The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-01-13
William WEIGH, Of Port By
ron, Arrested by Sheriff
Reticker last Friday
and now in Jail.
He is Suspected of being a
Participant in the Murder.
What his Father-in law Rela-
ted to a Reporter about
the Case.
A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.
THE CRIME.

A MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR
THE CRIME.
| Late on Tuesday night, March 16, 1880,
Sheriff Perkins, Of this county, received
the startling news from Rapids City, a
small town fifteen miles from this city,
that murder had been committed there,
and request that he come as soon as
possible and get two prisoners who were
being held for the crime The sheriff at
once began preparations to go to the
scene of the murder. W G. Morris, who
was then coroner of the county, being
absent from his home in Moline, Justice
Hayden was secured to go along to hold
the inquest. E. z. Parmenter. then
states attorney, also went to Rapids City
with the sheriff. When the trio of off,
Gals arrived in the little burg they found
it in turmoil. The murder was the main
topic of conversation, and the probable
reason for the crime was being discussed.
Previous TO this murder there had been
considerable trouble in Rapids City and
the mining district surrounding the town
because of a strike for higher wages in
which the miners had INDUCED The
demanded raise in wages was refused by
the mine owners, and as the miners con-
tinued obstinate and would not work.
number of negroes were imported from
the south and set to work. This added
! fresh food to the flames, aHd for while q
| first class riot was threatened But at the
time Of the murder in question, matters
had almost assumed their former tran
guilty. The officers found that the mur>
dered man had been a colored miner
named Anthony Evans. An inquest was
held, and Leslie Baker and James Berry,
two white men, who had been arrested
and accused of the crime, were brought
to the county Jail by the Sheriff. They
were safely lodged in the county jail on
the afternoon of the day following the
murder. During their confinement they
frequently protested their innocence of
the crime laid at their door. They as
serted that they had no malice toward the
murdered man, and therefore no motive
for killing him.
THE TRIAL.
The May, 1890, grand jury returned a
true bill against Baker and Berry, indict>
ing them for murder in the first degree,
and in due time their case came up for
trial in the circLit court, both men plead
ing not guilty.
States Attorney Parmentsr appeared for
the prosecution and Major J. NJ Boards
| Icy for the defense. After considerable
trouble a jury was secured composed
Of Henry Schlotfeld, Of Moline; W ].
Wallace, of Black Hawk; Marion John
son, OF Buffalo Prairie; G. W. Brink, of
Cordova, Of the regular panel, and c. Tit,
terington, Perry Seymour and F. Buckle,
of Edgington; Willis Miller of Buffalo
Prairie; Samuel c. Wakely and W. B
Richards, Of Andalusia Frank McMichael
and Samuel Heath, of Bowling, talesmen.
The trial began on the Goth day of May.
The first witness called was James Small,
colored, miner, and an associate OF the
murdered man. He testified that at
about p. m, on the night Of March
18th, Anthony Evans was visiting him AT
his home near the railroad track in Rap
ids City Evans left the house and went
to the front gate and shortly afterward
witness heard shot. A minute after,
ward Evans returned to the house and as
he entered the door he cried: "Get your
pistol and shoot that man" Witness
asked: What mani" Evans tried to
speak, gfoaned and fell into the house
dead Witness called Capt Wylie.
another coIored man who lived next door
As be did so be saw two men who resem-
bled the prisoners standing in the front
yard of Wylie's place. He could not pos
itively identify Baker and Berry as being
the two men he saw, but was sure their
general appearance was the same.
Capt" Henry Wylie was the next wits
ness sworn. He was bury coon" and
had secured the sobriquet Of
Capt" because he was . sort of
leader among his fellows. This witness
Iswore positively that he saw Baker aud
Berry in his yard when he came out in
response to Small's cutlery. He was pos
tive that the prisoners before the bar
were the identical men. When he came
out they went toward the railroad after
which several shots were fired from the
direction they had taken. He further tes-
titled that later in the night he and Small
both saw Baker and Berry pass his house
again. Major Beardsley put Wylie
through severe cross examination and
had him considerably "rettled" when
court adjourned for the day. At the re
assembling of court on the next day the
cross examination of Wylie was resumed
but nothing of Importance was gained
with the exception of "rattling" him
worse than on the previous day.
DR.. VIM. Fl. Lyford, of Port Byron,
was called next. He testified as to the
nature of the wound, saying that it was
in the region of the heart
| James Dotson, colored, and a coal