The People's Defender

MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE FILED

Ephriam Wilson, 60, Is Held For Killing Daniel Carrington In Fight At Wrightsville.

SUNDAY RIFLE DUEL Was Culmination of Bitter Feeling Between the Families; Self Defense Is Claimed.

A gun duel flare-up in a bitter feud between the families of Ephriam Wilson and Shafer Carrington, at Wrightsville late Sunday afternoon, resulted in the death of Daniel Carrington, 26, and the serious wounding of his father, aged 50, who was shot twice, once in the knee and once in the shoulder. He will recover.

Ephriam Wilson, 60, is charged with the killing and does not deny having fired the shots that hit both men, but claims that he acted in self defense, and that he was fired upon first.

Shot in the abdomen with a .22 rifle, Daniel Carrington died in Portsmouth General hospital about 11:30 p. m. Sunday, shortly after an operation to save his life. Shafer Carrington is in the hospital suffering with rifle wounds in the right knee and right shoulder.

Following the shooting, both the wounded men were taken to the office of Dr. L. H. Leonard at Manchester who gave first aid and the two were rushed to the hospital at Portsmouth in the Blaine Nesbit ambulance, by way of West Union and Blue Creek.

At the hospital early Monday the elder Carrington said his son served a four year term in the federal prison at Atlanta, Ga., on a charge of stealing automobiles at Portsmouth. He was released Friday, July 4, the father says. The slain man's mother is known as Eliza Snyder Carrington and resides in Portsmouth. The father says they were divorced a few years after the son's birth.

At the time of the shooting affray last Sunday afternoon, the elder Wilson and his sons, Arch and John and the elder Carrington and son Daniel together with a number of other people of the neighborhood, were gathered at the soft drink stand at Wrightsville, when John Wilson and Dan Carrington became involved in a quarrel that precipitated a fight between the two, but they were separated without any serious results, and shook hands with each other.

Later on the quarrel between members of the two families was renewed and it was then that the elder Carrington opened fire on the Wilsons with a rifle. The rifle fire was returned by the elder Wilson. He fired three shots, each one taking effect, as above described.

Coroner C. R. Holmes and Sheriff C. M. Mack were called to the scene Sunday night, and late Monday afternoon the Coroner, Sheriff and Prosecutor E. S. Young, conducted an inquest at the court house and examined a number of witnesses, among whom were John Wilson, Arch Wilson, May Wilson, Marsh Preston, Frank Lewis, Roach Kennedy, W. M. Morrison, Ralph Lewis, Harold Johnson, Estel Johnson and Harry Osman.

The testimony of these witnesses seemed to bear out the contention of Ephriam Wilson that he and his sons acted in self defense.

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MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE FILED
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were fired upon first. However. Coroner Holmes, thinking the circumstances of the killing warranted further investigation, filed an affidavit against W. E. (Ephraim) Wilson, Tuesday morning charging him with the unlawful killing of Daniel Carrington.
When arraigned before Squire Wm. Cooper Tuesday afternoon, Wilson waived an examination of witnesses and was bound over to the grand jury in the sum of $500. He gave bond for his appearance to court in this sum with W. M. Morrison as surety.