Witness Says Stewart Confessed to Killing, Oct. 5, 1924

State Plays Its Trump in Brunswick Case. . . Aged Negro Takes the Stand Against the Two Stewarts. . . Alleged Confession of C.W. Stewart as to the Killing of George and Lilly in Brunswick County Related by Old Negro Man—The Proceedings at Southport Rose to Dramatic Heights at Times Yesterday—Widow in Mourning, Tells of Her writing to Officers in Raleigh About Stewart’s Activity.

By Associated Press

Southport, Oct. 4—The wave of circumstantial evidence with which the state hopes to engulf C.W. Stewart and his son, Elmer, as the slayers of Detective Sergeant Leon Gorge and Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Lilly reached its high tide in the Brunswick superior court today, when the prosecution played its trump card in the person of Amos Wallace, aged negro, who recounted the alleged confession of the elder Stewart on the night of the killing.

Although confused and bewildered by the vigorous attack of his testimony by the defense, the old man stood the test fairly well, and when the guns of the defense ceased their bombardment his story in its essentials remained unshaken.

Dramatic at Times

The proceedings today rose at times to dramatic heights and when Mrs. A.M. Chinnis, garbed in mourning for her recently deceased husband, arose from her seat to declare that it was she and not her sister who had written the officers in Raleigh regarding the activities of Stewart.

“I did that myself,” Mrs. Chinnis exclaimed with fervor, “so my dying husband could rest easily on his deathbed.” Another highlight in the day’s proceedings came during the cross examination of L.R. Early, a special policeman from Wilmington, who admitted he had sold C.W. Stewart a 500 gallon hot water boiler with a cooper (copper?) coil which was later seized by the Brunswick authorities as the worm of a still.

From the front page of The New Bernian, October 5, 1924

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn96086034/1924-10-05/ed-1/seq-1/