These newspaper articles were compiled by Mike Edge, 2003, from the Landmark
newspaper published in Statesville, N.C.
The Landmark - Statesville, N.C.
Jan. 16, 1880
A 7 year old boy in Greene County, fooling with a pistol one day last week
accidentally fired it off and killed his little brother.
June 4, 1880
Snow Hill,Greene County, has a colored census taker.
(note added by compiler: This was S.A. Busbee, listed on 1880 census as 36 yrs.
old, school teacher, mulatto, he was enumerator for Snow Hill Township)
March 16, 1883
Captions of Acts Passed By The General Assembly, At It's Session OF 1883.
378. An act to prohibit fast driving and riding over certain bridges in the
county of Greene.
October 12, 1883
The Wilson Mirror: Two mormon preachers were driven out of Greene county the
other day. They were in the Speight section, and they had been trying to
promulgate their pernicious doctrine - hence their just and summary expulsion.
January 11, 1884
On his farm near Hookerton, Greene county, Mr. Travis E. Hooker raised last year,
on 100 acres, 100 bales of cotton of an average weight of 440 lbs.
May 15, 1885
The Kinston Free Press says a colored boy was struck and killed by lightning
in Greene county, week before inst.
July 31, 1885
Greene county last Saturday voted $30,000 to the proposed Goldsboro, Snow Hill
and Greenville Railroad.
May 6, 1886
The Washington Revielle states that Mr. Arthur Spruill, a young and well known
lawyer of Snow Hill, Greene county, has been placed in confinement because of
insanity. Mr. Spruill was originally from Tyrrell county. The cause of his
insanity is surmised to be a slander suit recently tried in Greene county. It
is a sad case.
July 1, 1886
The Wilson Advance says Mr. Marcellus Fields, of Greene county, killed a
colored man named May, week before last.
December 2, 1886
The Snow Hill Enterprise says Mr. B.F. Albritton, of Greene county, has two
children who are remarkable. Both are girls and the difference between them
is marvelous. Clara, the eldest daughter, is 15 years old and weighs 290 pounds,
and the other, Fannie, is 13 years old and weighs 34 pounds.
October 27, 1887
Fatal Occurrence at the State Fair.
There was one fatal accident at the State fair. It happened Wednesday. A young
man named Berry Taylor, from Greene county, deeply intoxicated, had gone out
to the fair grounds on the train, and getting off stood on an adjacent railroad
track looking at the train which he had just left. A train came dashing along
the track on which he stood, knocked him forward and ran over him, breaking
both of his legs and bruising his body. He was called to in time to have left
the track but did not heed. People standing near averted their heads when the
train struck the unfortunate youth. He died the same night. It is said his
mother is on the verge of insanity from grief.
March 1, 1888
State News. A pine tree in Greene county measures 21 feet in circumference.
March 17, 1892
D.W. Patrick, of Greene county, has been appointed to the position held by the
late Gen. Robt. Ransom - that of superintendent of government river and harbor
improvements in North Carolina. It has been stated that he is entirely ignorant
of any engineering knowledge and has no qualifications for the position, but
the Tarboro Southerner says this is a mistake, that he is a post graduate in
engineering a Republican convention.
December 15, 1892
The Wonderful Leap of an Engine.- Kinston Free Press
About three weeks ago our Hookerton itemizer made mention of the burning of
several ginhouses on one night. Among others was that of Messrs. Holton and
Spier, of Scuffleton, Greene county. In the account mention was made of a
miraculous leap made by the engine used on the gin, but the particulars were
not given. We give them here. The engine was in a shed by the side of the
ginhouse and had on 75 pounds of steam when shut off, and those present went
to fighting the fire. When the explosion came the engine rose at an angle of
about 45 degrees through the roof of the ginhouse and passed on in mid-air
until it reached a clump of large oak trees. At this point the flying engine
was fully 40 feet from the ground. It struck a branch as larhe as a man's body,
breaking it off. This checked its velocity somewhat, so that it took a downward
course. It next passed over a bar room leaving one side untouched but taking a
sudden plunge ripped its way through the other side of the building and passed
on until it fell near a store and in a few feet of a horse hitched to a buggy.
The horse was struck by a small piece of iron near one eye and it is feared the
animal will lose that eye. The stack plate flew through the store and struck a
barrel of molasses, tearing a hole in its side. The engine reversed ends during
its flight. Those who saw the miraculous plunge say that it looked like a horse
and buggy flying through the air. It did not seem to be moving very swiftly,
yet as a matter of fact it must have been. The distance along the ground from
the shed where the engine rose to the spot where it fell is 200 feet by actual
measurement. The broken limb is witness to the extent of its flight upward.
August 23, 1895
A correspondent writes the Free Press from Hookerton, Greene county, that John
Turnage got mad with his brother, Blaney, a few days ago and got his gun to shoot
him. Just as John fired at Blaney the latter dodged behind Mr. Hurst, a tobacco
man from Granville county. The shot intended for Blaney struck Hurst, inflicting
wounds from which he died two days later.
February 4, 1896
Mr. Wm. Moye, of Greene county, went out to feed his horse Wednesday morning and
fell speechless. He never regained his speech and died at 10 o' clock that night.
June 4, 1897
Near Hookerton, Greene county, Saturday evening, lightning struck and consumed
the barn of J.T. Askew. Five mules and considerable feed were burned with it.
June 8, 1897 (from the Winston Journal)
Miss Sethelle Boyd of Barium Springs, and Miss Dale of Greene county, are the
guests of Miss Carrie Allison.
April 12, 1898
Governor Russell has appointed D.W. Patrick, Republican, of Greene county,
president of the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad.
December 6, 1898
A recount of the vote in Greene county, ordered by Judge Robinson, elects the
entire Democratic ticket, including the member of the Legislature, by majorities
ranging from 19 to 67. The first count gave the fusionists a majority ranging
from 2 to 27 but the Democrats secured affidavits and depositions showing that
the fusionists had voted convicts, minors, people who were dead and others who
had left the county years ago.
February 20, 1900
While a party was in progress at the home of a man named Harrill, in Greene
county, Friday night, two of the guests became involved in a row and a man named
John Faulkner was shot and killed. The murderer escaped.
June 19, 1900
In Greene county a few days ago a negro attempted to criminally assault Mrs.
Robt. Sugg, a daughter of ex Sheriff Grant, of Wayne county, but was frightened
away before he accomplished his purpose. He was arrested and jailed and there
is talk of lynching.
September 18, 1900
An Unpleasant Episode in the State's History Recalled (Raleigh News and Observer)
Secretary Thompson was engaged in sorting and casing the papers made out by James
Glasgow, the Secretary of State who was charged with making false entries and
making fraudulent land grants in 1795. A few weeks ago Mr. Thompson received a
request for copies of certain of these grants, to be used in evidence in a suit
in Tennessee, over land that was originally granted from this State during
Glasgow's incumbency. To get the proper grants it became necessary to go through
the entire set of papers, and Mr. Thompson decided that this was a good time to
give them more substantial protection than they have had. Mr. Thompson says they
should be bound. The papers are extremely yellow, but the handwriting is very
clear and distinct, being almost as legible as print. The report of the committee
which, as the result of their investigation, found Glasgow guilty, is especially
well preserved, and was executed by a skillful penman. It will be remembered
that Glasgow was one of the Revolutionary heroes, and was for several years after
the close of that war Secretary of State of North Carolina. So highly was he
esteemed that a county was named after him. He later became involved in serious
land stealing schemes with John Armstrong, the claim entry officer of the State,
and was impeached and the Legislature changed the name of the county to Greene,
in honor of General Francis Greene, another war hero, but who was not a native
of North Carolina. The judge who was to have presided at the trial resigned and
received a thousand dollar fee for defending the land thieves. Tennessee was at
that time a part of North Carolina, and nearly all the fraudulent grants were
located there. The history of the affair is the most interesting, though least
creditable chapter in the State's history.
December 14, 1900
Kinston Free Press: We learn that there was a terrific explosion at Hookerton
Wednesday. The colored Odd Fellow's hall was blown up. It seems that a room below
the hall was used for storage and in this room was a keg of powder. The building
caught fire some way, and before the powder could be removed the fire reached it
and the explosion occured. Every building in Hookerton was shaken, and people
for a distance of ten miles felt the shock.
May 2, 1902
Mr. Thomas Jones, a prominent farmer of Greene county, while returning home
from Kinston Tuesday night, was held up and robbed by three highwaymen. Mr.
Jones was driving along at a good pace when the three men rushed upon him,
covering him with pistols. One of them held his horse, while the others rifled
his pockets, taking all the money he had - a good sum.
December 25, 1903
Gov. Aycock last week commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence of Henry
Holloway, colored, convicted of burglary in Greene county and sentenced to death.
Holloway was charged with entering a sleeping room in the night, but the only
identification of him was by his voice, and there was too much uncertainty
about the case to impose the extreme penalty of the law.
December 2, 1904
Two negroes confined in Greene county jail set fire to the jail Thursday night
but the fire was discovered and extinguished before damage of consequence resulted.
June 13, 1905
A.R. Cash, a young white man, is in jail in Greene county, charged with
committing a criminal assault on a young woman - Miss Rosa Byrd. Cash took the
young woman driving and the alleged assault was committed during the drive.
August 22, 1905
Recently cards were sent out for the marriage of Miss Maggie L. Wells, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Wells, of Goldsboro, and Mr. Manly Baker, of Florida, the
event to take place today. Friday Miss Wells went to Wilson and married Mr. Ed
Newell, of Greene county, an old lover. Mr. Baker may not think so now, but the
incident is a fortunate one for him.
October 24, 1905
Sheriff Warren, of Greene county, writes the Raleigh News and Observer that
there has been no lynching in that county, as reported last week. He says the
negro, Chas. Malone, charged with criminal assault, was being taken to jail by
an officer when the officer's horse became unmanagable and the negro escaped.
Shots were fired at him as he ran but he was not hit and is still at large.
