The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-31
THE C0R0NER'S JURY
INQUIRE INTO the CASE or ThE
RILLlNG or THOMAS ATWELL.
A Number of Witnesses Were Examined,
But There Il "A Wide Diherence In tho
Testimony--What Gault Says.

by InOmdS NJ. ht-'olDN~S a. D'~'NN'N
yesterday afternoon.
No two statements Of the different
witnesses tally. The principal thing OBJ
served was the demeanor Of the witness
Gault. He was nervous and contradicted
himself several times. Neither did he
wear the oyercoat he had on last night
when he was with McNamee, just before
the tragedy took place.
The Jury which heard the case was
composed Of Messrs. William J.. Smith,
j. j.. Redwood, G.. a. Muire. j. y. Higgins,
w II. Hundey and James Simpson
clerk.
The first witness to take the stand
was William Nunnaly:
AT about S.2j last evening all the
station hands were in the little white
! house on the corner Of Twenty-eighth
! and Dock streets. eating supper. Some
| one came 20 the door and said he would
like 10 see Mr. Atwel.. 1 said TO him 1
guessed he could. aud called him. / then
went off 10 signal a train. ] had been
gone about two minutes, when j heard "a
scuiie. Atwell and another man, not
the man who came for Atwen. appeared
to be fighting on the opposite side OF
the street. one had on a dark and the
other q light overcoat. [ heard Atwell
yell, and / hOlered 10 him TO find out
what was the matter. As 1 started to-
wards them, the man with a light over
coat on fired three times, and AtWrl
ran towards me. lie got as far as the
curbstone next to the railroad track
when he fell
The Next Witness
J. II. GOdsey was the second witness
put on the stand, and his testimony was
substantially the same as Nunnalrs, as
to the manner Of getting Atweu out of
the house Sheldon and / (Sheldon is
a nephew Of the deccased) got up and
went 10 the door as Atwell went out.
When we got TO the door we saw Atwell
and another man on the opposite side
Of tie street. / heard Atwell cry out. Ii
| looked as II they We're scuhling 1 saw
only two men engaged i'm the scuiile.
DO not know who the other man was.
After the shooting the man with the
pistol ran down Dock street ! pursued
him, but let up I'm the pursuit as ne
slowed up, as / feared he would shoot
at me. The man had on a light overcoat
/ could not make out what Atwell said
Just before he feN. IL sounded like
cry Of distress"
The next witness was the most i'm
pOrtant one examined His name is VIII
know all about the affair. and yet he
appeared to know absolutely nothing
Ae before noted he left of the over
coat worn last night: Il live in HenricO
county near Barton Heights / work
for McNamee, and have been workinc
with him Tor the past three months.
Mr. McNamee came 10 my house Fri
day with two other men named Kenny
| and Vaughan. They had Invited ne 20
have some eggnOg. but l could not go,
as / was sick McNesnee said 20 me-
Come on and go down town This hap
/ pened In Manchester. We walked down
| 10 Ninth and Hull streets. Before any
Of this occurred we went 10 supper
After supper we took the walk before
mentioned and after we had gotten down
town, McNamee asked me TO come over
10 Richmond with him, as he wished TO
see AIR. AtweH about the Insult Atwen
had given 70 his wife. | did not want
TO 90, as / feared trouble lie had told
me all about the trouble with Atwel and
/ told him / did not want TO be mixed
up in II. We came over TO Richmond.
Time for Trufb.
when we got down 20 Twenty-eighth
and Dock streets McNamee asked me
10 80 over and tell Atwell he wanted TO
see him. Crhe witness here stopped his
statement long enough 10 impress upon
the Coroner his desire 90 tell the whole
truth and nothing but the truth. and
asked for n little time In making il, which
was accorded him)
Il went over TO the house and called
for Atwell. and told him McNamee would
like TO speak 10 him. Atwell said Show
him 10 me- and / said, There he stands
pointing 10 the Office Of the coal COM
pany, on the opposite side OF the street,
IN front Of which McNamee was standing.
J Atwell started across the street
81 heard McNamee say 10 him, How
do you DO, Mr.. Atwell-this from across
the street-but / did not hear Atweli
make any reply. II he did make one They
seemed 10 go 10 blows, but which one
struck the first blow / do not know
Il heard a pistol fired. but could not
say the number Of times. / think
! heard only one or two reports. l could
not say who fired TO save my life.
Il saw no one but Atwell, McNamee. and
myself ] DO not know whether McNamee
mad a pistol.
When the first shot was fred / ran
off. McNamee also ran of, but in an
opposite direction.
Il did not take hold Of either Of the
men during the scuffle. / could not
say if McNamee had a stick: he carried
one very often. as he is lame. He had
a stick with him when | went TO call
Atwel. When / told Atwell DIcNamee
wanted 20 see him, as he started across
the street he ran hiS hand behind him
I'm his hip pocket. l saw no weapon.
did not see him take his hand out OF
the pocket. He tAtwelD had a lamp In
one hand. but which do not know.
Il heard McNamee make no threats on
our way over. He told me he wanted
TO smooth everything over as well and
as quietly, as possible. / did not go over
near them when they were talking, be-
cause / did not want TO be mixed up fin
the affair. The difficulty occurred right
under the electric light on the corner. but
] could not see which one fired. | ran
of up Dock street
Cleared IN" Room.
The Coroner next stated that az all the
witnesses who knew anything had testi-
fed, he would ask that the room be
cleared. so the jury could arrive at a
verdict but Mr. j. r. Sheldon came for
ward and asked to be allowed TO give in
his testimony. Before he was called. how
ever, the Coroner made the p0st-mortem
statement. from the examination held
yesterday morning OF the remains. Both
OF the shots which took effect were In
flicted In the back, and ranged diagonally