Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-10-05

approached from the spring.
THE HORRIBLE MURDER.
Mrs. Pollard saw his shadow and
backed out of the door and towards
your petitioner, who caught her by
her hands from behind. Thompson
then came up to her and asked her,
do you know me?" She said, "You
are q white man." Then he asked her
how long Mr.. Pollard had been back.
He then said, Il came here to kill him
but l can't get chance at him, and l
will kill you" and he struck her on
the head with an axe helve, holding
the blade of the axe in his hand. AS
he was about to strike her, petitioner
let her 60 and started of. Thompson
said, Where in the hell are you go
ing" and L said. Nowhere" Thomp-
son struck Mrs. Pollard three times
with the helve, and she fell to the
ground, and Thompson then struck
her with the axe and killed her.
ROBBED THE HOUSE.
He then made your petitioner 60
with him into the house, and he open
ed some things and took money out of
one of the places which he put into his
pocket. He then made your petition
er go away with him, and when they
had reached the forks of the road he
gave the petitioner two pieces of pa
per money, telling him not to spend
any of it about there, but to go to
Chase City, and write a letter TO him
self, your petitioner, and register 1T,
signing it by the name Of your petit
toners brother, oliver Marable, in
which some of the money was TO be
put, and direct it to the local post-of-
flee Finneywood, near where they
then were, at which place he was the
postmaster.
TO CHARGE THE WOMEN WITH THE CRIME.
He then told your petitioner if he
was asked about the murder, TO say
Mary Alternately, Mary Barnes and
Pokey Barnes did it, and If he did not
that he would shoot your petitioner as
soon as he could catch him. The two
then separated. The next morning.
which was Saturday, your petitioner
went to Chase City, which was about
five miles away. de bought break
fast from q colored woman, who sent
her daughter out with one of the
pieces of money given petitioner by
Thompson to get it changed, the same
being twenty dollar note.
THAT TELL TALE LETTER
Your petitioner then got Mr.. Clark
to write a letter to William Henry
Marable, at Finneywood, in which your
petitioner inclosed hve-dollar note
and he asked MIR. Clarke to sign the
letter Oliver Marable, and he got Mr..
Clarke to register the same, and it was
received through the mail st Finney-
wood and was in evidence. On Satur-
day evening your petitioner returned
TO his home and was told by his wife
that she had been badly scared, that
a number of white men with pistols
had been there during the day and had
said they wanted your petitioner for 4
witness about Mrs. Pollard's murder
THAT THREATENED LYNoHING.
Later he heard they were going tt
"white cap" all the colOred people a
round until they made some confess
who had murdered Mrs. Pollard. Hi
wife said she was going to her uncle
not far away, and your petitioner wen
part of the way there with her. Mex
morning (Sunday) your petitioner ant
his wife determined that they woulI
| go to their former home, in North Car
| Olina. and they started off by way O
| Chase City. Going through that plac
/ your petitioner stopped to buy some
| down the railroad. When he starte
to overtake her he heard shouting be
hind him, and looking back he say
several white men coming toward
him and calling out. "stop that man
They frightened your petitioner yer
much and he commenced to run. Th
men pursuing him fired several shot
and thereby greatly increased hi
alarm. Your petitioner ran to th
woods and thereby escaped his pursI
ers.
WHERE he WAS ARRESTED.
Your petitioner being now fright
ened almost to death, remained in tL
woods, and at the houses of differeI
Negroes between Chase City and Fly
Forks until Tuesday morning, when
party of white men, armed with guI
and pistols, came up with him and q
rested him. Soon after they arreste
him they were Joined by Mr.. Lucil
Pettus, a half brother of Dave ThOml
| son. The men who had arrested yoI
petitioner told him that he had bett'
make a confession or he would be buT
before they got to Mr.. Pollard's hOus
and your petitioner, thinking that Il
cius Pettus knew about it and wou
have your petitioner killed IL he d
not say what Dave Thompson had to
him to say, told them that MAJ
, Alternately and Pokey Barnes killt
Mrs, Pollard, while he held her al
that Mary Barnes had been party
the conspiracy to kill her.
THE WOMEN ARRESTED.
Your petitioner was carried to Nh
! Pollard's house and the three Neg
I women were arrested and broug
there when the coroner was hOldil
| an inquest. Quite a number of pc
!, sons collected there, perhaps four
five hundred, and your petition
heard that all of the prisoners we
! going to be lynched. Late in the eve
ing, Mr.. Clements, the constable, w
. had the prisoners in charge, smuggl
: | them out of the back door in charge
four or five boys, and they were got
the woods and marched by by-wa
and through the woods all night to t
iail at the courthouse, Mr.. ClemeT
remaining to put the crowd off wi
II | one excuse and another until the pr
Q oners could be lodged in the jail.
) LYNoHNG THREATENED.
% In short time the public mind
p came violently excited in the couI
2. of Lunenburg, and threats we're fre
y made that the prisoners would be Il
N en- from the Jail by force and hu
lie This excitement became so violent 9
lie SC general that the sheriff of Lun
at burg county, in whose custody the pl
ut | oners were, felt compelled to tt
I'd them stealthily in the nighttime fr