The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-10

before day, but returned after break
fast. lie did not go to bed, but laid
down with his clothes on. He seemed
troubled about something. About / or
O'Clock Tuesday afternoon he left
with Ida for Roanoke. Before leaving
ne asked mo for newspaper to wrap
his rubber shoes in. Shortly aftcrward
l heard about the dead woman being
found. L never saw her before"
Lawrence Anderson. a colored bow,
who lived with the grandmother, found
the dead woman in the creek about
o'clock Tuesday afteroon. His atten-
ton was attracted to it by the remark
OF q boy that there was something like
q body in the creek. The were tracks,
one made by small shoe, with a metal
heel top. This led up to where the body
was lying and then ended. The other
was made by rubber shoe and led to
and away from the body.
Lucy Watkins and Lawrence both
testified positively that Ida did not
leave the house after she arrived Mon
DAY night until her departure for Roam
oke with Charley between and o'clock
Tuesday afternoon, The shoes upon
the feet of the dead woman had metal
heel taps.
The body was found resting upon
little drift" according to witnesses.
The head was in the water and the
clothes partly up in front One Stock
ing was pulled down and the garter
missing. The theory is that the woman's
pocket book was in tho stocking, as it
could not be found on her person. AT
Ben Wright's she exhibited a pocket
book, two checks for baggage and con-
siderable money. When found the gold
ear rings on her ears, the rings on her
nnOlrQ had hoop L.
gold watch was found in the water near
by. A pocket in her overskirt, and an
other In An underskirt were found termed
wrong side out
Watkins and wife No. Q, took the
dummy at Roanoke for Salem at 4:3O
Tuesday afternoon. On arriving thew
went to George Washingtons. In an
swer to an inquiry where wife No. was
he said she had stopped on Jefferson
street. He went to WashinCton's for
his trunk.
Wife No. went to Ben wright's
alone Monday highland borrowed a veil
from his wife, promising to return it the
next day, but failed to do so. On We'd
nesday morning she had draft for $50
csshed at the First National Bank of
Roanoke. 1t was drawn on Henry Fret
bel, Maysville, Dodge county, Wiscon-
sin, in favor of Edith Freibel.
commemorative Attorney Hansbor-
ough and Officer Boon came to Roanoke
yesterday afternoon and obtained the
trunks of the murdered woman and
Edith Freibel, or Watkins. In the
former was found the marriage certiti-
cate of Charles Henry Watkins and
Susie j. Wilson. The license was issued
September 18th, 1885, by Geo. III. Webb,
Cerk OF Jefferson County Court, Louis
photographs of Grover Cleveland and one
OF Charles Watkins, made by VIM.
Berndt, No. $50 Third street, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, an insurance policy, issued
by the Industrial Insurance Company of
Milwaukee, for $3.50, for the benefit of
the legal heir, but this expired in Octo-
Der, 1890.
The re were also crumpled bills for
their gold rings, costing 50, S12 and SIS
respectively, diamond ear rings, for
which She paid S125 on the installment
plan, and gold-headcd umbrella for
$40. There were several letters from
Watkins to her at Detroit, some of them
very vulgar, one from Bramwell, w.
va, and two from Salem, the latter
written October, 1890. The umbrella
in the trunk was broken and the plate
had been worn from the head. There
was a large quantity of clothing of
splendid quality.
In the trunk of wife No. there was
found gold-headed umbrella, supposed
to have been the property Of wife No. /.
There were several letters from Watkins
to her, two of them dated at Hotel
Roanoke.
After the coroner's jury adjourned for
dinner Wife No. 2 sent for Deputy
Sheriff Weber and informed him that
she was to join Watkins at Liberty.
The jury rendered the following YER
dict:
THAT tho jury believe that Susie
Watkins came to her death between the
hour of p. m. on tho night of the 9Th
of April and the hour of 12 noon on
April eth, from wounds on the top of
her head and fracture of the skull in
ficted by rock, stick or some othor
hard instrument in the hands of Charles
Watkins, and that Ida Freibel, alias
Edith Freibel, alias Ida Watkins, alias
Edith Watkins, was an accessory to the
act either before or after"
When the wife of Watkins, who has
been murdered, arrived at George Wash
ington's Sunday, where Watkins and
the white woman were stopping, she
was very indignant at tho conduct of
her husband, and quite scene fol-
lowed. Susan asserted that she was Wat
kins' wife, and Washington demanded
that Watkins say which of the women
was his wife.
Watkins then acknowledged that
Susan was his lawful wife. The white
woman then disappeared, and Watkins
and his colored wife left Washington's
house Monday evening, and were seen
going toward the Salem dummy station,
The next heard OF them they were in