Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-06

was the statement OF her husband-Nii-
son-that when she came home from MT
Pollards she told him that Mr.. elements
had been there getting corn. In 'he
middle OF this statement Mary stopped
her husband, AMI, contradicting hiin'
said:
II didn't ten you nothing about corn.
This statement, though contradicteu.
proves conclusively that Mary must nave
been ut the house at o'clock. after the
murder was committed, and the inier-
ence is that she was there wheh tne
deed was done. and ran OF When Mr.
Pollard and Mr.. Clements approacheu
from the middle gate.
Wilson Abernathy's testimony was ab-
solutely worthless. and he was the only
one by whom Mary attempted 10 prove
an albi. He said she only remained
from home when she went to Mr.. Pol
lard's about ten minutes: that she was
back by 3 o'clock. and did not leave again
that evening. Mary herself testihed
that she was at Polards when the 3:5o
train went down, which was only n rev
minutes previous to the time Pokey went
there.
SAW THAT MAN.
Now as TO the man whom Mary Aber-
nathy said she saw walking along the
side fence on the west AT first Mary
positiyely denied that she had
seen any one. good, bad OF
indifferent" and investigation proves
that from her position on the
front porch II would have been impos-
sible for her to have seen any one. When
questioned closely before the Coroner 5
fury. however. she said she saw TAN
man go down the fence. but could see
only his head. She didn't know whether
he was white or black. but she did Know
that he had on a ragged coat.
Again. Mary Alternately. rs was testified
10 by Lula Knight, who was at her house
when she returned. told Wilson her nus
band that she saw that man.
"What mann" Wilson asked
''That tall man; he was going down
the fence"
Wilson replied. THAT was Solomon"
Lula also testified that she went to
sleep at Mary Abernathy's house. and
when she awoke Mary had gone TO Mr..
Pollard's. When Mary came back late
I'm the afternoon her little girl said.
Mamma look like she been fighting.
Her right sleeve was torn from the shout
der down: her dress was open from her
waist up. and her chest was exposed.
Mary Alternately all during the time sub
seduent to the murder. and prior to her
ner and even after her arrest acted sus-
piciously. on the Sunday following the
murder. while in charge Of Mr.. Il. "A.
Clements. the Constable. who was
sworn in as a deputy. sheriff. she asked
and vas permitted 10 speak privately
with Mrs Clements. whom she asked
eff she thought they would do anything
with the right persons If they carried
the stolen goods TO place where Mr.
Pollard could get them" She was eX-
cited at this time. and cried bitterly.
shortly after that. when Mr.. Clements
started after Marable. Mary said she
hoped they would shoot him when they
caught him. This goes 10 prove that she
was afraid Of what Marable might tell
HEAD OF THE MONEY.
Again. Solomons statement was to
the effect that Mary Alternately said she
was the head of the money" and was
going TO hide IL until she could carry IT
10 relatives near Lunenburg Courthouse
for safekeepng. She was released on
Monday night. and did go to the court
house. and was rearrested al the home OF
some Of her kin people.
These facts all tend TO prove that Mary
Alternately and Pokey Barnes are guilty
of completely In the murder, as they have
been shown beyond any peradventure
TO have been present at the Pollard
house at the hour the murder Is sup
posed 10 have been committed. Pokeys
breathless return 10 Ellen Gail. with her
sleeve badly ripped, and excitement In her
manner. apparent. also goes TO show that
she had been engaged I'm or had seen
something out OF the usual order She
denies that she was at Mr.. Pollards, and
now that IL has been definitely proved
that she was there the fact that she lied
on the stand has been made patent, and
her guilt has been practically established.
As for Mary Alternately. there is
little room to doubt that she was there,
too. for her own statement TO her hus-
hand on her return, which could not
hay,. been before 8 o'clock, that she saw
Mr.. Clements come after corn, shows
that she remalaed at Mr.. Pollard's du-
ring the whole afternoon. The condition
of her clothing is in evidence against
her.
AS TO MARY BARNES.
There Is but little outside evidence
against Mary Barnes, but there Is sufii-
cient to warrant any jury In giving her
such a sentence as she Is now serving.
In the first place. the whole family, with
the single exception of old Joe. bore an
awful reputation for general meanness.
and were thought by all who knew them
10 be capable of any amount of rascalty.
The fact that Mary Barnes left the
garden before the murder to consult
with Mary Alternately is good evidence
that she was hand-in-glove with the lat
fer. for she might have made any COM
monplace remark In the presence OF Mr..
Pollard; but no commonplace remarks
were passing between them that day.
They were preparing to put into execu-
ton dire plot to rob an innocent woman
of her life. and an old mlser of his money
Old Joe Barnes wrote his wife while
she was in Jail in Lunenburg that he
knew she was guilty. and hanging was
foo good for her. He stated In the let
fer that she had been going TO the Aber-
nathy's every night, and he supposed had
been plotting there TO murder Mrs. Pol
lard
All of these facts which are tho
roughly established. show conclusively
that Mary Barnes was unusually thick
with the Abernathy's and as she alone
of the three women would be apt TO
know where the Pollard money was kept
she must have taken an active part in
the plotting.
Thus are there sufficient circumstances
known TO prove the three women guilty
of completely If not actual participation,
in the tragedy without any statement
from Marable and when two and two
are put together. from the facts discov-
cred after Marabe's arrest when he first
implicated the two Mary's and Pokey,
they make a great big four which cor
responds in shape with the figure de-
duced from Soomon's statement.
COULDN'T BE TRUE.
Let's take the implied statement that
Mr.. Pollard is the murderer There is
absolutely nothing TO bear out this theo-
~ The Dispatch reporter talked
with both Mr. Pollard and Mr.. Clements,
ami their statements agree in every PAR
ticuar They could very readily have
entered the gate-which instead Of te-