The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-11-01
MURDER,
And Instantly Killed by a Muir.
derOus Pistol i'm the Hands
of N Mere BOY.

A murder is something rare in
Morgantown. In all its history it
has been shocked but a very few
times with these bloody and horrid
deeds. But at last a murder is in
our midst and the general quiet of
the town is broken The victim was
Alice Harris, woman of mixed
blood, aged somewhere between rs
and 80 years. She had been married
several years ago but her husband
deserted her, served a term in the
penitentiary for some criminal act
and is now barber in Grafton.
The murder occurred last Sunday
night between $50 and 10 O'Clock in
the middle of the street or road near
the river, in the part of the town
largely inhabited by colored people.
Circumstances point strongly toward
VIM. Trimble and LEROY Perkins,
both colored, the former of this place
and the later of Smithfeld, Pennsyl-
vania, but until recently waiter at
the Commercial Hotel in this town.
Trimble was also servant at the
same hotel. They were found in
Trimble's room at the hotel, about
midnight, and taken at once before
Squire Hayes. Meanwhile the body
had been found and carried to the
residence'of Matt, Harris near by.
A coroner's jury twas empannelled.
consisting of Messrs. E. c. Allender,
+. A. Hennen, Henry Baker, F. w.
Thompson, LEROY Crow, Jos. Watts,
John H. Smith, Chas. Chalfant, VIM.
Fl. Brieker, N. N. Hoffman, /. S. Reed
and John w. MADEIRA, and the fol-
lowing evidence was heard that night:
EVIDENCE BEFORE THE coRoNERs JURY.
Thos d. Jolliffe-I was coming up
the river road below town on Sun
day night between 1920 and ii
O'Clock in company with VIM. H.
Anderson. Near where Harvey
Wells lives we found something ly-
ing in the middle of the road. Upon
examination it proved to be woman.
We went to my boarding house, got
a light, came back and found it to
be a dead colored woman We
aroused Harvey Wells and reported
the circumstance to Squire Hayes.
Anderson's testimony was similar
to Jolliffe's.
Laura Dorsey-Alice Harris and
myself were at VIM. Watkins house
between 9 and 10 o'clock p. M. Alice
left the house in company with Lee
Perkins and Will Trimble. She was
going to Howard Sturgiss' where she
had been working for some time. /
think Perkins and Trimble had been
drinking but they denied it.
Ida Watkins-Alice Harris left
my house few minutes before 10
o'clock P. NJ. in company with Per
kins and Trimble.
LEROY Perkins, left Alice Har-
ris near Lizzie Trimble's (at the foot
Of Bumbo Lane) about 10 or 1890 |
o'clock that night. She said she was
going to stay all night at Watkins.
| went to Durr's Hotel and soon after
went to bed
William ble-The last time l |
saw Alice Harris she was at Watkins |
house, out in the yard. / did not
see Perkins after / left Watkins |
house until he caught up with ME
On Front street between the corner |
IF Bumbo Lane and where l. S. Reed |
ives. Perkins and Alice were to-
yether at Watkins house when l |
came away between 10 and IL o'clock
n the night.
Susie Jenkins-Saw Perkins at
he colored church Sunday night.
He left before church was out.
Lizzie Trimble-Saw Perkins at
;hurch Sunday night He left early.
Heard a pistol shot during the
light.
Perkins and Trimble were lodged
n Jail and the jury dismissed until
lfter an autopsy could be held. Mon
lay morning at 8 o'clock Drs. Nc
lane, Mackey and Fitch held a post
nortem examination and made the"
report before the jury:
REPORT OF THE AUTOPSY.
Autopsy on body of Alice Harris,
Iced, made this 9th day of October
1874, at 8 o'clock A. Nj.
The corpse appears to be that of
'erson of mixed blood, and is now
ying at the home Of Matt Harris,
olored, having been found 100 yards
rom this place and lying upon the
ack, in the road.
There is small wound, apparently
lade by bullet. above left ear-said
'ound through temporal bone at
ONT about one inch above the left
al. On Introducing blunt pointed
robe we find it passed easily in
transverse direction four and one
ighth inches.
The general development of this
adaver is good and rigor mortis fully
eveloped.
On removing scalp we find a pretty
lrge extravasation of blood in coagu-
ted state, lying over the region of {
le wound. {
On reaching the brain we find |
4rge quantity of liquid blood accum-
lated and ready to pour forth on =
oportunity being afforded it.
The ball passed obliquely across
lie brain and emerged in the poste- =
or superior region of the anterior
be in right hemisphere. A piece of :
ad of irregular and ragged form :
as found within the external wound q
I'd it appeared to bave been pushed I.