The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-25


summoned for the purpose of holding
an inquest.
Sergeant Jones summoned the follow
ing Jury: j. A. Plumby. c. C. Thomas,
j. A. Nichol, Philip Trensmith, II.
Yates, and r. Hopcroft and repaired to
the house of George II. AliG, whore the
young man lay.
The jury were sworn and reviewed
the body. j. ~. Plumby was appointed
foreman, and the jury repaired to the
yard and stationed themselves under
tree, and began hearing the evidence.
The crowd was not demonstrative in the
least, and was not half SO large as was
expected; only about twenty persons
being present.
DIR. j. A. Morgan was called first and
testified that on Thursday about 3
o'clock he was called to see Aliff by his
brother. He found the young man with
bullet hole to the left side and about
three inches above the navel. The ball
had passed through the body, and stop
ped just under the skin in the back and
about three and one-half inches from
the spine on the left side. lie was sure
the wound had caused death He was
thereupon requested to make a post
mortem examination with the assistance
of DR.. Lawrence.
George III. Aliif, the father of the
murdered man, was sworn and after re-
cognizing the body testified that he had
been hauling and came in to dinner a
little after ~ o'clock. Several young
men were in the yard, and Clarence
Calvert and John ninth went into the
latter's house just below They sat
down on the porch and Calvert drew a
bottle from his pocket and both men
took drink Of whiskcy.
At this point Smith ) wife camc TO the
door and told Calvert he was tho cause
OF her husbands drinking, Calvert
cursed her and called her liar, and a the
Same time Smith jumped up and began
TO slap his wife. lie finally kicked her
out of the gate, Smith then called to
him to hitch up his wagon and move his
wife over to her father S rs he din't want
her about him any longer.
Peter Aliif went over to Mr.. Sparks
and pretty soon came back by the stable
where witness was hitching up his horses.
Charlie Holland came up and asked if
Smith and his wife had stopped fussing.
Just then Smith came up and he and
Holland went in his (Alin's) house,
when they began fighting, Peter went
in and ordered them out. Smith cursed
him and called him some hard names, at
the same time striking at him Peter
then struck at him. but did not know
whether he hit him or not. AS witness
and his wife took Smith down to his
(Smith's) house, Smith remarked with
an oath that he would kill Peter Aliff
before the sun went down. This he re-
peated as he started up town accom-
panied by Calvert.
On coming back he inquired for Pete
He said Come down here, am going
to shoot your - life out" Wit
ness told his son to stay in the house
but he finally went out. Just before
he got to him Smith again said he would
shoot and drew a revolver. Peter told
him to put down his pistol and fight him
fair. lie then shot twice, but was pre-
vented from shooting again. Witness
called Norman Arthur to help him take
the revolver from Smith. Smith was
put back in his own yard. said, John,
you have killed my child" He replied
that he hoped he had; he meant to kill
him.
Mrs Parkie Smith, wife of the MUIR
dcrer, was sworn. She did not see tho
shooting but heard the following. Pre-
vious to this the Alins had attacked her
husband.
Norman Arthur's testimony corrobo-
rated that Of Mr.. Aliff, except that he
said 4 negro was with Smith when he
came back and asked Peter out; also
that after he Shot him he said he did not
care, as he expected to be hanged or 90
TO the penitentiary. Witness held the
pistol by the cylinder SO tight that Smith
could not fire it the third time.
Howard Towles, a clerk for Brown,
d * two in,
and bought a pistol. The man who did
the purchasing had considerable money
in his hand. He wanted a Smith <
Wesson, pearl handle. They did not
have that kind, but gave him one with
a rubber handle. lie paid for it and
turned to the other man and said he
would "tiX that overgrown
-" Mr. Towles took the pistol
back and said ne did not sell pistols for
that purpose. He then said he would
go to Nelson & Myers and get one
William E. Meadows testimony cor
roborated what is given above, and also
Mrs. Aliif, the mother OF the murdered
man. Their testimony was all alike,
and conveyed the impression that the
murder was cold-blooded and premedi-
tated
Mrs. Mary Robertson, who lives in
the house with the Smiths, heard him
say he was going to get pistol and
shoot Aliif and that he would die be-
fore night
The jury then adjourned to meet at
Oakley Il Woolwine's at o'clock to
hear the testimony of Drs. Morgan and
Lawrence on the post mortem examina-
ton.
DR.. Morgan produced the bullet which
he had taken from the body Of AliT. He
mas prh or1o