The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-26

ASeScu lrOul CtlSIOuy at inc instance OF
her counsel, Col. Hansbrough, and that
sherrhad started for Roanoke on the 4:45
dummy.
Edith was soon located by q TIMES
representative at the house of an old
colored lady, Mrs. Sheppard, who lives
just in tho rear of the High-street Col
ored Baptist Church.
About IL o'clock she started out in
company with Mrs. Sheppard to The de-
pot She was dressed in plain black
dress, cloth cloak and dark hat with a
black lace veil just covering her mouth.
She wasaaccosted by the reporter on
her way to the station and asked IL she
was not Edith Freibel. W .
81 am, lshe replied, and stated fur
ther in answer to questions propounded
that she was going home. She had
been unjustly locked up in jail for two
W, weeks and was allowed to see no one.
The newspapers had published moro
about her than was really true. She
knew nothing about Watkins inten-
ton to kill his wife.
when did you last see Watkins?"
II saw him last on Tuesday night
about o'clock. He was to leave tina q
night at l1:45."
Edith said she met Watkins in Mil
waukee. He was a nice looking fellow,
and she did not think it any harm to
live with him, as in that part of the
country white and colored married quite
often. After she came South she found
out that matters were different. a
colorcd man was not quito SO we'll
thought of as i'll Wisconsin.
She said she had been released from
jail for a purpose. She had made no
particular effort To get out, and for this
reason she was sure the authorities had
released her thinking she would lead a
detective to Watkins But she was too
sharp for that. They would never find
Watkins by watching her. She had
S25 left after paying her lawyers fee
and intended to go home to her paren Us.
She did not believe he had killed his
wife, however, as he was in Roanoke at
the time the woman was thought to be
murdered.
Edith went to the depot, but the
ticket Office was closed She said to
Mrs. Sheppard, Lets walk over there
now. Maybe we can see him before the
train comes.''
The two women then walked out
Jefferson street as far as Salem avenue.
Here they stopped and consulted for
awhile, crossed to the opposite side OF
the street and returned to the depot.
AS soon as the ticket office was open,
there was great rush, and it was some
time before Edith could purchase her
ticket She seemed wonderfully aggra-
waited and ran from one window to tho
other, always followed by the old
woman.
The Norfolk and Western train pulled
out and still Edith had no ticket She
was almost frantic and openly charged
the CtlicialS with wanton negligence.
She finally got to one Of the windows,
and asked for ticket to Chicago. She
was told that no tickets could be sold to
that point. She then bought ticket to
Harrisburg, saying she could purchase
ono from there to Chicago. She got her
trunk checked just in time to get on tho
train. 1t pulled out from the station
and Edith waved parting farewell to
the old woman, who then retired t. her
howell on the hill.
Watkins has not been heard Of since
he left Roanoke, but is supposed to be
somewhere in the northwest The fol-
lowing is a description of Watkins.
Nearly six feet tall, weighs about ITO
pounds. light mulatto. medium black
moustache, heavy burnside whiskers,
straight black hair, slightly bald, fairly
broad across the shoulders, walks
straight and upright, and wears num-
Der 2 or shoe. He generally dresses in
black sack coat and sometimes light
pants, wears stand-up collar and full
silk hat.
Edith does not look any worse for con-
finemcnt in the Salem Jail, although
she is considerably thinner than when
she was in Roanoke. She told the
Salem authorities when released yester-
day evening. that she was going to Gin
cinnati. She must have changed her
mind, or was intending to throw the
authorities off their guard, as She was
very anxious to get ticket to Chicago