The injured party in the following newspaper clipping was my Gt. Gt. Grandpa, John "Jack" Butler (1798-1886). It was common back then for reporters to ride the rails & try to gather news from the many stops on the route. I was not able to find a follow-up to this article with perhaps the outcome of the investigation, etc. I can say however, that Jack lived to the ripe old age of 88 and is buried in the Lat Edwards Cemetery in Bladenboro. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- [From the Wilmington Weekly-Star, 1 Aug 1873] The Assault Upon Mr. Butler, of Bladen County-Arrest of Parties on Suspicion-the Wounded Man Not Expected to Live. We learn that a white man by the name of Needham Bryant, and his son, Jas. Bryant, residing near Bladenboro, on the Carolina Central Road, have been arrested on suspicion of being the parties who waylaid Mr.Jack Butler near that place on Monday last, beat him nearly to death and robbed him of what money he had about his person, an account of which appeared in the Star a day or two afterwards. they were undergoing a preliminary examination before a magistrate when the train passed Bladenboro yesterday, and we are informed that the evidence against so far as it had progressed was quite strong. The examination had not been brought to a close when the train left and the result was therefore not known by our informant. Mr Butler is said to be in very critical condition, with but slight hopes of his recovery.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:56:15 +0000