Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-10-01

kins boat and got the man who swan
ashore on point and beat him
Jos. n. Matsingly, sworn. live Ia 81
Mary's. Was clerking for Mr. John Cryer
Nov. Is, 1891. Was In store. Was asleep.
Heard noise out doors. The fuss walked
me up. When 1 got out lot Of coloreSi
fellows had got in boat. Wood go. boat
close to where theirs was-about yards.
Followed them Soon came up 10 them.
Struck down in boat and the boat turned
over and two of the men were drowned
Think he continued 70 strike after men
were in water. Don't know how many
times he struck Don't know whether he
struck at men in water. Struck after they
were in water. That is my recollection Of
il. Knew Weed Chase two years. Two
colored men were drowned Saw them az
ter they were brought ashore. Saw Wood
after the occurrence Wood was at store
little while He didn't seem TO me much
excited. Might have been. Probably l
told him 1t was a bad thing. To best of
my recollection Wood said abe didn't care,
was sorry the others were not in there with
them" Saw Woods hat. It was q kind
Of hat oystermen wear-it was sou'wester.
Said they shot at him. Didn't examine
the hat. There looked like there was q
deaf or hole in hat. II the hole was where
is -laaksd---ta-lb BE 1t :=:uldn,t have gn9e 10
|, On cross examination, said: Think
heard pistol go of. Drowning took place
near wharf Might have been above IL or
below IT, Drowning was right out from
shore about 25 yards Chase got in boat
First / saw, Wood was in boat-just about
to get in it or showing of. Don't remem.
Der whether | testified before coroners
jury. Have no recollection of testifying.
Don't know whether testified at all. i'll
did testify, am positive l didn't testify to
not seeing drowning. Have kindest feel.
ings for Chase. Wouldn't hurt him for the
world. Have been TO see him several times
since he has been In Jail. Unfortunately
for me did see it.
TESTIMONY FOR THE DEFENSE.
Capt, Henry Thornton, of Accomac, the
first witness for the defense, was followed
by captains Allie Young. Frank Taylor,
Harrison Lewis, Alb. Davis, Samuel Kill.
mon, VIM. Landlord, Emory Vessels aud
Henry r. Chase, who positively and uni.
quivocally corroborated the essential por-
tons of his evidence. The captains viewed
the drowning from their different boats
riding at anchor in the cove and bay, and
all but one stated, in reply to questions OF
why they did not go the rescue of the
drowning men, "that their crews he'd taken
their small boats in which to GO ashore,
and they had no way to go"
The exception was Capt. Harrison Lew
is, now commander of the Virginia police
boat Pocomoke, who gave his boat to Cap
tain Hopkins that lie might go TO the res
cue of his crew. All OF the captains who
saw the drowning and testified in court
said that Chase was never close enough to
the negroes boat to overturn it; that he did
not have either an oar or pole, and that
the boat went down by the head, caused
BY the negroes rushing toward the bow
when the man standing there fired over
them at Wood Chase.
Captains Allie Young and Frank Taylor,
both of Accomac, seem to have been az
chored closer to the scene of the tragedy
than anyone else. Captain Taylor tes-
titled: II was on my boat about thirty
yards distant from the scene of the drown.
ing. saw a skif with five colored men
come cut CT the cove and Chase in another
skiff. When Mr.. Chase was in about if
teen yards one of the colored men com
menced firing. He fired two or three times
and jumped overheard. When he jumped
| over the bow Of the boat went under and
she upset. The man who jumped swan
ashore. Captain Hopkins rescued two of
the men. Chase had neither oar nor pole.
He had little stick about the length ofmy
crutch. He was not near enough to hit
any one and he didn't do it, 1.-The had had
an oar In his hand / couldn't have helped
seeing it. / heard the man who swan
ashore halloo for his rifle and say he
would kill every damn white livered -
on the point"
Allie Young sworn: Saw drowning.
Was asleep in cabin; hadn't been ashore
that day; my sons woke me up and said,
"Pa, there is row ashore" got up and
saw a skif coming out with some darkies
in her and skiff with Mr. Chase cnming
out, too. When the boat upset it was about
10 or 10 yards from my boats stern. The
boat with the darkies in 1t upset when a
man in her fired pistol Wood Chase
had no oar or pole; he had little stick
Wasn't close enough 10 hit them; was
about Is yards; think mine was the near
est boat; my boat is sloop saw ii all af-
ter they came off from bank; heard the
man after he reached the bar calling for
his rifle; am no relation to Chase; Chase
drifted down on Capt. Seymour Smith and
went ashore from his boat; not outside of
Is yards from boat when she sank. / live
about 3 miles from Mr. Chase in Accomac
county; don't know what kind of a stick
he had; it looked something like lath,
single or thin board; Chase was drifting
and darkies were "scull;ag." Didn't go to
rescue men because I had no boat; my boat
was gone.
Levin Marshall and Lyttleton Ira
der, both of Accomac, testified as to
the difficulty at the barn, Trader cor
roboratiDg Marshall, who said: Was at