Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-27
TO SAVE THEIR LIVES
Counsel Hopeful Of Securing a New
Trial for The Women.
NOT THOUGHT TO DE GUILTY.
The Belief Thnt n White Man Helped
10 Murder Mrs. Pollard Growing I'm
IN. Public Mind-The Latest De-
yeiOpmentS.
yciOpnentS.

Much interest is still being evinced in
the case OF the two negro women-Nary
Alternately and Pokey Barnes-who have
been convicted Of the murder OF Mrs.
Pollard In Lunenburg, and are now con-
fined in the city jail under sentence OF
death. But few Of those who have been
thrown in contact with the prisoners
or who are at all familiar with the
tragedy believe them TO be guilty of the
crime. The case viii be reopened. II pos
slble. and thoroughly investigated by
prominent attorneys Of Richmond. with
a view to obtaining a new trial for the
women.
Hon. George d. Wise and Judge Henry
w. Flournoy, who have been employed to
represent the women. and Captain a. ID.
'Gulgon. who has since been associated In
the case. visited the jail yesterday. and
had a long talk with the women and with
Marable, the confessed accomplish In the
murder whose testimony. which he now
declares 70 have been false, was largely
II not wholly responsible for the verdict
returned by the jury.
BELIEVE THEY ARE INNOCENT.
The attorneys questioned both OF the
female prisoners closely. and were told
straightforward. frank stories by both,
which. they say, almost assures them OF
the innocence OF their clients. They also
talked with Marable, and closely ques-
toned and cross questioned him He adj
hered strictly TO the white-man story
which he told the Dispatch reporter seve-
raj days ago. and did not vary therefrom
I'm the slightest particular
lie declared to the lawyers mat Mary
Alternately and Pokcy Barnes had nothing
to do with the murder, and That the
white man, whose father had quarrelled
with Mrs. Pollard In the morning OF the
day on which the murder was commltt@l
was, with him, responsible Tor Mrs. Iol-
lard's death. Marable told this story be-
fore the trill, but when put on the stand
gave an entirely different version OF the
tragic occurrence. His explanation Of why
ne changed his statement Is that the white
man threatened TO kill him II his name
was brought into the matter, ana that
when ne (Mlrable) went on the stand
A friend OF his accOmplice winked warn
ingly at him. He was. he says, afraid 20
tell the truth, hut now that he mas Deeh
convicted and II in prison. where ne can
not be harmed. n wants TO vindicate the
women against whom he swore Falsely
HOW WILL THEY PROCEED?
The attorneys held a conference before
going to the iai TO consider the matter
M how 10 have the case reOpenet ana get
IL before the court again. 1t Is believed
that they have about concluded what
course they will follow, but they dtclhe
10 make their purposes public. indeed
they refrain from discussing the affair al
all one of the lawyers when asked II
they succeeded in elcting from the pri-
soners any points that had not already
been published politely refused 10 say.
IL is understood that two OF the attor-
neys possibly Captain Wise ana Judge
Flournoy, Will go TO Lunenburg within
the next few days and gather all the
facts In the case Obta.nabie, with view
10 securing wit of error from inc
appellate court.
The case is most unusual one ana Is
without a precedent I'm the criminal an
nails of this state. The women were
hastily tried 20 satisfy an iniuriated
ueople and had no counsel 70 except 10
any rulings of the court. which Is usually
the basis of an application for a writ OF
error. Therefore, on the investigation OF
the attorneys. and their preliminary
work. much depends. They VIII have 10
find some flaw i'm the evidence, some II
regularity i'm the manner In which the
iurv was summoned or Kept. or In some
ruling Of the Judge In order 10 make
application in the ordinary way for writ
Of error, but in the event OF their failure
to discover any such irreguiarity II Is
believed that they viii simply appeal 10
the Supreme Court on the ground that the
prisoners were not given fair and Impair
tlal trial. and that TO hang them under
the existing circumstances would be
blot on our civilization.
Mr.. W. VI. Justis. who went TO Lunen-
burg on his own responsibility TO examine
the records OF the trial, has returned 10
the city. and says that he believes ne
has discovered enough essential errors
upon the face of the record 10 make q
new trial almost a necessity. He has
not conferred with Messrs. Wise, Flour
noy ard Gugon yet and 1t IS not known
whether he will be associated with them
In the case.
THE WHITE MAN STORY.
The white man story told by Marable
Is generally credited In this city, ana Il
Is thought by those who have seen him
that he simply implicated Mary Aberna-
thy and Pokey Barnes. the only negroes
he knew in the nelghDOrhood, because OF
fear on his part that the white man who
was associated with him in the murder
would do him bodily injury IL he did not
The white man who winkcd AT him IN
the courtroom when he was teStiiylug,
and told him TO say that Mary Alternately
had the money is, he says. a brother-ln-
law Of the man who helped him 10 do
the murder.
The man who Is suspected OF having
done the murder is said 10 have left Lu-
nenburg now, but the brother-in-law
who is alleged to have done the winklng
is still there.
Captain Wise when seen by Dispatch
man last evening said h was confident
that the women wereipDocent OF any con
nectlon with the murder and that he was
equally confident that he ana his asso-
ciates would be able 10 secure new trial
for them, and establish their innocence.