Onslow County NcArchives News.....THE ONSLOW HOMICIDE. June 7, 1884
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Bill Gibson bgibson@uncfsu.edu November 4, 2006, 10:00 pm

The Weekly Star – Wilmington, NC  Vol. XV No. 32 June 7, 1884
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The Preliminary Trial Results in Mr. Huggins’ Acquittal.
Correspondent of the New Berne Journal.

   A coroner’s jury was empanelled and upon Mr. Huggins admitting the killing, 
they returned their verdict accordingly.

   Friday morning at 10 o’clock a preliminary examination was begun before 
Justice G. W. Blake, who associated with himself four other Justices, Dr. Wm. 
S. Monfort, Rufus F. Pellatier, James Gerganus and N. N. McMillin.  About a 
dozen witnesses were examined and the testimony from every quarter showed 
conclusively that Mr. Huggins acted purely in self-defence.  No part of the 
evidence showed the least shadow of criminality in the action of Mr. Huggins.  
After hearing all the testimony the Justices retired and were unanimous in 
their judgment that the prisoner killed Dr. Lesesne in order to protect his 
own life and that the killing was justifiable, whereupon they ordered the 
prisoner to be discharged.
   Mr. Huggins left the court room surrounded by his friends, who had come 
from every quarter of the county to render him any assistance he might need.
   The cause of the quarrel that led to this unhappy termination is almost as 
sad as the killing itself.  It was purely a family affair over which this 
entire community desire to draw a veil.  No man regrets the killing of Lesesne 
more than Huggins; he feels it deeply and it will be a source of mortification 
to him for a long time, but he had no choice sae that of death.  It had come 
to kill or be killed.  Dr. Lesesne’s brother was at the trial but made no 
effort to prosecute; he called on Mr. Huggins and they met on friendly terms.  
Mr. Huggins has the sympathy of the people of this county, and this affair has 
made him friends, because he showed by his action that he wanted to avoid a 
difficulty with Dr. Lesesne, and did all in his power to that end, but when 
the crisis came he did what every brave man will do under like circumstances.

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