The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-04

victim OF unfortunate circumstances,
ana all want now is for the good peo-
pie of both colorS To wait for the fu.ther
hearing OF tho caso before they form an
opinion of my guilt.
II am innqcent, and ] wan. to feel
can hold MY head up And look
every man in Roanoke in the face with
! out feeling that they think me gully
OF foul crime"
WILLIAMSON TALKS.
Williamson was next visited by the
reporter. lie was found at his place OF
business on Nelson street, and by his
SIDE was seated his faced wife
| and their child. His wife could not re-
press her smiles, and she displayed two
rows OF whitc teeth which would DO tho
| envy OF Il Caucasian belle.
Williamson was subdued and grave
lie greeted the reporter courteously and
thanked him for the fairness with which
LIE TIMES has handled its reports o.
the case. His wife, however, dubbed
! over with pleasure, and &c ted rs though
the battio had becL fought and won.
She thanked the reporter time ana
again, personally, and wished him all
manner of good luck. With calm dig
nifty Williamson said:
There is nothing can think of to
been done for mo by my friends and my
lawyer. do notwant to TO judged yet; we
were arrested on very slight suspicion,
hut do not complain. am very happy
To be out, and, knowing how Innocent /
an, feel Suro that ter y while every
body will know it.
why, sir, in MY dealing with Mr.
Massie 1 found him to be such u nice
old gentleman. SO honorable and
straightforward, that l felt great
liking for him. Nobody could be more
sorry than at his sad end.
II do hope the guilty purity will be
caught. don't say this with any
feeling OF vengeance against those who
have caused mo this sore trouble, but
because | want To see Justice done and
because Go not want any cloud hang
ing over me. The TIMES has done much
for Kedd ami myself, and thank you
and il for what they dave done.
II do want You 10 correct something
tlfEt was published about me, though.
1t was SAID one day that | had been
sent TO jail here for defrauding man
out Of some money. That was wrong.
did have u difficulty about wQncv mat
tiers, and there was q suit ana i paid
s99 III check to pay back some money
did not think 1 owed.
IL have been arrested before, once fer
stealing tobacco. was proved to be ell
tirely innocent OF that, and was dis
missed by thc magistrate. Another
timc had = slight difficulty with
man and struck him for it.
"All ask is, i'll Gods name, that the
people will not think mo concerned III
The attack on Mir. Alassio until the
whole thing has been investigated.
VERDICT oIr TJIL. (nyn%.tfs rI-py
Tho coronors jury wound up their
labors last night, and rendered their
verdict. they met, pursuant TO adj
iournment, at . D. III. and devoted abOus
thrcc-q quarters OF IN hour to tho con-
sideration OF the evidence, which had
been reduced to manuscript by the
stenographcr. But little difficulty was
experienced in reaching verdict,
which WAS rs follows:
THAT upon the I'D day of December,
1880, at about o'clock, p. m. the said
Thomas g. Massio was violently as
saulted by person or persons to the
jurors unknown, for the purpose Of rob
berry, on the south side OF Campbell
street, in the city of Roanoke, Va, i'm
mediatcly in front OF tho residence of
j. Nj. Gainbill, Esq, and about $50 feet
west from Grove street; that he, the
said Thomas &. Massic, was thcu and
there, by such person or persons, struck
two blows upon the head with some i'll
strumcnt to The jury unknown, and that
at Z Oc,Cck, y. H., on the 26th day OF
December, 1880, the said Thomas g.
Massie died, and that his death WAS
caused by inflammation Of tho mem
lranes and substance of the brain,
superinduccd by the said blows; that
after diligent inquiry the jurors afore-
said DO say: That they havo failed TO
discover tGat there was any grounds for
malice as against tho said Thomas G..
Maseic; and thai they know No one hay
ing malice against him, he being a
peaceahlc, inolfensivc and respected
citizen"
A;,cy this verdict had been signed by
each OF the jurors as bis ii:ding il the
| case. Coroner Gray, after comp imenting
his jury for the zeal, patience, and
intelii gVncc with which they had prose
cutcd their inquiries. dismissed them
with Is personal thanks.
Ills action had been discounted by
the public for several days, after read
ing the full and comprrhonsi accounts
OF The testimony wh!ca have appeared
in the newspapers.
TIE EuHDGR SHOE.
The finding OF 4 No. 6 rubber over
shoe il the near proximity OF the scene
Of the murder has been tho source Of
much conf cturc sine, publication OF
the fact was mad6, and many thought
that The first definite clcw bad been OBJ
taiNed TO tho prrpatrato tors OF the vile
| outrage. Diligenb inquiry was made in
al directions to discover the mate to
| the rubber N tho hands OF the policr,
| and Friday ii sht the mystery was
| solved by q reporter for the Herald, who