The western sentinel., 1891-06-25
DOUBLE MURDER
TWO PEOPLE KILLED NEAR BE
LOS POND SATURDAY NIGHT.

TWO PEOPLE KILLED NEAR Be
LOS POND SATURDAY NIGHT.
A White Man Named John Smith
and q COlored Woman Named Mary
Goins-A Coroner's Inquest Held
Sunday Morning and Trial in
the Afternoon.
Considerable excitement prevailed
Sunday over two murders that
were committed near Belo's pond
about L. O'Clock Saturday night.
One of them white man, John
Smith, and the other Il negro woman,
Mary Coins.
Various rumors were current all the
morning relative to who was ac-
countable for the horrible affair, but
! no authentic particulars could be
learned until the trial before coro-
ner's jury Sunday afternoon.
Early Sunday morning Coroner
Fogle summoned said jury and went
to the scene of the killing which
was at the residence of Henry Coins.
They went through an examination
fafter which the coroner called for
the trial at the court house Sun
day afternoon.
A the appointed hour, 2 O'Clock,
the court house door was opened,
and in few minutes the room was
packed with both white and colored
who were anxious to learn all the
particulars that were given out. The
jury which sat upon the case, was
composed Of the following gentle
men: H. l.. higgins, F. A. Bobbitt.
Boon Rose, J. H. Pierce, Jonas
Fishel and D. F. Kinney.
HENRY COINS ON STAND.
The first witness called on the
stand was Henry Coins, husband of
the murdered woman. The follow
ing is brief outline of his testimo-
ny: "My wife was late getting sup
per Saturday night. She was wait
| ing for her son to come from town,
and besides she was broke down
from hard days work. 1t was past
eleven o'clock think when we eat.
After supper I spread some quilts
down on the floor where the children
lay, and then laid down myself.
There was some excitement in the
| neighborhoo1 and nearly everybody
was up. Lights were burning at
their houses. Somebody came to
| my door in a few minutes and
knocked. My wife asked who was
there? The reply was Wilburn
Walker. He asked to come in say
| ing that there were some strangers
| after him trying to kill him. My
| wife got up and went to the door
| where the men were standing ours
ing. Walker came in and as he did
so small man with light suit and
hat on pressed open the door and
came in also. I didn't know the
man or his name. My wife told the
| man to go out as she didn't want
| any fuss. in there. A big man
(Smith) came in in front of him. AS
the small man came in he COM
| menced shooting. Whsn the first
shot was fred l heard my wife hol
low, oh I looked and saw she was
trembling. knew then she was shot
At this time Wilburn Walker (pris-
| oner) commen :ed shooting too as
fast as he could pull the trigger.
Never heard the big man say a
harmful word.
"The little man ran out one of the
doors. By this time my wife fell to
tie floor. Walker also went out the
door. went to my wife and held
her up until she died. could not
| get to her before, as Walker was
shooting all the time. l then
went out in the yard and hol-
| lowed murder. In a few minutes
| several neIghbors came together
| with policeman. / told them there
| was man in the other room. They
went in there and found him lying
across the bed on his face dead"
| OTHER WITNESSES.
The following other witnesses were
sworn but their evidence was not
worth much in the way of convict
| ing anybody: Fletcher Clark, AL
| ice Coins, Peter Fields, Miles Floyd
B.. Duggins, VIM. Galloway, Sau
Bullard, ]. M. Floyd, John Fine, 7
B. Peasants and Policeman Thomp
son. None of the witnesses knew
the little man with the straw hat on
Several swore that when they frs
heard the racket they thought thai
''kid nappers" were after somebody
| The PR1SON IESIlMONl.
Wilburn Walker, the prisoner who
was charged with being implicated il
the crime, said he wanted to be sworn
His evidence was as follows:
Mr.. Smith and myself came by lie,
Wilson's between 10 and IL O'Clock
| There was big crowd sitting on the
| porch there. Girls asked us to come
in. l said to Smith to go on. Smitl
said let's go in. Pretty quick they
all got up and went In house ant
shut the door on US. This mad,
Smith mad and he used some bad
words. l got him off then and ht
started home with me. When we go
up on the hill three or four men cam,
out of the house and followed at u
to hold up. 1 told Smith to come OF
and not have any fuss. The men
| (every one of whom were stranger
to me) pushed on US so tight that
said to Smith for us to go in at Go
ins and stay there until tho mel
went away. / knocked at door bu
before we could get in the man will
a straw hat came up and said tt
Smith Wasn't you the man that W d
over yonder at that house few min
utes ago Smith said he reckone,
not. The stranger said yes you are
I've watched you all the way and T.
going to shoot you. The little maj
had his pistol pointing at Smith
breast all the time. He said to m
that if / went in the house he woul
shoot my brains out. AS 1 went i
he did shoot and followed in hous
l e. 4 L