's night clothes 
were nearly torn off and his feet were bruised as if tread upon, all 
indication that he had made a desperate struggle with his assailant.  
The body being so horribly mutilated was an awful spectacle".

"The store and all contents were entirely consumed by the fire, not a 
penny's worth being saved from the building.  The books had been left 
out of the safe when the store was closed last night and they were also 
destroyed.  Mr. Turnage's loss is estimated at $10,000 to $12,000 and 
he had no insurance on either building or stock".

THE MURDER IN PITT

The horrible murder of Mr. R. C. Turnage remains a mystery.

The verdict of the coroner's jury was that he came to his death from 
wounds made by a knife in the hands of unknown parties.

Across the road under a small shelter was some blood as if someone had 
stopped there.  Up the road were found two little places of blood some 
distance apart.  These were the only signs that could be found and on 
which were relied to start blood hounds.

The editor of King's Weekly, Greenville, went to the scene of the crime 
Wednesday.  He says that during the day several hundred had come and 
gone.  No hounds could be had, so the people slowly dispersed indignant 
and outraged at the perpetration of so foul a crime and determined to 
do all in their power to aid in ferreting it out.

The governor has been written to stating the crime and asking that a 
suitable reward be offered for the apprehension of the guilty parties.  
The postoffice was kept in the store and was burned, so the postoffice 
department will be asked to offer a reward.  It is hoped that the case 
will be successfully worked up at an early day.

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