Norfolk Virginian, March 13, 1889
Untitled
Moral -- MurderAfrican-Americans -- OtherFarmers -- Innovation
Onancock.
Susan Hall, a colored girl, aged about 18 years old, committed infanticide a few days ago. The girl has been employed as a domestic at the residence of Mrs. Roger Ayres, a white woman residing on Hunting Creek. . . . She has been delicate for some time past. A few days ago Mrs. Ayres noticed a change in the girl's condition. She became suspicious and at once instituted a search, which resulted in the finding of a half white child along the shore covered with seaweed and brushwood. The child was living when found, but died shortly afterwards. The girl has not yet been arrested owing to her precarious condition.
A mass meeting of the farmers of Accomac and Northampton counties was held at Eastville, March 11th. Resolutions were adopted asking that the branch of the Blacksburg Agricultural Experimental Station, which is to be established in Tidewater, Va., be established on the Eastern Shore. It is the general impression that the station will be established somewhere on the Peninsula, as the advantages afforded by Accomac and Northampton for such an enterprise are peculiar only to this Peninsula.
PARKE.
KILLED AT A CARD TABLE.
Moral -- Murder
A TRAGIC AFFAIR AT EASTVILLE YESTERDAY.
Jefferson Adair Shoots Peter Smith and He dies in His Chair -- Both Prominent Citizens.
Information reached the city yesterday of a tragic and sad shooting affray at Eastville, Northampton county, between 3 and 4 a. m. The participants in the unfortunate affair were Jefferson Adair and Peter Smith, both well known as prominent citizens, the former being a resident of Onancock, Accomac county, and the latter a resident of Franktown, Northampton county.
Monday was court day at Eastville, and, as is the usual custom, there was a large gathering of citizens of the surrounding counties in attendance upon court. Mr. Smith and Mr. Adair were seen together during the day and seemed good friends. After supper a game of cards was commenced between the two in one of the rooms of the Jarvis Hotel, and the two men played all night. Between 3 and 4 o'clock a quarrel arose between them and suddenly a pistol shot rang out clear and loud in the still atmosphere. The occupants of the hotel, aroused by the noise, ran at once to the room and found Mr. Smith in his chair mortally wounded in the head, and taking what proved to be his last breaths. He died in his chair, several minutes after the shot was fired, in an unconscious condition.
As soon as Sheriff J. S. W. Custis learned of the affair he at once placed Adair under arrest and locked him in the county jail. Intense excitement prevailed in Eastville yesterday over the affair, and the town was crowded with friends of the two men, who, it may not be amiss to say, were both known in Norfolk.
Mr. Smith was sixty years old, of a genial character, and known all over the Eastern Shore. Mr. Adair was only thirty-five years old, and had recently come into possession of considerable money.
A coroner's inquest was held yesterday afternoon in the presence of an immense crowd. After hearing several witnesses on the matter the jury brought in a verdict that the deceased came to his death from a wound inflicted by a cartridge fired from a revolver in the hands of Jefferson Adair.