The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-06-20

! OF TIE Zobl VI lt5b OCbObti kbt pSo
pie of our quiet town we're shocked
! at hearing Of the ATTRACTIONS murder
Of Alice Harris, lady Of color, in
our midst. The breathless silence
created by the flying reports Of the
crime ended with the dismissal Of
the coroners jury, when the Two col
ored boys, viz: Lee Roy Perkins and
Will Trimble, who were suspected as
being guilty of the crime, were con
signed TO jail to await a further
| investigation in a higher tribunal
/ Due to causes which it is here of no
interest to relate the trial has been
deferred until the present session of
court. 1t is still in progress, and
this issue will contain only the pres
ent disclosures, without any insinua-
ton as to the probable result. A
digest of the evidence produced by
the State is as follows: Mr.. Thomas
Jollif. sworn. stated that between 10
and IL o'clock, on the night of the
Goth of last October he Glanced to
find the body of an unknown person
between the residences Of Har
vey and Moses Wells He first
thought it drunken person, and
passed on to his home, which was
but a short distance away, and got
his lantern. and on returning found
the body to be that of woman
holding pocket book in her hand,
a basket by her side, and blood on
her head From this he thought she
was dead, and Immediately called
Mr.. Wells, who, on coming, said it
was Alice Harris, and n closer exam
ination proved that she was dead.
They Immediately took the body to
Matthew Harris and summoned Il
coroner's jury. Following this evi-
dence was the testimony of several
physicians. who were on the coro-
ner's jury, and whose evidence re
suited in establishing the fact that
Mrs. Harris death was caused by II
pistol shot. VIM. Devault, sworn. |
worked for J. X. Durr in the fall of
1884; had II conversation with Lee
Roy Perkins on the evening of the
Goth of October, of the same year;
he had a pistol and told me he in
tended to do as he pleased with
Alice Harris or he'd shoot hell out
of her; he had q black handled re
volver, which he offered to sell to me-
Harvey Wells, sworn. | live on the
river bank, close to the Colored
church; Anderson and Jolitf walked
me on the night of October goth,
1884; | saw the body of Alice Har
ris; the night was dark, but they
had II lantern; her sack seemed to be
torn; there was no disarrangement of
the clothing; heard the University
clock strike IL some time after.
James Anderson, sworn. | heard
pistol shots between 10 and IL
, o'clock p. NJ. October Goth, 1884.
This evidence conceded with Jol-
lifts, but on his way back to the
, scene of the murder he found a
pistol. Fannie Harris, sworn.
am the wife of Matthew Harris;
knew Alice Harris; she was making
her home at our house last October;
she was at our house on the day of
her murder, at 3 o'clock P. NJ, and
again at twilight, with Laura Dor
scy and Stella; | saw Perkins at
dark; he was at his aunt's room and
stayed about Is minutes; got his
overcoat and went out; did not see
him any more that night; they (the
> girls and Perkins) came back after
this, but | was in bed; did not
see Alice any more until she was
7 brought to the house dead: she wore
4 close fitting sack; | don't think
!, there was break in it; | noticed it
!. was torn; this was after she was
a buried. Lydia Watkins, sworn. |
e live in the house with Matthew Har
ris: knew Alice Harris and Perkins
{ saw Alice on the day and night OF
a her murder, my brothers daughter
:. Stella, Laura Dorsey and Perkins
e / came from Pennsylvania that even
e ing and stayed for supper; Perkins
t went to the hotel with the buggy
and the girls went to Jim Aliens be
D fore Perkins came back; Perkins
h stayed awhile and went to church
: between 9 and 10 o'clock, he, Alice
e Laura Dorsey and Will Trmble came
:. back; Alice, Perkins and Trimblt
n went away together, did not SCI
Perkins with pistol; the University
q clock struck 10 while after they
. left; after II o'clock Mr.. Smith cam,
:, and said Alice was dead. Jane.
Allen, sworn. l heard pistol sho
y about 1890 o'clock; had looked a
: the time but q little while before
James Shanks, sworn. / live OF
Bumbo lane, about 100 yards from
~ the scene of the murder; heard
&c pistol shot soon after 10 o'clock; wa
= at home; soon after the report of tn
70 pistol two men came up the alley il
= an unusual manner; am sure the,
&c were men of color Thomas Lump
-" kins sworn. / left Wallace's befor
10 O'Clock, and met Perkins an,
e, Trimble, near Scott Reeds tin shop
q they were going up Walnut street
v Will Edwards, sworn. Perkins ha,
s. revolver; looked like 32-calibre
u long. Lucy Barthelow sworn. Sa,
g Perkins with a pistol; said he woul
al use it if any one bothered him
% There was other minor testimony
1T which was to the effect that pistc
shot was heard in the vicinity of tn
a scene of the murder, about 1913
lie o'clock, but the main evidence ha
is been stated above.
T. The evidence on the part of tn
ne defense was limited. The first impor
" ant witness was l.. j. Holland, VIII
he was introduced to rebut some Of TIL
as statements of Mr. Devault, VIII
IN stated on cross examination that h
to did not tell Holland that he kne
nothing about the case; Mr. Hollan
rg stated that he did tell him that /
"a, knew nothing about the case. J. I
of Durr, sworn. l shut up my offit
to about 8 O'Clock; shut it up Garlic
in than common as my wife was sicl
d. saw Trimble on the stairway; it mu
.ct have been before 10 o'clock; he ha
ad a pitcher or something in his han'
is VIM. Morehead. sworn. Was at tt
,s- Commercial hotel; left few mil