The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-30
WILLIAMS REFUSED BAIL.
TIE BRIDGE DIFFICULTY IN The
POLICE COURT.

MIR. Thomas Nlliiaho' WV 49,
man on the Free bridge, who shot 9onh
Oakley. negro, last Wednesday, LOT max
,,, ON assault upon him on the bridge wheh
no a,tompted TO arrest him, must linger IN
tho CITY iail until his trial comes OIL IN the
Hastings Court. so says Justice Crutcn-
fold of the Police Court, before whom MI
| = Y Meredith. counsel for Williams, mace
an application for bail yesterday morning
And this will stand as the law unless Mr.
Meredith succeeds in getting his cnen'
it'd an a writ of habeas corpus before |
I,dge M. of the Hastings Court, when ne
Iii ,ndeayor TO do this morning al II
o,cIocI and Is confident he VIII succeed ~
doing as 4 is his opinion that IL Is certain.
! bail;lble case
THE EXAMINATION.
Whom the usual docket was completed
| ebortlv before 10 o'clock yesterday morning,
the court adjourned TO await the ARRIVAL ol
Mr. Meredith. who had been detained. Inc
licensed leaned over the ratings IN front Oi
| his men and watched the proceedings VI
| the court with intense interest. Ills coun-
,onance was sad and detected, but pro- |
| trayed an honest heart. lie uiu ho' "PPo"
either excited or uneasy: -, H.
| MIR. Meredith stepped rapidly iht9 lnc
court-roOm at twenty minutes past eleven
| O'Clock and asked that the case De taken w
at once. lie stated that he had no, lau a."
onnortunitv 10 speak with any OF MS VIII |
nesses. but was anxious that the eXainiha-
| ton should be heard.
FIRST WITNESS.
| Tho witnesses for the Commonwealth were
first examined. Richard Parsons, Drlgnt
mulatto, who lives at l2lo east MaTshall'
| was the first TO testify. lie SAID; II was
| Gaming from Manchester on wagon last
Wednesday. and had gotten on the bridge |
when heard a pistol shot about square
distance in front of me on the bridge
| ;umned from the wagon and ran 10 the
uiace when heard another report OF pis-
! toI In front of this man (pointing 10 the
nrisoner1 | saw a cOlOred man standing
. with his face to Richmond ana
| ne seemed TO be staggering ABOUT
| At that time the white man SPOKE W lnc
| colored man. and the latter turned around
ond then the white man shot him. Inc
colored man kept on staggering, ana went
| IN him and carried him over to the lich-
mond side of the bridge. The colored man
had a stick in his hand, but he did not try
| ia strike the white man." On crOss-eAalni-
nation the witness admitted that Oakley
| mad the stick raised in an attitude OF slrlh-
ing Williams.
| OAKLFY's CONDITION.
DIR +. Tencel, the colorei physician VINO
is attending Oakley, was placed upon tue
witness stand lie testified That MS pauenl
was i'm a critical condition and thai ne was
..persuaded" 10 believe that he might dle al
any moment. he said that Oakley had
nistOl Wound on the lower right side OF tne
| abdomen and had palnlul heeh "o"n" III
| the top Of his head.
| Policeman W Wilkinson. who arrested
the accused. testified that he was at the
corner of sixth and Canal streets When ne
| hoard that there had been shooting on the
Free bridge. He started to the place al
once. and found the wounded negro on tne
Richmond end of the bridge. lie went 10
the other side Of the bridge to arrest WIZ
| liams and found him AT mis- house with the
nistol which he had used in the difficulty in
his hand. At this iuncture, Justice Crutch-
| fold stated that the Commonwealth had
| pcnc far enough, and instructed counsel Tor
| the defense 10 proceed with his evidence
TIE DEFENSE.
| The first witness for the defence was Mr.
William d. Kidd. He said: 81 was on
street-car going to Manchester W e1ncsua!
about 70 O'Clock. just before reaching the
south end of the bridge | noticed crowd
had gathered near the end of the bridgerand
soon saw that the Waterman was having
a difficulty with a negro man. Inc negro
| had "A stick in his hand. and was making al
Mr.. Williams, who had STICK IN his rlsht
hand and Il pistol in his left. dld not see
any shooting, but heard report after was
out Of sight.
MIR. {. r. Goode 81 was riding across the
free bridge last Wednesday on lumber
wagon: upon reaching the Manchester side
of the bridge. my attention was attracted
TO the difficulty by hearing the report OF
nistOl. | then saw the negro and Mr.. W IL
| iiams. The negro cursed the latter, calling
MIN some name | did not exactly under
stand. ! heard the Waterman Order the ne
gro to halt. wherein the negro Jerked
niece of timber from lumber wagon pass
| mo and made at Mr.. Williams with the
stick untitled. Then Mr.. Williams 1red
upon him and saw the negro siagger. /
/ then went on and saw no more oil H.
MErTLE DISPLAYED.
The Justice said he could not understand
the witness. and remarked: "Nou did not
saw your lesson right, and ! am going TO
make YOU say it over again
| MIR. Meredith, counsel for the Defence
pretty soon replied: "lf your Honor please
I / RESPECTFULLY ask that you extend the same
! courtesy 10 the witness that you did to the
| cOlOred witness for the commonwealth"
Here Commonwealth's-Att smith
|
siderable mette was displayed by the three,
which ended in friendly laugh.
The witness began TO repeat his state
mcnt and the fun ended.
The next witnesses were Mr.. NJ. A. Camp
bell and Mr.. Andrew Harrison, but no new
facts were brought out. Their testimony
corroborated that of the other witnesses for
the defence.
THE ACCUSED.
Mr.. Meredith then said: "Mr. Williams.
take the stand and tell the whole truth OF
this difficulty. We have nothing to Keep
back"
Mr.. Williams made clear statement,
and while doing so every eye in the court
room was turned upon him. In substance,
he said he was sixty years old and was a
carpenter by trade, but had been employed
as policeman on the Free bridge for about
seven cen months.
Last Wednesday he walked out on the
bridge, as usual, to see if everything was IN
order. and had made his inspection ana re-
turned to the south end OF the bridge and
was leaning on the railing, looking down
at the river, when II negro, who was pass
ing, asked him who was the boss of the
bridge. lie (Williams) thinking the negro
was looking for Il Job, told the negro he was
boss. The negro then said: You are not at
tending to your business, sir, as
buggies are tr0tting across the bridge.
Mr.. Williams said he told the
negro it was none Of his bust
ness The negro replied: 1t is my business,
sir. He (Williams) ordered the negro Of
the bridge. or he would arrest him. The
negro. instead of leaving, attacked him;
that not being physically able to cope with
the negro, he went to his house to get his
club. the negro following him. On reach
Ing his home he got his club, and his wife
or one of his children handed him his pistol
also, and he then told the negro that he was
under arrest The negro took up piece of
bridge timber and struck at him.
lie warded of the blow with his
left hand. in which he held the
pistol, and the weapon exploded, (Mr.
Williams exhibited his left hand, and upon
his third and little finger were abrasions,
which he said were the marks of the Blow;
that after the explosion the negro remarked,
''yOu are trying to shoot me- and struck III
him again. The pistol went of again; the
negro dropped the piece of bridge timber
and took board about two and a half feet
long out Of a wagon which was passing, and