The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-01

SrAUNToN, April 3O.-Everyt thing has
been quiet here all day. The coroner's
jury finished tho taking of testimony in
the Lettie Rowe murder case. and they
brought in verdict that she came to
her death at the hands of Lawrence
Spiller, the negro who was arrested yes
terday charged with the crime.
The special grand jury summoned
yesterday then took the ma tier In charge
and brought in an indictment for muir
der against the prisoner.
At few minutes past o'clock this
afternoon the negro was conducted into
the county court by six officers, passing
through double hle OF bayonets from
the Jail to the courtroom. A great crowd
gazed on with idle curiosity. but there
was not the sligh test indication Of any
thing like violence being attempted or
meditated.
The prisoner was arraigned at the
bar, and plead mot guilty." jury
was empanelled after some difficulty,
and the court then adjourned to 8
O'Clock tomorrow morning. Common
wealth's Attorney Meade F. White will
10 nCololCu ny LOWS IN
the prosecution, and Col. r. 8. Turk
and Joseph A. Glasgow will appear for
the prisoner.
Judge Chalkley proposed to begin
hearing the evidence aud continue until
ten o'clock but agreed to tho request of
tho prisoners counsel to delay until
TO morrow at $40, whom the evidence
will begin.
Tho trial jury is made up first class
material. One OF its members, Elias
Riddleberger, is n half brother of OK
Senator Il. Ii. Riddleberger.
The crime for which Spiller is now ON
trial for his life was ono Of the most, if
not the most, terrible known in the an
malls Of Augusta county, and was COM
mitted just outside the city limits
shortly after midnight Saturday. The
sun that shone on yesterdays beautiful
Sabbath day, looked down upon the
CHASTITY form OF a battered, bruised and
dead body Of q white girl that lay first
on the RAILROAD track and then in the
gutter beside it, while gaping crowds
gazed In mingled horror and pity upon
the remains that so short while before
were instinct with life.
The dead body was that OF Lovtie
Rowe, sixteen year-old girl who lived
In small frame house at the junction
of the New Hope road and the pike to
the National Gem eterY. The man who
now lies in jail with his life in jeopardy
for the crime Is Lawrence Spiller, six
foot, rawboned, powerfully muscled
mulatto, who was employed at the Bod
ley wagon factory as blacksmith.
At the small settlement on the Chesa-
peake and Ohio railroad just east of
town and almost contiguous to the cor
poration live mum Dor of poorer class
OF people, and the struggling village Is
popularity known as "Pinchtown." One
OF the features of this settlement were
the numerous dances held frequently, IL
not almost nightly, by the inhabitants
OF the settlement and such visitors as
found the dances attractive. These
hops were known as the "Pinchtown
germans" or ghost Dances" and were
open to all classes of people, irrespec-
tive OF character or other social dis
tincsions.
twas at card party Saturday night,
held at the house of John Rowe, uncle
of the dead girl, that Lettie Rowe spent
Saturday evening, and she left at l2
o'clock In company with Charles Brad
ford. youth Is years old, of this city,
for her home some distance away.
While Lottie Rowe was at the dance
Spiller was at her homo playing cards
with Joseph Rowe. Lottie Rowe's father,
and drinking mean whiskey as the game
progressed. lie left Rowe's house at
about the same tine that Lottie Rowe
started for her home. At the bridge on
the New Hope road that spans the Ches-
apeake end Ohio railroad, in deep cut,
Lot,ie Rowe and her companion, Charles
Bradford, were met by Spiller, who
knocked Bradford Off the edge OF the
bridge, he rolling down the en- bank ment
and lying there unconscious, according
to his statement. for some time.
What happened after that is merely
matter OF conjecture, or to be decided
by the circumstances that further in
vestigation has developed. There was
probable rape and certain murder in
the most brutal manner. The girl was
evidently taken over a barbed wire
fence into a small corn-field lying be-
tween the National cemetery and the
railroad. Near the northwestern cor
ner OF this field was square where the
soil was tramped and fattened, with
hair pins and torn fragments OF the
girls dress, all showing the unmistak-
able evidences of a Jerrib le struggle.
From this place could be tracked the
route Of the beastly villain as no drag
ged the mutilated form of his helpless
yictem dlagonally to the northeast COR
ner, where he again pulled her over
barbed wire fence and thence across q
stone fence towards the railroad.
The oath across the fence was plainly
marked whore the body was dragged
through. the stones being displaced in
ha circle OF over foot In diameter
and depth. In a small di,h on the rail
road side of the fence was q small pool
OF blood From thence the route was
down tho embankment to the railroad,
where tho manpled remsinS Mara laid