An inquest into the shooting death of five year-old John Mercer.

In 1908, when an eight-year-old boy shot and killed another young boy, a Wilson County coroner’s jury recommended that he be bound to someone (for supervision and work) rather than charged with murder.

State of North Carolina, Wilson County }

We, the undersigned Coroner’s Jury, find that the deceased, Jno. Mercer, came to his death by a pistol shot in the hands of Nathaniel James (or Smith). The jury is of the opinion, however, that Nathaniel James should be bound out to some reliable person, and we recommend that the Clerk of the Court bind him out at once. The child not being old enough know the enormity of the crime, is the reason why we recommend the above.

/s/ J.F. Nadal, William Walls, E.L. Daughtridge, E.G. Barnes, J.A. Cutchins, J.C. Winstead Jurors, Henry B. Best, Coroner of County

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North Carolina, Wilson County }

The examination of Caroline Mercer, Mattie Pool, Mary Harriss, and Erdora James, taken before the undersigned, coroner of the county, this 25th day of May, 1908, near the house of Caroline mercer, upon the body Jno. Mercer then and there lying dead, to wit:

Caroline Mercer, being duly sworn, says: Jno. Mercer is my son and is five years old. El Nollia Smith and Dellzell Smith were out here playing, and I saw Nathaniel Smith come up with a gun in his hand, and he fired it. He was two feet from Jno. Mercer when he fired gun. Didn’t speak after he was shot. Nathaniel Smith is between nine and ten years old. My son’s back was to me and Nathaniel’s face was to me. My house is thirty yards from where shooting occurred. Is not in habit of playing with my children. Hasn’t had any fuss before. Boy wasn’t excited after he shot Jno. Didn’t run away. Doesn’t work any where. Don’t know where pistol is now, nor where he got it. Walked right up and shot him, Didn’t shoot butane. My children were playing and he came up and shot. Didn’t see pistol until he fired. He is considered a boy of good sense. He lives with his grandmother, mother being dead. He is a fussy boy, but never has had any trouble with my children before. May 25th, 1908.  Caroline (X) Mercer

Mattie Pool, being duly sworn, says: Looked out window from my house, thirty feet from where shooting occurred, and saw Nathaniel when he shot boy. Never heard boy who did shooting say anything. He ran away when he shot. Jno. Screamed when he got shot. Nathaniel was about three or four feet from Jno. when he shot. I got to Jno. first. Never spoke at all. Nathaniel is about eight years old. He, Nathaniel, is always running up and down street trying to pick a fuss with other children. Never has had any fuss with Caroline Mercer’s children. Was attended by Drs. Dickerson & [Frank S.] Hargrove, and died about half hour after being shot. Didn’t see pistol after he shot boy. I think he shot Jno. Mercer intentionally.  May 25th, 1908. Mattie (X) Pool

Mary Harriss, being duly sworn, says: I was talking to Mrs. Mercer and looked around and saw him falling. Looked around because I heard pistol fire. Never heard any fuss or talking before the accident. Saw Caroline’s children before. Never saw pistol after firing, nor boy that did shooting. Nathaniel is considered a bad boy by the neighbors. May 25th 1908. Mary (X) Harriss

Erdora James, being duly sworn, says: Nathaniel stays with grandmother. Pistol is kept in top bureau drawer of my aunt’s. Would know pistol if I saw it again. Heard pistol shoot, and ran out. Saw Mattie Pool & Lillie Taylor standing where accident occurred. My brother was eight years old, going on nine. Never heard him make any threats. Never saw brother before policeman got him. He stays all over streets in day time. Is wild and bad to manage. May 25th 1908    Erdora (X) James

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  • Caroline Mercer and son John Mercer

In the 1910 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: on Stantonsburg Street, oil mill laborer Meadie Mercer, 35; wife Caroline, 29; and children Octavos, 8, and Mae, 2.

  • Mattie Pool

In the 1920 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: James Poole, 50; wife Mattie, 45; and boarder Mozella McCann, 22, tobacco factory laborers.

  • Mary Harriss
  • Nathaniel James and sister Erdora James

In the 1900 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Florence James, 30, tobacco stemmery day laborer; children Earty, 6, and Nathaniel, 2; and boarder Israel Whitaker, 25, day laborer.

  • El Nolia and Delzell Smith
  • Lillie Taylor

Coroner’s Inquest (1908), Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.

Pvt. I.D. Bostick, serving in France.

Wilson Daily Times, 19 May 1945.

In 1942, Ide Bostick registered for the World War II draft in Wilson. Per his registration card, he was born 2 August 1922 in Wilson; he resided at 530 Stemmery Street; his mailing address was 609 North 7th Street, Wilmington, N.C.; his contact was Isabell Bostick, 530 Stemmery; and he worked for N.C. Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington.

Lane Street Project: have you ordered your roses?

White roses represent loyalty, honor, spiritual kinship, reverence, and new beginnings. Have you ordered yours yet?

Mine honor Baby Boy Henderson and his eighteen known aunts, uncles, and cousins buried in Vick Cemetery.

Order roses no later than October 10 at Braswell’s Flower Shop, (252)218-4265, (252)903-7241 or CashApp $gr480. Thank you!!

The estate of Wiley Rountree (1847).

When Wiley (or Willie, as his name was sometimes spelled) Rountree made out his will on 12 May 1847, he left land for his sons Willie and Jonathan Rountree on Contentnea Creek and Hominy Swamp, directed that his personal property be sold, and specified that “it is my will and desire that my Negroes be divided as follows among my children and my granddaughter Mary Ann Rountree, that is for my girl children each to have a full share of all my Negro property, and my boys and my granddaughter … one half share of the same.”

Rountree died weeks later, and his executors (who had married two of Rountree’s daughters) published this notice in a Tarboro newspaper:

Tarboro Press, 12 June 1847.

On January 1, 1850, Larry Dew, L.D. Farmer, and Joshua Barnes divided the 23 remaining enslaved people in Rountree’s estate among his surviving heirs:

  • Lot 1, Ruffin, Packolatt, Jane, and Amos, valued collectively at $1625, and lot 3, Marion, Ruford, Jack, and Margaret, $1600, went to William Woodard, on behalf of his wife Delphia Rountree Woodard
  • Lot 2, Joseph, Henry, Clarky, and Everett, $1625, went to Willie Rountree
  • Lot 4, Bob, Temperance, Edwin, and Elizabeth, $1575, went to John G. Williams, as the administrator of recently deceased Jonathan Rountree’s estate (Williams later sold Bob and Elizabeth to James J. Taylor for $750 and $492, and Temperance, her son Edwin, and an unnamed child to John Batts for $615. Bob and Temperance were a married couple. Thus, they and their older children Marion and David were separated from each other.)
  • Lot 5, Davy, Israel, and Adaline, $1550, and Lot 6, Haywood, Edwin, Zilphy, and Mary, $1550, went to Nancy Rountree

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  • Ruffin
  • Packolatt
  • Jane
  • Amos
  • Bob, Temperance, Marion, Dave, Edwin, Elizabeth

In 1866, Bob Rountree and Tempy Horn registered their 30-year cohabitation in Wilson County. [Note that Temperance declined to adopt Rountree or Batts as her maiden name. Horn was the name of the enslaver who sold her to Wiley Rountree.]

In 1866, Merion Rountree and Jane Barnes registered their seven-year cohabitation in Wilson County.

On 27 August 1866, David Rountree and Nancy Farmer registered their twelve-year cohabitation in Wilson County.

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Robert Rountree, 62, farm laborer; wife Temperance, 49; Ann, 21, farm laborer; and Dora, 1.

In the 1870 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: farm laborer David Rountree, 35; wife Nancy, 33; and children Winnie, 12, Jonas, 11, Allen, 9, Tillie, 4, Laurence, 5, and Angeline, 1.

On 25 April 1872, Robert Rountree, son of Robert and Tempy Rountree, married Pricey Williamson, in Wilson County.

In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: Robert Rountree, 82; wife Tempy, 68; daughter-in-law Priscilla, 30, and her son Willie, 7.

In the 1880 census of Wilson township, Wilson County: David Rountree, 46; wife Nancy, 45; and children Winnie, 21, Lawrence, 14, Jennie, 12, Dinah, 10, Sarah, 8, David, 6, Charlie, 4, and Jonas, 20, and Bettie, 1.

  • Ruford
  • Jack
  • Margaret
  • Joseph
  • Henry
  • Clarky
  • Everett
  • Israel
  • Adaline
  • Haywood
  • Edwin
  • Zilphy
  • Mary

1306 East Nash Street.

The two hundred-eleventh in a series of posts highlighting buildings in East Wilson Historic District, a national historic district located at Wilson, North Carolina. As originally approved, the district encompasses 858 contributing buildings and two contributing structures in a historically African-American section of Wilson. (A significant number have since been lost.) The district was developed between about 1890 to 1940 and includes notable examples of Queen Anne, Bungalow/American Craftsman, and Shotgun-style architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

As described in the nomination form for the East Wilson Historic District: “ca. 1913; 1 story; Clarence Best house; L-plan cottage with intact turned-post porch and balustrade; Best was a marble worker and operated monument works.”

The house apparently was unnumbered until the 1930s, when it was assigned 1302, then, around 1942, 1306.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on East Nash Street, marble works polisher Clearance Best, 37, wife Geneva, 37, and son Clearance, 11.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: marble dresser Clarence Best, 46, wife Geneva, 46, and son Clarence H. Best, 21, tobacco stemmer, plus nephew Frank Brake, 14.

In the 1941 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Best Clarence B (c; Geneva) hlpr Wilson Marble & Granite Co h 1302 E Nash

In 1943, Clarence Herman Best registered for the World War II draft. He reported his home address as 1306 East Nash Street, Wilson; his date of birth as 3 October 1918; and his closest relative as Clarence Benjamin Best, his father. His employer was Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Wilson Daily Times, 30 November 1946.

Wilson Daily Times, 22 August 1947.

In the 1947 Hill’s Wilson, N.C., city directory: Best Clarence B (c; Eva; East Nash Street Monument Co) h 1302 E Nash

Wilson Daily Times, 5 April 1948.

Wilson Daily Times, 10 September 1949.

In the 1950 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 1306 East Nash, monument plant proprietor Clarence Best, 56; wife Geneva, 56; and lodger George Williams, 38, hotel bellhop.

Wilson Daily Times, 20 November 1980.

Photo by Lisa Y. Henderson.

The sale of Temperance and her children Marian and David.

Deed Book 21, page 415, Edgecombe County register of Deeds Office, Tarboro, N.C.

On 21 February 1835, Willie (Wiley) Rountree, who lived on Contentnea Creek in what is now Wilson County, purchased an enslaved woman named Temperance and her children Marian and David for $812 from William Horn of Wayne County, North Carolina.

A card of thanks from William Barney Reid’s family.

Wilson Daily Times, 1 August 1940.

Just two years after daughter Piccola Mae Reid died, a branch of the Reid family lost its patriarch, William Barney Reid. [Whose idea was the inclusion of “(col.)” in the notice?]

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In the 1920 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 300 Vick Street, carpenter Barnie Rudd, 37; wife Anna, 27; children Earl F., 6, and Pecolla, 3; and sister-in-law Irine Taybron, 23, teacher.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 300 Vick Street, building carpenter Barney Reid, 43; wife Anna, 39; children Earl, 4, Piccola, 13, and Fitzhugh, 9; and in-laws Harriot, 69, and John Tayborn, 80.

Pecola Mae Reid died 10 December 1938 in Mercy Hospital, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born in June 1916 in Wilson to Barney Reid and Anna Tabron; she lived at 300 North Vick Street; and she worked as county school teacher. She was buried in Wilson [likely, Vick Cemetery.]

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 300 Vick Street, Barna Reid, 55, carpenter/contractor; wife Anna D., 42, teacher; son Jessie S., 19, construction helper; nephew Chester Taborn, 14; and roomers Irene Whitley, 24, Floricie Dunston, 28, both Wayne County teachers, and Clarence Artist, 24, tobacco factory laborer.

William Barney Reid died 20 July 1941 at his home at 300 North Vick Street, Wilson. Per his death certificate, he was 55 years old; was born in Wayne County, N.C., to Jesse Reid and Sallie Ann [no maiden name given]; was married to Anna Reid; worked as a carpenter; and was buried in Rest Haven Cemetery.