The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-22
ROCKY MOUNT BURNING.
TWO OF THE lNCENDlARlES TO
BE HUNG TO-DAY.

| TWO OF The INCENDlARIES 10
BE HUNG TO-DAY.
Two Others Ecspited Until September
10Th a Crime of the Deepest and
Blacklist Dye-run History of the Deed
Rocky MOUNT, VA, Aug. IL. Special.
Two negroes. George Early and Bird Woods
are to hang tomorrow at this place for in
cendiarism. A third negro, William Brown,
is to hang september 18th, to which day
Mamie Woods. a negro woman, has been
respitcd.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Rocky Mount is picturesque and ram
bling little village i'm Piedmont Virginia not
more than forty miles from the North Caro-
! lima line. Prior 10 last October lis nhabt-
! tants had led an uneventiul, If somewhat
sleepy and prOsy life, but about that time "a
| terrible catastrophe befell them. catas-
| trophe which shows that crimes Of the
hlackest and deepest dye are not confined
/ 20 the great centres Of population when the
| past grand masters Of Nillaiuy assemble ana
ad, ise together.
sCENE OF HORROR.
! 4 raging. deyourlng sheet OF nre which
| threatened to cnyclop in ifs blazing en-
brace every house IN Town; panic
stricken women and children fleeing in
scanty apparel from their homes and
barely escaping the clutches of greedy
spurts and Jets of flames. which famed
by western wind licked up everything
inilammablc with lnc0nccNable rapid
ity: frightened men vaiuly trying with in-
sufficient means 10 stay the progress of the
dread monster; negroes standing about mn
either apathctic iudiileronce,o ,or iil-conccalcd
clcc at the calamity which had 50 suddenly
and uncN Npcctedly 0ycrta6cn the white pep-
pie. These were some of the events OF the
dreadful scene
\ RETROSPECT.
The destruction which overlook tine VIII
lagc of Rocky Mount was caused hv am in-
ccndiary fire, started by negroes, who were
perhaps excited hy liquor and were GER
tanly enragcd by recent events I'm the
pending Mckinney Mahono campaign.
Malone. i'm the progress this campaign,
reached Rocky Mount in september last
The indignation aroused among the negro
followers of MahOne by the refusal of theuse
of the warehouse for their meeting, was i'm
tensldcd by the spectacle Of Massey and
Marshall addressing large ana
enthusiastic meeting on October court
day i'm the same building. Ihat
evening Henry smith. sort OF local pOliti-
cal leader among the Republicans. was ar
rested om the charge of fighting and fined.
He was heard 90 say in Jail thu night that
the town would Dee ON urc before o'clock.
George Early was heard to say that he
would have Henry smith ont of Jail before
morning or burn the town. Other threats
were made that evening, out no one ~us-
/ pected that dreadful catastrophe which
| was tO bring ruin 90 30 many happy homes
was at hand.
THREATS FULFILLED.
That night about r. o'clock. tho alarm %
| fire was given. At that time the lire was
confined 10 the northwest corner of lht
warehouse, from which IL soon spread io lhc
adjacent buildings.
DETECTIVES SET 80 WORN.
The Council ftook immediate action
/ looking 90 the detection Of the guilty parties.
! 4 committee was appointed with plcnaiA
/ powers 10 contract with and employ dcttc-
/ tiNcs.
Detectives white and one cOlorcd-
were secured from Richmond. The colorcd
detective. in the suiee of "a politician. made
rapid headway i'm tine confidence of those
| negroes suspected and Nh '-e towards whom
suspicion had not secn directed at first.
GEORGE EARLY C,NIIpE-.
After two weeks the colo.cd detective was
so highly regarded hy George Early thai
i'm "A moment of confidence. when his tou.l'
was l0osencd by liquor. that the latter con-
hded To him that he was present when the
oil was poured on the warehouse and the
match applied.
The affair was now ready for the auihori-
ties. and George Early, Morgan Dickinson.
| Henry smith, William Brown. ana olhei-
were quietly arrested
In "A few days George Early quietly con-
fessed that William Brown aud Bird Woods
were with him when the warehouse was
| fired.
Woods was Immediately arrested. and
the three were taken 10 LynchDurg as a
precauti0n against violence, as the people
were much enragcd and threats OF lynch
/ ing had been freely made.
TIE TRIAL OPEN.
judge Peters had grand jury sum-
moued for November court. ANA they en-
/ ter.d upon patient and lahorious enquiry
! into tie circumstances connected Win lh'
/ crime As q result Of their investigation
the Grand jury indicted Bird Woods, Nan
ME Woods. VIM. Brown. Morgan Dlckin-
/ son. and George Early, for arson, ara lienfy
/ smith a. an accessory before the fact The
woman. Mamie Woods. was proved TO 0havc
been present and held ber dress so as "a
| keep the latch from being blown out by the
wind.
The prisoners were tried at the December
,arm of the County Court. and George
Fairly. William Brown, Bird and Mamie
Woods. ,ound guilty and sentenced to be
hanged. IN rest Of the prisoners were dis
charged from cqsiody.
The prisoners s,cre ably defended 10y
connsei and prosecuted "ith great ability
hv Z. N. Dillard, ESD, monWealth
ait.rney. Application was made 10 the
Comfy lOurf for "a new trial. ana refused.
similar app.icatiOn was made to the CIR
cult Court and refused
Az APPEAL TAKEN.
The record of the case was chen sent to.
tho Cont of Appeals. ON an application for
"A new trial. hut the Judgment of the lower
court was affirmed in all the cases except
/ that of William Brown. whose quit was as
/ cOncusiNely proven us ga ciihef ol lhc
other cases. but the Court rulNd thal he was
entitled 90 new trial on technical point
At the July term Of the County Court,
fbo two men, GeOrge Early and Bird Woods.
a,,d n,e woman Nanuic Woods were sem
tenceG 10 L., hanged August 23t. Mamie
Wood. shows .tr0necr nerve than any ol
fine pris0ners. SIC rleWcd the scaiiold "a
short time since VIII perfect composlfe,
spd al that time she expected i0 Doe hanged
today. but the Governor has ih'u-Et pro-
per TO respite her to september 49, IN'',
browns trial ia. had at the july term "i
the County Court uj lur! suil,iiohou
from an adjoining county. NeIdirt "l
"nilt, ly'ii W Was quickly found. and Blown sen
fenced 10 be hnng september l9th, the DAY
ON which Mamie Woods is TO be- executed
unless again reprieyed by The Governor,
which is not al all likely.
NORFOLK.
How, nowden Captured iIis Commit ee-