The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-11-19
CHAS. WATKINS FATAL LETTER.
Tells cousin Ben" ofHfs Crime
and Troubles.
he Expected TO Gross the AtIxncfc, But
ffis Letter Trapped Him-The Prison err
Eceply Affected and the CouDsel for
Defense OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES In
terest in Tho Tri.sl-The Proses-,ticrA
Not Yet Though.
ROANOKE TINES BUREAU,
LII ARD IL YERsINtRR BI.pG.,
S.suEM, VA :. Nov. Is

S+shEM, VA, Nov. Is.
The thi'd day of the Watkins murder
'rlal commenced as usual promptly at 10y,
o'clock, Ju7ge Griffin setting the ex-.
ample by being in las seat several min
Sses before She hour. The court room
Was throngcd and many people re-
lrssheo their memories regarding Tues
days proceedings by reading the, full
report in The ROANOKE TIMES.
THE q7RsT wIxSrss
was Asa Jackson, whose evidence. was
that' between daylight and sun-um of
the morning tie body was found he
was returning to his home on the noun
tain rom Mr. Baxter Eegan's, whore
his wife was coc2sing, and saw tall
man (whom he took to be Charles WIT
klnsl' with an overooat ony standincs,t
the branch near Captain EEbrners with
woman. Didn't rssice them particu..
iarly. Had known Charles for MANY
years.
"11nsTFSEs" MAN ON TIN, STAND.
Mr. Drank LovelociS reporter of The.
ROANOKE Tines, was then sworn, and
when he had taken his seat COUNSEL
for the defcnso objected to his testi--
Tying, al his namo was not among the
original list of witnesses. AMI he had
been present in court from the COM
mencemcnt OF the trial. The common
woalth's attorney informed the court
tnat on Thursday morning he had men
toned tho name of tho witness to Mr..
Pugh, and he had seemingly agreed to
allow him to report the proceedings,
and to testify. After some furthcr dis
cussion tho objection was overraled and
the witness proceeded to describe cir
cumstances connected wi n the coro-
ner's inquest, identifying tho clothing
lproduoed' In oourt) on tho bodsc when
found. lilo wos. then told. to leave the
court room for the present.
Then Policeman Walter Boone told,
how he obtained possession of the
trunks of the dead woman in Roanoke
and brought them to Salem, and.
opened them in the Council chamber.
Identified the trunk in court, also some
CARDS anu letters taken from tho trunk
and the marriage certificate.
Hero the defence objected to 5Ae GER
tifieato being used as evidence, and the
jury retiring. thu commemorative at
torney read 1t out, after which Mr.
PuSh in somewhat lengthy speech
pointed out that she marriage oe,titicate
| reads Charles Menry Watkins to.Sue j.
Wilson, whereas the indictments reads
Charles Watkins, Aaking mistake pos
sible.
The objection Of tho defense was sus-
tanned, Tho jury brought back, also.
Nlr Lovelock, who continued By stating
that he was ono of the ooroner's iury.
Tho dead woman's gold watch being
exhibited, he identified it and told
where and how it was found. Described
the contents of tho two trunks which he
and Policeman Boone had Searched:
recognized d number of letters, found in
the trunks and which had boon turned
over ut that TIME to the late common
wealth's attorney, Mr.. L.. G. Hans
brough. Also maie an allusion to the
receipts for jewelry and insurance
found
Mr.. T. J. Wilson followed and re-
membered having seen Charles Wat
klns and . OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES woman
with straw hat and plush cloak get on
tho dummy last 9th Of April near Cap
tain Moorrnan's, and come 70 Salem.
The court then took recess for dinner,
and reassembled at o'clock. The
first stop Of the commemorative at
torney in tho afternoon was to offer in
evidence
TIE GOLD WATCH
found on tho dead body of tho woman,
to which defense objected on the grounds
that it had not been proven to have be-
loDged to tho woman. Tho court con-
sidered that the identification of the
watch was sufficient, and the objection
was not sustained.
Mat Bailey, an elderly mulatto, who
| lived with John Banks in the neighbor-
hood of tho Taylor Watkins house, told
about hearing pistol shots between ten
and eleven The night before the BODY
was found. by his earnestness and
straightforward manner, no was able
several times to get the better of tho
counsel for tho defense, who tried hard
to get the old fellow mixed, but failed.
When tho name of Ben Wright was
called
MURMUR OF EXPECTATION
ran through tho court, for it was
rumored that he was the chief witness
for tho prosecution Ben is tall brown
skinned negro, we'll spoken and quito
| Intelligent. lie stated that he was q
blacksmith by trade, had known Charles
for sixteen years, was before the grand
jury and had seen the dead body of the
woman. The woman staid at his house
on the night of Saturday, the 4th of
April, 1901, and on Sunday morning
Ben, his oldest daughter and tho woman
Susan Watkins went on the dummy to
Roanoke to SEQ Charles. They first
went to Mrs. Shepherds, but finding
Charles had moved went to Sixth ave-
nne and found him at George Washing
| toms.
Sail Bon. Charles metsme at tho
door ami spoke A. though glad to SEQ
me; my daughter and Susan came