The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-12

| Pastor Testified for the Defense.
The charges of conduct unbecoming
an officer against Chief Of Police j. II.
Terry were investigated yesterday be-.
fore The mayor, Hon Henry S. Trout.
The whole day was spent in the inves.
tigation which was made full and ex-
haustive and n ore than q dozen wit
nesses were examined. The mayor will
probably ren6er his decision to-day.
The investigation was begun at 1890
o'clock in the mayors officer. w. A.
Glasgow, city solicitor, and Roy u.
Smith conducted the prosecution and
Scott & Staples appeared for Chief
Terry. Sergeant Gritin's counsel Ia ],
E. Younge and Penn & Cooke. Ae the
request OF Mr.. Cooke the Investigation
of the charges against him was post
poned until Saturday morning owing
to the absence from the city of Col.
John E Penn.
The charges In brief against Chief
Terry, who WAS suspended September 81,
are: That he did not take proper care of
the prisoner; that he aided and allotted
the lynchers, and that he was guilty OF
conduct unbecoming an officer. The
first witness examined was Robert L.
Coleman, clerk of the market, who
stated: II saw Chief Terry that night
at the Ponce do Leon Hotel. He said
they could get the negro. There was
quite crowd in the Office at tho time.
l repeated the remark afterwards at
Hotel Lee and was told that the negro
had been removed"
| Sergeant ;Grithn's Testimony Against tho
Ief
Sergeant A. II. Griffn's testimony:
After the firing saw Terry on the
second or third floor OF the Ponca de
Leon Hotel. 1 said l would not have
anything to DO with taking the negro
from the jail without orders. told
Captain Bird so. won't to the chief and
asked him what to do Mr.. Terry said,
turn the negro out and let him take
chances" told him l would not do so.
He then said do the best you can with
him. Later in the night I saw Mr..
Terry and Walter Boone having u con-
yersation in the ante room at the jail.
The chief then told me to 60 and bring
the negro back to the Jail. Before this
/ SAW Walter Boone and about twenty
others in front OF the chiefs house. The
negro was on the river bank when the
chief ordered him back" At this point
he related the particulars of taking the
negro from the jail
&. L. Rhodes stated: ~ saw Chief
| Terry in the wash room of the Ponce de
Leon Hotel. | said this is terrible
affair and be replied Yes, and they
can go over there and get him."
w. +. Gold: ~ saw Mr.. Terry at the
Ponce de Leon at $40 or o'clock lie
asked me to go TO the Jail and tell Ser
geant Traynham to turn the negro out.
When reached the Jail l met Mr..
ri I'm "A
jail with the negro"
Police Justice Turner's Statement.
Police Justice Walter II. Turner.
After the shooting saw Chief Terry
at the Ponce dc Leon on the third floor.
Mr.. Terry said, we mad better turn the
negro loose or that We had better have
turned him loose l don't remember
which. Griffin said he wouldn't DO that
as he didn't want his neck strung
only saw him once afterwards that
| night and that was also at tho otel."
Police Officer H. Flick: II saw Mr..
Terry about twenty minutes after the
shooting and told him they were break
ing into stores after guns and dyna-
mite, and Terry said: Il told Griffin to
turn the negto loose; do you know
whether he has done so or not?'"
Police Officer Merryman: There
were no orders given me to protect the
prisoner after he was taken from the
jail
Police Sergeant R. H. Gold: 81 didn't
see Mr.. TORY after the firing. | re-
ceived no orders from the chief. Later
in the night Mr.. Griffin sent me to guard
Mr.. Tront's house, and about O'Clock
Mr.. Terry came to relieve me. was
private at that time"
Rev. y. q. Miller for the Defense.
Rev. o. c. Miller. the first witness for
the defense, d, posed as follows II
met Mayor Trout soon after he was shot
aud wen. with him to the Ponce dc Lson
Hotel. Pretty soon Chief Terry came
In and asked the mayor what was to be
done; that both their lives had besn
threatened. Mayor Trout said, Il have
no authority to authorizs you to re-
| move the prisoner Mr.. Terry then
| said that the mob was arming them
selves TO make another assault on the
jail, whereupon the mayor told him nc
| had better have the prisoner removed.
Mr.. Terry's Statement.
j. +. Terry made the following sta to-
| ment: IL was in the station house from
early in the evening until after the
shooting occurred. / had the police
force stationed around the Jail to pro-
tect the prisoner, VINO was placed in Mr..
Traynham's charge. Mayor Trout, nv
superior officer, was on the ground until
after no was shot He was removed to
the Ponce de Leon Hotel. 1 went there,
and Mr. Trout directed me to have the
prisoner removed.
II believe that Mayor Trout and I
were both in danger of hajnv Hi cd that