Richmond planet., 1895-07-20
HORRIBLE CASE.
Marable OOnfesses-Implcates the WO-
men-NOt Yet Sentenced-Lunenburg
County and its Murder Case.

The trial of Solomon Marable, (col-
Ored) charged with the murder of Mrs.
Pollard (white) was begun at the
Lunenburg 9. H., Va. Friday July y.
Two companies of militia have been
detailed from Richmond to guard the
prisoner and his alleged accomplices.
At 80 D m. Marable was arraigned
and stated that he had been unable to
procure counsel. Finally he was or
dered to stand up and in reply to the
indictment pleaded not guilty. The
jury consisted of two cOlored and ten
white men. He said:
"All have to say is that I did not
do the murder; but Mary Alternately
and Pokey Barnes done it. Mary
Alternately done the murder / was
standing about twenty-five steps, as
nigh as ] could come. Twas there, and
Pokey Barnes had come back.
WANTED MERCY.
/ throw myself on your mercy.
What done they told me to come and
do. caught hold OF her hand the
(deceased's) that's all done. POkey
Barnes and Mary Alternately done the
murder. Pokey Barnes hit her three
licks, and Mary Alternately she hit her
with the axe; and Mary Alternately
she give Mary Barnes the key.
CHARGES THE WOMEN WITH THE CRIME.
When Mary Alternately hit Mrs. Pol
lard with the axe she reached down in
her pocket and gave Poky the key, and
they went in the house. When they
came back they had something in their
1 dress and gave me two pieces of mon
| ey, $50, making $40 Mary Alternately
/ said when she come away, am the
head OF this money, and Pm going to
hide it under the house "a vacant
house, half way between hers and Po-
key Barnes) until / get chance to get
it away from there She said she
would take it and bring it down to
| Lunenburg, and give it to somebody
to keep; when she got a chance beg
you ali TO have mercy on me, for ! am
not guilty"
THE HUSBAND TEsTIFIEs.
Mr. Pollard, husband of the muir
dered lady testified. He saw that
when he gave the alarm, Mary Barnes
answered it and soon Pokey Barnes
/ and Mary Alternately responded. The
axe with which the deed was commit
ted was produced. The loss by the rob-
/ berry was 1876 and some jewelry and
clothing. Only five dollars have been
received. The murderers left two
! purses containing about thirteen dol
lars and a small satchel containing
about thirty dollars.
MARABLE HAD MONEY.
Jennie Wooten said that Solomon
Marable was in their restaurant at
Chase City on June 18th, and got a
, meal. He gave twenty dollar bill to
change and showed another of simi
lar denomination.
RI H.. Gregory testified that he re-
sided one and one-baif miles from Mr..
| Pollard's. He was informed that Mrs
Pollard had been murdered, and went
Immediately to the place of murder
, finding Mrs. Pollard lying as she had
! been slain, with her husband at heI
side, almost prOstrated with grief
| Mr.. Gregory produced n map of the
land and houses connected with the
murder, which was accepted as aid il
t the testimony given. He stated also
l. that the axe with blood on it, and 4
r box of eggs, broken were near the
mangled body of the deceased. He
n never saw the prisoner before he wai
Z | arrested at Five Forks on the 18th O
June. Testimony was then intro
. duced showing the conflict in the tes
1 timony of Marable. The jury retired
and in about nine minutes found Mar
? able guilty of murder in the frs
degree.
The trial of Mary Alternately was be
|" gun at Lunenburg @. H Tuesday, j. al,
> 10th and jury consisting of four col
Ored men and eight white ones empan
IS elled. The accused was arraigned.
7, Judge W. II. erry appeared to de
is fend the prisoner who made this af
fidavit:
l, COULDN'T GET FAIR TRIAL.
!: "Your petitioner respectfully repre-
A. sents to your Honor that she is indicl
e ed for murder in your HOnOr's cOuri
% and that she does not believe she coul
get: "a jury in Lunenburg count
II free from prejudice; that she cannC
have an impartial trial in the count
- of LunenbuPg, so great is the populs
- ! prejudice against her; that there haV
= been various threats of lynching, an
10 il she were acquitted she would
afraid to leave the courtroom alone
On the strength OF this affidav
z Judge Perry moved for a change of v,
s. nue., or a jury from another county
as The Judge overruled the motion +,
ce a change Of venue.
- JUDGE PERRY wITHDRAws
Dr.. Judge Perry then stated that his co
he nection with the case ended here. III
H. legal tilts of the lawyers occupied q
nd the morning, and the trial was n
gone into until o'clock The folloV
nd ing are the jurors: r. H Thompso
- +. A Jones, w. J. Moses, J. A Moor
IL ~ f A Gaulding, w. w. Hite, T. A E
-, 20 ans, George Smith, Robert Jackso
'6So Junius Bagby, Henry Blackwell, Mu
~ ford Morgan. The last four are cole
% ed.
9~s Mr.. Pollard was put on the star
Sc and iterated the statement he made
- the Marable case.
We THE MURDERER's TESTIMONY.
Solomon Marable was then put
the the stand, and made this stateme
on which is different from the one
mn made to the jury on Saturday;
'ith sMary Barnes told me on Friday
the fore the murder Zone week previO
lay that she had two women beside n
en- self, and wanted me to help them.
He part was to keep Mrs. Pollard gu
re- and Mary Alternately and POkey Bar
nds were to rob the house. Mary Barnt
nth part was to get the key to get
cen money and bring It to Mary Abernat
: he She was also TO get Mrs Pollard ou