Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-04-20
Tho Dead Certainty Of one Sort Of Law.
SCENE FIRST.

- SCENE FIRST.
On September 11th, In Wytheville, WIN.
NJ Crockett, a well known ''respectable',
rough of Wythe county, of good family
connections. was rolling ten.pins with Jo-
seph III. r. Hurt. farmer. The farmer
won the rough 3 money. After Hurt start
ed home in bis wagon. Crockett mounted
his horse, pursued him, shot him dead, rob-
bed his body and then shot through the
head boy who was ia Hurts wagon, to
prevent his telling. The murderer escaped
to Indiana, where having stolen horse,
he got in jail. and the news of his capture
getting to Wythe, he was sent for and
brought back.
SCENE SECOND.
At WITH county court last tersG c rock
EFT appeared dressed In broadcloth and
wearing kid gloves. He was attended by
liable counsel. The boy he he had shot
and who had recovered was ready in court
to testify. The usual continuance" of
the case was granted the able counsel.
SCENE THIRD.
Before coroLer's inquest on the body
of the murderer at Wytheyille last. Friday,
the following evidence was given
VIM. Jones deposed : 1 was prisoner
10 the county Jail and was in the same cell
with VIM. M. Crockett. Last night
Crockett woke me up and he said, They
are coming to kill me-" hear them at the
door. One said. "Here he ISL A crowd
rushed in and grabbed him, threw him
down, tied him around the neck with the
rope, and tied his hands and feet. He
was asked if he wanted to pray and he
made no answer. One man said, ''You
killed that man in cold blood.'' Some
man asked what he did with the papers
taken from Hurt and how much money be
got. He said he did not know how much
money he got, and then they pulled and
pushed him out Of the cell.
II did not recognize any one."
Walter Adams deposition :: am a
guard at the jail. Crockett and talked at
the door Of his cell last night untikabout
10 minutes after O'Clock About that
time heard some one knock at the front
door. Bill said /: do You hear that? They
are coming for me-" They came in
then, and Mr.. Suit said, "Who
is that2" The answer. "a prisoner. :"
In a few minutes 1 heard the door
open, and some persons-perhaps a
dozen-came in. They said, I'VE want
the keys; we want Bill Crockett" Mr..
Suit said, 81 do not know whether you
can get them or not" Two or three then
came to the door and threatened to break
ILL., LII d low MluubOS CuOy CdLu0 III OuIOW
him down and bound him hand and foot.
One fellow asked if he wanted to pray
Another said. mo d-n it !; don't let such
a man pray" They then tied something
in his mouth and carried him out.
The jury returned the following verdict:
"We the jury find that VIM. M. Crockett
came to his death on the morning of April
18th, 1888, from hanging and gun-shot
wounds at the hands of unkno wn parties
in Disguise"
EPILOGUE.
From the Wytheville Dispatch.]
Last night Wytheville was the scene of
the most shocking and distressing occur
renee known to the State for a number OF
years. William M. Crockett. who muir
dered Jos. H. F. Hurt last fall, was forci
bly, taken from the county Jail by d mask
ed mob and hung from pulley in front OF
Slater & Meyers -four mill. After he
was drawn up from the platform he was
literally riddled with revolver bullets.
The jailOr and guards have been unable
to identity any of the participants and the
| trouble so far is enveloped in mystery.
The thirteenth Of April is marked
day with Prof. VIM. Taylor Thorn of Hol-
Inns Institute. Botetourt Co., Va. On
Ludb udy uo was Jul Ou tuoo Nny LIS
mother died on that day his father died
on that day Prof. T. broke his leg and was
| mutilated for life by amputation, and t.
nally, on that day. last Friday. the 18th
of April, Prof Thom's wife died.
It is stated that Col. John R. Popham
formerly of Virginia. has joined the edi-
torial staff of the New York ''Sun."
A sad evidence on the temptations OF
Washington was seen in the death last
| week, in little room over liquor shoI
there, of Selencus Garfield, who went
there as member of congress, fourteen
years ago He became fascinated with
Washington vices, at last became a pro-
fessional gambler, died as such at the aFsse
of sixty-one.
Philologlsts say that the .'.Eenty, mass
ty. NINETY, mo-, and "Eny. meeny, mopy
mike" which children use for counting Ii
some Of their games, and which are com
monty considered gibberish, are in reality
the sole survival of the language spoken
by the earliest inhabitants Of the British
Isles.