The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-07
The pftfsyIxnnfa Murder.

ADDITIONAL POINTS ABOUT THE KILLING VI
YOUNG ATKINsON-TBE SUPPOSED MURDERSR
MARRIED THE NIGHT BEFORE THE BASTARD
LY DEED-wH0 HE Is AND HOW HE WAS
CAPTURED.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch
DASvILLE, VA, February 6, 1882.
Letters having come through on the Mid
land road after so long time, additional
information has been obtained about the
killing Of Atkinson; rs il ~ supposed, by
W. VI. Yeats commonly called Ham.
Yeatts), at Sycamore station, on the night
OF the I'd instant. Yeats is the son OF
Major c. W. Yeats, who was once commits
siOner OF the revenue in one OF the districts
of this county, and he was once tobacco
commission merchant in Lynchburg in the
firm OF Yeats 4 Steptoe. On the night
before Atkinson w:s killed he was married
TO Miss R0rer, OF this county. About ten
days ago he presented TO Atkinson draft
from T. l.. Poindexter Il Co., OF the Pub
lie warehouse OF this city, for SO, for
which Atkinson gave him some money and
some goods, which draft is now pronounced
a forgery. A few days before the killing
OF Atkinson ii is said he borrowed hi.
pistol from him, and that he never
W
was wearing Il pair OF rubber oycr-sh0es.
The pistol was put so close to the head
that the hair was singed. After the
shooting he went OIL with Atkinson's
pistol. his pocket-bOok, and two rings
taken from his fingers, and at Motley's sta
ton he got on the freight train for Lynch
burg, and thence started of west. Atkn-
son was killed on the railroad-track, dragged
10 one side, and partly covered with logs.
Near by where the body fell were the
stumps OF two cigars, which the parties
are said TO have been smoking when they
set out from Sycamore station. The parties
from whom | got my information know
nothing about any old grudge between At
kinson and Yeats. The wonder is what
could have been his reason for killing
Atkinson. ALPHA.
ADDITIONAL. PARTICULARS.
The Lyuchburg AerS OF sunday gives
the following additional particulars: Fuller
intelligence from the Pitt>yhania homicide
indicates that young Atkinson was MUIR
dcrcd BY ". II. Yeats for purposes OF rob
berry. II is said to have been known 20 the
latter that his victim had i'm his possession
as much as $500, and moreover that he was
in the habit OF carrying his money about
his person. Yeatt, Is alleged TO have tried
10 persuade the young merchant TO accom-
pany him on trip 70 Lynchnurg last
Thursday morning; but Atkinson re-
fusing. ne called at his place OF business. at
Sycamore station. late tina. night, and in
viied Linn 10 take walk. To this PROPOSE
ton the m,uspccting man 5cntcd. and the
two were seen 10 leave the store, walking
in the direction Of thj, city. soon after
their departure the report OF pistol was
heard, but this being of no unusual occur
renee In that ncighborh0od, nothing was
thought OF it 10y persons at the station.
The next morning, however the station
hands on the railroad discovered the form
OF Atkinson lying near The side OF the
track with a bulct-hole through the head.
and DE body covered with heavy log. OF
wood. and his empty pocket-book lying
near by.
Suspicion at once attached 10 Yeatt, as
the perpetrator of the foul crime, and when
search discovered that bc had disappeared
these suspicious were confirmed, and the
friends OF the murdered man Immediately
communicated the fact, OF the occurrence
TO the police authorities Of thi, city in the
hope Of bringing the assassin 20 justice.
CaItain PcttigrcW instituted an inye'tiea-
ton without q sccond'S delay, and, learn
ing that a man OF the description FUR
nished had registered at the Relay House
Friday night under the name OF W. d..
Wagan. and had left on the western
bound freight tram early Friday morning
for some point beyond Tennessee to
employ the mans expression 10 the agent
from whom ne purchased his ticket, the
officer Immediately telegraphed 10 points
along the road, and rs a result OF his per-
Sistcnt efforts Yeats, or q man supposed to
be him. was arrested early yesterday morn
ing at Bristol Just as he had boarded the
East Tennessee. Virginia and Georgia pas
senger train.
Captain Pcttigrcw is satisfied that he has
the right man, and dispatched Officer
GouIdman to Bristol yesterday to fetch
him back to this city, where he will be held
in custody for the action OF the PittSyl-
yania authorities.
fBy Associated Pres
LYVCHBrRG, VA, February t.--OiliccrS
started for Chatham to-day with Yeats. the
Pitt.ylvnia murderer. to lodge him in the
county Jail. but learning that q crowd OF
about 800 people had congregated at Syca-
more Station, the scene Of the murder, with
the determination OF lynchng the prisoner,
he was brought back TO this city and sent
over this evening on the train which makes