Roanoke Beacon Blog

From the Roanoke Beacon – December 15, 1898

Returned Home to Die – As the morning brightened into day on Wednesday last the messenger of death entered the home of Mr.  Louis P. Hornthal, on Third street, and wafted to the great beyond the spirit of Mrs. Hornthal’s grandfather, S.H. McRae, Esqr., aged 81 years.

Mr. McRae, in years agone was one of the leading citizens of this town, doing a large shingle business, and before the war was a large slave owner and quite wealthy.  Some years ago, he moved to Lewiston, Bertie county, which has been his home ever since.  About two weeks ago he came to Plymouth, as the has often done, to visit his grandchildren, Mrs. L.P. Hornthal, Mrs. H.S. Ward and Mr. Clarence Latham.  He was in feeble health, but no uneasiness was entertained by him or his people until a few days ago, when he took his bed and gradually grew worse until his sufferings was relieved by death at 8 o’clock on Wednesday morning.

It seems that he had come back to the old home to die.  The remains were consigned to their last resting place in the family vault under the shadow of old Grace Episcopal Church, in which so many of his loved ones are sleeping the sleep of the just, on yesterday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock.

Township Tuesday posts will share news specific to a township of local relevance.

Roanoke Beacon –21 Oct 1898

Creswell Chips

• Mrs. SPRUILL has returned with her fall stock.
• Commercial tourist are still visiting our town. Their name is Legion.
• Mr. Herbert WALKER left last week for Baltimore where he expects to enter the University of Maryland
• Rev. Luther EBORN is away attending the T<…> Convention of the Protestant Episcopal church held in Washington City.
• The bears caught up on one of the Lake farms, in the sensation of the day. The owners are trying to tame these bears, a mother and her cubs, before shipping them.
• Wednesday, Oct. 12th was indeed a big day for Creswell. By 11 o’clock fully 900 people had assembled here to hear Hon. John H. SMALL, the Democratic candidate for Congress, and Harry SKINNER, the Fusion candidate, discuss the political issues of the campaign, and Geo. W. WARD, the Democratic candidate for Solicitor and his opponent, I. M. MEEKINS, were also here. Mess. SMALL and WARD were escorted through the principal streets of the town by about forty mounted men, with James PHELPS, a life long Republican, as Chief Marshal. Mr. SMALL did full justice to the occasion, as also did Mr. Ward.

On Ancestry.com, there is a book titled Branson’s North Carolina Business Directory: containing facts, figures, names and locations, revised and corrected annually – that includes some information about Washington County. I thought it would be of interest to share an excerpt here as many of these names I have come across in the newspaper:

COUNTY OFFICERS
Clerk of Superior Court – J.A. Nelson
Coroner – Theophilus Ash
Commissioners – R.S. Goelet, Ch; J.B. Chesson, jun.; M. Jackson, A.M. Phelps, G.W. Jones
Register of Deeds – John Carroll
Sheriff – J.M. Bateman
Surveryor – H.F. Phelps
Solicitor 2nd District – Joseph J. Martin
Treasurer – Levi Jackson, jun.

Hotels & Boarding Houses
Hotel, Plymouth – Spruill & Davenport
Hotel, Plymouth – Mary Lee (col.)
Sanders House, Plymouth – R. Sanders

Lawyers
Armistead, T.S., Plymouth
Collins, Josiah, Scuppernong
Jones, E.W., Plymouth
Johnston, S.L, Plymouth
Latham, L.C., Plymouth

Physicians
Hardison, H., Scuppernong
Lewis, H.G., Mackeys Ferry
Norman, H.H., Scuppernong
Wolfe, H.E., Lees Mills
Walker, Barry M., Plymouth
Ward, W., Plymouth

There is more here, so if you have an Ancestry membership, it’s worth checking out [link here], not only for this county, but others. If you

Roanoke Beacon  – 22 Jul 1898

Accidentally Shot — On Friday night last Mr. B.F. Nurney was examining a new pistol which had just been purchased, when it was discharged, sending the bullet through the palm of his left hand, making an ugly and painful wound.  Dr. W.H. Ward was called and dressed the wound, and at his writing friend Nurney is getting along fine.  Another case of “Didn’t know it was loaded.”

Roanoke Beacon
21 Jan 1898
pg. 3

It was Infanticide
So said the coroner’s jury. Pearl Lewis charged with the murder of her innocent babe.

On Friday morning last J.T. PETTIFORD appeared before the Clerk of the Superior Court and made affidavit to the effect that he had cause to believe that the infant of Pearl LEWIS, colored, had ocome to its death by foul means. Upon this affidavit, the Clerk appointed J.P. HILLIARD, Esq., Coroner, with the following jury to investigate: A.D. SAWYER, J.E. HINNANT, Thos. BEMBRY, David HARRISON, Emperor SPRUILL and Benj. LEARY.

The corpse of the infant, which had been buried, was taken up and carried to the jail where the coffin was identified by undertaker W.T. NURNEY. In the absence of the county physician, Dr. W.H. WARD, Dr. B.F. HALLSEY, of Roper, was called to hold the post mortem examination. After a thorough external and internal examination, the doctor rendered the opinion that the child had lived and that it came to its death by strangulation. There were two marks on its throat as an evidence that the infant had been choked to death.

After an investigation the jury rendered a verdict that the child had been murdered by parties unknown. Circumstantial evidence pointed strongly to the mother, Pearl LEWIS, and on Saturday a warrant was issued for her arrest. She being confined to her bed the warrant was served and Isiah PETTIFORD was placed guard over her body until she is in condition to stand trial.

Such a heinous crime in our midst naturally creates excitemen and indignation. The law should be fully carried out, and the perpetrator of this, the most inhuman crime that has ever stained the history of our town, should pay the penalty.

Beacon Flashes
December 13, 1889
Pg. 3

• Hines and Everett are building a machine shop near the A. & R. depot.
• Rev. C. W. Robinson was absent from his church only one Sunday at Conference.
• Mr. W. M. Whaley, of Norfolk, is in the city, the guest of his father, Mr. S. M. Whaley
• B. J. Skilles is erecting a large two-story building on Water street to be used as a restaurant.
• Dr. W. H. Ward who has been attending lectures in Baltimore for the past two weeks returned home yesterday.
• Miss Cattie Boney, who has been visiting her brother, Capt. John Boney, has returned to her home in Duplin Roads.
• Mrs. A. Barden, who has been on a visit of two weeks to her sister, Mrs. Wilson, at Greenville, returned home on Monday night.
• Mr. C. V. W. Ausbon, who has been clerking for R. Schultz & Co. at E. City, returned home Saturday last, owing to ill health.
• The Band was out serenading Monday and Wednesday nights. Prof. J. W. Piercy has charge now and the boys are getting better and better all the time.
• A fine horse belonging to Mr. B. F. Owens had his leg broken by falling through a trestle on the A. & R. R. R. on Monday last, Mr. Owens will bring suit against the Road for damage.
• A horse belonging to Messr. Davenport & Piercy ran away on Tuesday. It became frightened while standing at the R. N. & B. S. B. Co.’s wharf and ran up to water street, taking up that street towards Baynor’s livery stables, clearing the street as it went. No serious damage was done other than the total demolishing of the cart to which it was hitched.

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