The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-05

loss to conjecture the identity Of the muir
derer, but circumstances gradually devel-
oped soon after the killing became known
| which pointed Enthusiastically to Walter H.
Yeats, twenty-six-year-old son Of Major
Charles W. Yeats, who was formerly
district nternal-revenue collector, and
also commission merchant in Lynchburg,
Va. Young Yeats was thought to have
been on terms Of friendly and familiar in
tercourse with Anderson, for ii was known
that the latter had often beiriended
him pecuniarily and in other ways. What
pointed suspicion at Yeats was the fact
that he was married on February 1st (the
day before the murder) to q Miss Fannie
Rorer, who lived near Sycamore, and that
on the next day he told his wife that he
was going away for three weeks to work
on the New-Riyer railroad. He then left,
and it appeared from after developments
that he repaired TO Sycamore, and by some
representations induced Anderson to take
walk with him up the railroad track to-
wards Lynchburg. Shortly thereafter a
pistol-shot was heard, but no attention was
paid to the circumstance, as pistol-shOoting
thcreabouts was no uncommon thing. The
next morning, however,
ADKERsON's BODY WAS FOUND
as described, with hole through the head
made bya bullet, which entered behind one
ear and passed out near the other. The
tracks about the murdered man, which
plainly showed in the snow, were identified
a. those of Yeats, and his sudden diSap-
pearance led to his being pursued. On the
9th OF February he was arrested at Good
son-Bristol, on the Virginia and Tennessee
border, and. though giving another name.
was soon after identified by Pittsyvania
county officers and brought back TO the jail
at Chatham; not, however, before the eX-
cited citizens OF the neighborhood had
made threats and some preparations to
lynch the murderer. When arrested Yeats
was found in possession OF Adkers0n's pis-
toll, safe-key, and two rings which he had
taken from him after killing him. He also
had some money which was believed to be-
long to his victim. His trial occurred at
the May term Of the County Court, and
resulted in his conviction and sentence to
be hanged on the 18th Of July.
Among the representations which have
been made in connection with the affair as
showing the cause OF
PR0v0CATI0N FOR THE MURDER
il one that when Yeats was engaged to
Miss Rorer, Anderson expressed regrets
TO her that she was going TO marry a man
who was dishonest, and who would after
their marriage 90 TO the penitentiary. The
cause OF this statement was due to the fact
that Yeats had passed on Anderson for
goods and money a bogus check for SO, to
which the name Of Thomas l.. PoindeXter
d Co., OF Danvile, was forged, and that
he had also tried to impose similar bogus
paper on other businessmen. 1t is also
stated that Miss Rorer has sustained I'M
lawful relations with Anderson; that
Yeats knew it, and had been paid by Adj
kersOn to marry the girl: and again, that
he discovered her umchasteneSS only on
marriage, and was led TO suspect by re-
marks Of AdkersOn, who Obtruded himself
in the company Of Yeats and wife, that
they had had guilty relations.
Whether Yeats was moved TO kill Adj
kersOn by innate wickedncss or from dread
OF punishment for committing the alleged
forgeries, or from sudden fury at rejecting
that Anderson had been unduly intimate
with his wife, must be left to conjecture.
WEEKS RESPITE.
A few DAYS before the day fixed by the
Court fOrthe execution Of Yeats his father
submitted various papers TO Governor
Cameron, embracing evidence claimed 10
be Of an eXtenuating character, accompa-
MED bv aflidavItS, which had not been in
troduced at the trial The Governor there
fore rcspited Yeats for one week until to-
day), 50 that he could have time to look
into the matter. After careful inyestiga-
a.. l. Il Ii n nj A &
the law take il course.
For weeks before bis trial he was be-
sought by his counsel II he had any reason
to suspect any undue intimacy between
Young Anderson and his wife either before
or after his marriage to speak out: in fact,
they told him that the only way TO save his
neck from the gallows was TO use some
such argument, but he declared to the last
that he had no ground for such suspi-
cion, and that young Anderson was one OF
the best friends he ever had.
Yeatts's Last Confession.
Since his conviction, however, Yeats has
made two written confessions which con-
fict materially, a. all his statements in con-
nection with the murder have done. The
last one ne gave to Mr.. l.. II. Pigg, editor
OF the Chatham Tribune. with the request
that il should not be made public until the
day OF hi, execution. In thi, he speaks OF
his intimate and friendly relations with
Anderson, the two having lived together
as brothers" for some time previous TO his
marriage.
On the Sunday before he was married he
saws: | went TO Mr.. Rorcr's TO see my IN
tended wife, and while there she told me
Mr.. Anderson had written letter to her, in
Z s.I, 10 1uf | LIVING
more in danger, and that he was very sorry
that she was going to marry me; that after
marrying me would have to leave her
and 90 to the penitentiary for a forgery
had committed in signing Silverthorn's
name to a paper which purported to pay
me a large sum for a stone | had in my
I possession.
! remarked to her
WOULD KILL HIM
unless he retracted for slandering me. i
afterwards Quoted down, and think L
promised her not to say anything more
ahout il. I went back to Sycamore that
sunday night, and as had been given the
privilege OF going anywhere in the store.
a. though il belonged to me. went ana
armed myself with large pistol which he
left in the store. ,.o.o.,,or
ON Monday morning we started together
for Lvnchburg, and directly after we board,
ed the train went to him and demanded
an exclamation. Before gave hima chance
TO reply | called him damned scoundre
and told him he had been to Mr. Rorer'
and taken advantage Of me, and II he made
the same statement to me that he did tC
them one or the other Of us would have tC
die. He seemed to be very much sur
pri,cd. and denied having said anything a
an told him il that be so | retractet
what / said about him. He insisted tha
he had said nothing against me, but tina
, he was as good friend as / had on eartn
I-non this we settled the matter and wen