The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-09

present, and they passed through the
county treaSurer's Office to tho enclosure
behind the courthouse in the Jail yard
giving up their tickets to Officer Boone,
who was stationed at the front door of
the treasurer's Office to take up the
tickets and see that none who were not
entitled to be present were admitted.
at the rear door Of the office, leading to
the scaffold, Officer johnson was sta
toned.
WAITING FOR THE HANGING.
The spectators were admitted through
the county treasurer's office, and by ten
o'clock the small room occupied by the
treasurer was crowded and there the
jam OF people remained prisoners with
an officer at each door till IL o'clock,
when 1T was announced that the last
scene OF the tragedy was about to be
enacted. There was no spirit of flu
jokes and eXpatiated on the possibility
OF Watkins feelings with as much lev
ity as would crowd of country boys on
hog-killing day, waiting for a tussle
with the festive swine. There was
nobody in the crowd who disagreed with
the jury that convicted Watkins, and
they soon became inpatient for the
victims blood.
A little after ten THE TIMES reporter
VI.
u. McCluDg outside tho cell of Watkins,
and in the corridor near Mr.. McClung
were standing one Of tho guards and
the assistant iailer. Charles did not
talk in worry loud voice, and standing
where the reporter was with voices
from the street plainly heard, at times
it was impossible to catch the words of
the condemned man, though it was evil
dent he was
MAKING A CONFESSION
to Mr.. McClung. About this time tho
Rev. d. +. Fox, whom Charles had sent
tor, joined the small group in the COR
ridor and listened to the story of the
murder as told by the murderer.
The Re aders of TIE TIMES are so ia
miliar with the story of this crime that
most of it, and the reporter therefore
confines himself to that which is now.
Abiding to tho dark rainy night when
Charles and Susan left Salem and on
their way to Brush mountain stopped
at Miss Fanny COXe's for lantern,
Charles gave the events which followed
with startling calmness and apparent
truthfulness. After leaving Miss Coxe's
Susan wanted to go back, but he would
not let her, and when they got to
Horners' branch they had some words,
her once in the left wrist and once in
the neck back of the left car; he then
hit her in tho head with rock or his
revolver, which latter he left by her
side on the ground. Thinking he had
killed her he left and went on to the
house of Taylor Watkins and told him
he had killed her to save his life.
Taylor saw he was scared and whilst
Lucy and Edith Taylor and Charles
were all talking about it. Susan came
in covered with blood from her neck
and holding her wounded wrist; Charles
jumped up and got behind Taylor who
said, Don't make no fuss here
Susan. then sat down and asked
Charles to c)me and sit down by her.
but he did not want to, and she then
asked Charles or Taylor to go for a
doctor, but both refused, though tho
blood was streaming from her neck
The next morning Charles and Susan
started for town little before to get
DIR. billiard to dress the wounds. When
they got to the branch they went on
out to the Horner road, up that and then
in the wood road near another stream,
and when they got near the little rise
II the bank he was walking beside her,
and of sudden took up rock and
knocked her in tho head. Then he
rolled her body out of the road, leaving
the blood-stained rock there, and went
back TO Taylor Watkins whore he
drank cup of coffee, and then went to
bed until Addie Anderson came from
Roanoke. She went to where he was
in bed and said, MIR. Felix says let
him know if you are going back to
work.
Soon after this he started with Edith
for Roanoke, stopping at the little
branch TO see if Susan was dead, and
there Edith took from out of the right
stocking of the murdered woman a
pocket book, and seeing Susan was dead
they went on. Charles said that Susan
had seventy-five dollars on her person,
but he did not take it. He then told at
length how he fled to Lynchburg and
read about tho murder in the newspa-
pers, also of his stay near Wilmington
where he wrote the letter to Ben
Wright, which he acknowledged was
his.
lie did not incriminate Ben Wright in
any way, but said that Taylor and Lucy
Watkins knew all about the shooting
This he repeated several times. When
asked as to the time rs first thought of
Kidding himself of Susan, be said:
1T was on the 18th of July, 1897,
when left Chicago, that made up my
mind to get rid of her and determined
to kill her on tho Sunday night at Roa-
noke."
1t was nearly II o'clock when Mr..
McClung said good bye to Charles
shaking hands with him and telling
him to be brave. Then DR.. Armstrong
went to the grating and said, Good
morning, Charles; do you know me?" to
which he replied, II have known you
all the time" In answer to DR.. Arm
strong as to why he acted so strangely