The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-09
lcharles was a waiter q. Hotel Telix.

IN OhhrAoo was " moktSEl At l1Ot6l2 pellN
Roanoke.
W From October 1890 to the end of the
% inter 1891, Charles kept up CORES
gondence with Susan in Chicago beg.
. ing her to come to Salem, where he
aid that he owned thirty acres OF land
and q house, and where he said wages
were higher than in the West and work
lighter tho whole being q tissue of
lies, fabricated to lure the poor, simple
-tt>woman to her doom in order that he
tJnight enjoy the company of his white
4 wife without interruption.
I 0nthe 4th of April, 1891, the colored
woman,
sUsAN w3hfR1Ns, CAME FROM CHICAGO
to Salem, ind Upon ayfiyjug hero went
to tho no, h S,t ,,a BeE/&right' a well;to-
where she stald all night, and on the
next morning Sunday went on the
dummy to Roanoke, whore she
found Charles and his white paramour
In colored boarding house on Sixth
avenue. -
Some words between the three occur
red and the white woman disappeared
temporarily. leaving next morning for
Salem, where she walked out to the
Watkins cabin on Brush Mountain, her
homo, where she had been i'll in the
winter. Charles staid with Susan that
Sunday night in the room in which he
and Ida had been 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 when they left town, and
was raining whom they left the turnpike
| to go up the mountain and stopped at
Miss Fanny CoXe's to get n 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. Horner's house, for when
he arrived at the Watkins cabin, he
told Lucy Watkins, 81 shot that,
damned Western wife of mine, down
yonder just now, and 1 think I 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 the
door of tho house. and then she rushed
in, told Taylor Watkins that Charles
had shot her in the hand and asked him
TO go for doctor, which he refused to
do, and Charles then promised to take
her to Salem in the morning to have
her hand dressed.
Ihat night was spent in angry con-
versation, and early the next morning
TUESDAY, the eth ofApriD Charles and
Susan left the cabin aud went down tho
mountain in the direction of Salem.
Some three hours afterwards Charles
returned to the cabin alone, making no
explanations. drank 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, boy, gather
ering wood on Brush Mountain, dis
covered
THE DEAD BoDY OF SUSAN WATKINS
lying OH little island in stream in
sequestered spot with her head terribly
bruised and crushed; he it was who gave
the alarm. When Charles and Ida
reached Salem they took the dummy
for Roanoke, and that night Charles
boarded train and fed South.
On Wednesday morning a coroner's
jury viewed the dead body of Susan
Watkins, and after hearing evidence for
two days returned verdict that the
woman had been murdered by Charles
Watkins, who by that time was going
South as fast as steam could carry him.
On the Wednesday afternoon
IDA FREIBEL WAS ARRESTED
in Roanoke by Deputy Sheriff Weber
and brought to Salem. where she was
kept in jail until the end of the month
OF April. when, there being no positive
evidence against her she was discharged
and took the train for her home in Wis.
consin.
On the Goth Of April the Governor
offered $40 reward for the capture of
Watkins, but no trace of his where
abouts cold be obtained until about
the 5th OF 9th OF last July. when
HE WROTE a LETTER
to his cousin, Ben Wright, which was
given to Detective Weber, and vas the
means o, locating him, and subse-
quently Of hanging him, for it was
completeaonfession Of the murder. and
was ono If the most damning proofs in
the trial. The letter was written from
the Island Beach Hotel, at the Ham
mocks, rear Wilmington, N. c., where
Charles had obtained q place as head
waiter, and was signed IS. G. Williams"
the ASSUMED name by which he was
known st this resort.
Detective Weber corresponded with
Chief OF Police Hall, of Wilmington,
giving him tho necessary detail and de-
scribins to him particularly a fancy
pair of worked suspenders which Charles
wore aid on which we're the initials
sc. W. On Sunday, the 10Th OF July
came tie telegram, Your man Watkins
in jail lere awaiting proper papers
A retuisitiOn was obtained from Gov
ernOr Mckinney, and on the 2lst of
July Sheriff Xirkle and Detective Web
l. Il a.. \
on thu following Saturday with the
murdeer, who was forthwith securely