The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-05


was soon overpowered and carried away
PICKETs OUT
The mob had taken all precautions agains
surprise. The road was pcketed at both ends
and when the Commemorative Attorney ant
other officers were aroused and followed The
crowd to expostulate with them, they were
met by armed men, who halted them with lev
elled guns and pistols.
Captain Woods did his best to induce the
masked lynchers to return the prisoner, as
surfing them that the law would be fully
requisite for every just demand. 1t was of nc
avail They returned to town.
After Rhodes had hung sufficiently long the
crowd took their departure, leaving the way
open for the officers TO come and take care OF
the body.
Rhodes was cut down, and an unavailing
effort made 10 resusciate him.
CONFESSION
1t is SAT-; that he admitted that he was
James Rhodes, and eXculpated his brother and
mother from any participation in the crime
though he was not given time to make any
crcumstantial confession as to his own partic-
ipation.
DIsAPPRovAL.
To say that the people do not approve the
act scarcely expresses the horror which thrills
through the whole community, while there
may be and no doubt isan assent to what would
seem just though fearful retribution for a
most horrid crime.
The body has been put in the jail-yard, and
an inquest will be held tomorrow morning.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
MIR. John o. Masse, who resided about eight
miles southwest of Charlottesville, was, with
his wife. murdered on Wednesday, March Z,
1882. Mr.. Massie's house was entered in the
early part of the right, for the purpose of rob-
berry. before Mr.. ana Mrs. Massie had retired.
They, with ittle negro G Il about four years
old, were the only persons in the house. Hear
ing & noise, it is presumed that Mr.. Massie
went out to see what the matter was. followed
by his wife with lantern, and in the hall
were confronted by the murderer or murderers
and killed with an axe found on the premises.
Mr. Massie's brains were scattered over the
hall floor near the front door, and Mrs Massie
was found near the back door with horrible
cash across her head-both quite dead.
The little colored girl cmained in the house
ali night, and when the hoy came in from the
office in the yard to make the fires in the morn
ing The bodies were discovered in pools of
blood.
THE ROBBERY
Alter the murder had been commit the
robbers. went THROUGH the house and secured
all the money, the place where he was known
to have kept his money being rit1ed and the
papers scattered in every direction.
The nearest house to the scene was the oyer
seer's, perhaps two hundred yards away.
SCENE OF THE MURDER
Mr.. Massie lived on Buckeyeland creek,
about eight niles from Charlottesville, and
was in Independent circumstances. He was
a careful and prudent man, and was known
always to have money in his possession.
This monstrous double murder of course
created great excitement, and crowds visited
the scene, and vigorous investigation was at
once set on foot to ascertain the guilty parties
CLUE.
On the day after the murder young man
named Rhodes, who lived within two miles
of Mr.. Massie's residence, attracted much at
tention in Charlottesv lie by his extraordinary
purchases of clotl ing, watches, etc, he being
known as very poor man and not at all ac-
customed to handling money. The attention
circumstances, and accordingly warrants were
procured and placed in the hands of special
constables.
FLIGHT OF JIM RHODES.
AS the posse, headed by Mr.. Walter Massey,
was approaching the house Jim Rhodes fled
to the woods, Mr.. Massey firing upon HIM in
effectuallv. Another posse, in which was De-
tectiye w rem, went to the house and arrested
Mrs. Rhodes and Leroy.
TEIL-TALE PROOFS.
At the house of Mrs. Rhodes, in the Flat
woods, was found shirt, pair Of shoes, and
a pair Of pants all marked with blood.
After arrest Leroy admitted that the money
he was spending in Charlottesville ($42) had
been given him by Jim to purchase clothing
The expenditure of that money furnished the
e.. tb troto &c no
On the night of the 9th Jim Rhodes was
seen on Mr.. John Aliens place. On the morn
ing of the 10th he got breakfast at Neil Woods
Ia coIored MANY house, on Mr.. S. J. Hart s
place, and offered Wood five dollars to box
him ND and carry him across James River, and
ship him to Newport, Tenn.
ESCAPE FROM THE STATE.
Jim Rhodes, it seems, had long borne bad
character, and four or FIVE years ago he made
an attempt, and nearly succeeded in killing
his mothers and grandmother's families by
poisoning the spring from which they used
water. He ran away to escape punishment,
and only returned the night before the murder
hence was known to few people in the county.
Notwithstanding the whole county was up
in arms against him, and liberal rewards for
his capture were offered, he after few days
concealmentin the woods. went over to Red
I'LL StdtlOl, Ou tuC NllUlduu IOttll, DOtTuCu
a south bound freight train and made good
his escape from the State.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS
The following additional particulars are
from the last issue of the Charlottesville
Chronicle:
Jim Rhodes sister Fannie and little brother
named Charley were held in custody for sew
eral days as witnesses The latter stated that
he had seen Lee and Jim dividing money on
the night OF the murder, after which they
burnt the pocket book. The little boy and his
sister are still in this county.
The mother went to the poorhOuse shortly
after her discharge from jail and few months
afterwards died, making no confession.
THE ARREST.
Rhodes was arrested on Monday the 18th
ultimo in a bar-roOm in Newport, Cooke
county, Tenn, by A. J. Wllitord, deputy
sheriff of that county. He made no resistance,
and was guarded by Mr.. Wilitord at the Jail
until night, when Mr.. Boyer, former sheriff
OF the county, was called in to assist him. The
two officers searched their prisoner and found
an eight-inch barrel loaded revolver concealed
in sheath in his bootleg
RhOdessaid to Will ford when the discovery
was made, 81 have treated you well to-day, as
could at any time have taken your good
eye" He offered 81 800 to be released; which
amount, he said, was hid where NO one knew
of it but himself, and that he would take them
to the spot This statement the officers did
not credit, believing that his object was to get
them out in the country, where he perhaps
had friends and confederates
HIS ARRIVAL AT NEWPORT.
Rhodes reached Newport on the 10Th day
of March, just nine days after the preparation
of the murder Newport was the point to
which he directed himself to be shipped by
express when he applied to the color man
named Neil Wood, to box him up a day OF
SO after the crime was comm it'd. This fact
was comm unicated TO the sh riff and oil e
person at Newport, and they were cons.
quently on the lookout for the flu .itive
When he made Ills appearance, IN the place
on tie 10Th of March he wis at once su
pectcd, aAd would have been arrested bur lor
the positive testimony Of gentleman from
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