The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-08
ROANOKE, VA. FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY s 49,

moved to the farm of Mr.. William
IirKle (the present sheriff), and whilst |
mere no went for n while to the Gum
spring school. where he was given FREQ
books by Maj Ballard (now common.
wealth's attorney. who was then county
scnool superintendent.
at the age OF 60 Charles obtained
worked In Roanoke at "a boarding house
kept by Miss Joe Wolff, but did not
stay iong' Tor having committed a theft
enere ne fled to Knoxville, where he
was soon wanted for forgery, and
LEFT FOR LoUIsvuLE,
where he met with a brown-skinnod
woman named Susan Wilson, who was
neariy ten years older than himself and
married her. The couple then drifted
20 milwaukee,, where Charles obtained
employment in the Plankinton IIonse
as waiter, and Susan being resnectablo
and above the ordinary run in intelli.
gence was also given situation, where
sho earned very good wages, much of
which she spent on Charles, for she
seemed devoted to him.
While at the Planking on Uouso
NET WITH A GERMAN GIRL
Ida frelbel, who, not being over bright
anu unused to the ways OF this country,
was captivated by tho well.dressed and
fairly good-looking mulatto, Charles
Watkins. During the summer of 1890
Charles and his wife went to CHICAGO.
and Ida Freibel followed, so that in .Iulv
he gave his wife the slip, and. with Ida,
came on to Salem, where both of them
were employed as walters that summer
at Lake Spring Hotel. Part of the win
ter of lS90-'91 the lima led pair worked
at hotels in Roanoke, but towards tho
spring Ida, being sick. stayed With Wat
kins' kinsfolll in their four. roomed cabin
on Brush mountain, near Salem, while
Charles was a waiter at Hotel Felix.
Roanoke
From October 1890 to the end of tho
winter 1891, Charles kept up Il CORES
pondence with Susan in Chicago beg
glng her to como to Salem, where no
said that he owned thirty acres of land
and house, and where he said wages
were higher than in tho West and work
lighter-the whole being tissue of
lies, fabricated to lure tho poor, simple
woman to her doom in order that he
might enjoy the company Of his white
wife without interruption.
On the 18th of April 1891, tho colored
woman,
SUSAN WATKINS, CAME FROM CHICAGO
TO Salem, and upon arriving hero went
to the house of Ben Wright. a well-to-
do blacksmith and cousin of Cnarlcs.
where she staid all night, and on tho
next morning Sunday went on the
dummy to Roanoke, where she
found Charles and his white paramount
In colored boarding house on Sixth
avenue.
Some words between tho three occur
red and the white woman disappeared
temporarily, leaving next morning for
Salem, where tsho walked out to tho
Watkins cabin on Brush Mountain. her
home, where she had been i'll in tho
winter. Charles staid with Susan that
Sunday night in the room In which he
and Ida had becn previously living, and
next evening (Monday) he persuaded
Susan to go with him to Salem, and
from there ostensibly to tho Watkins
cabin on Brush Mountain.
1t was dark whom they left town, and
was raining whom they left tho turnpike
to go up tho mountain and stopped at
Miss Fanny CoXc's to got lantern. Not
long after that
PISTOL SHOTS WE'RE HEARD,
and it is evident now that Charles shot
and thought he had killed Susan, not
far from Capt. liorner's house, for whom
he arrived ut tho Watkins cabin, he
told Lucy Watkins, "I shot that
damned Western wife OF mine down
yonder just now, and / think killed
her, Cd d-n her."
But Charles had not been in the
cabin long before the poor terror
stricken creature had CROPPED her way
through the rain and darkness to tho
door or the house. and then she rushed
In, told Taylor Watkins that Charles
h0d Qhnt har n 10 hon
to go for doctor, which he refused to
do, and Charles then promised TO take
her to Salem i'll the morning to have
her hand dressed.
That night was spent in angry con-
versation, and carly the next morning
(fuesday, the eth ofApriD Charles and
Susan left the cabin aud went down the
mountain in the direction Of Salem.
Some three hours afterwards Charles
returned to the cabin alone, making no
explanations. drank a cup of coffee. and
in the afternoon left for Salem in com.
pany with Ida Freibel. who had kept
herself in another room of the cabin
all night, and had not shown herself to
the colored wife.
Whilst Charles and Ida were walking
TO salem that afternoon, n boy, gather
ering wood on Brush Mountain, dis
covered
THE DEAD BopY OF SUSAN WATKINS
lying on little island in a stream in a
sequestered spot with her head terribly
bruised and crushed; he it was who gave
the alarm. When Charles and Ida
reached Salem they took tho dummy
ior Roanoke, and that night Charles
boarded train and fled South.
On Wednesday morning coroner's
jury viewed tho dead body of Susan
Watkins, and after hearing evidence for
| two DAYS returned q ynrdict TINT III o.