Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-12
INDICATIONS ARE THAT SAM KIM
nRouGH WAS MURDERED.
POST NORTEK EXAMINATION
DIR. Croxton Instructed 10 Make One
To-Day--A Number of Witnesses
Testify Mt the Coroncr's Inquest
No Tangible Clue.

are SUN inNoiNtu IN mystery, tnOubH
the murder theory appears TO be
Strengthening.
Magistrate ]. T. Lewis. acting as
County Coroner. held a partial examna-
ton into the case yesterday, and while
considerable testimony was taken but
little evidence Of an important charac-
ter was adduced, though it became APP
parent that the man came 70 his death
by other than natural causes.
Magistrate Lewis had the following
Jury present to look into the case: Il.
n. Fletcher. G. i. Howell. Archer Oar
den. Tim Sullivan. Nicholas Ferriter,
and A. Kritzer. and Commonwealth
Attorney sands Intercepted the wit
nesses.
number of witnesses were examined,
and some rather conflicting testimony
was given i'm. The case was adjourned
over until to-day. and post-mortem ex-
animation viii be made.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
Martha Gray well-dressed mulatto,
about % years old. was the first wit
ness called, and she went into a de-
tailed account OF how. when, and where
she met Kimbrough on the night that
he was last seen alive. She, with Mary
Short net the deceased in front OF Mr..
Rankin's store about 10 o'clock In the
evening. and at his invitation they took
a drink with him, ana left him stand
ing on the corner Of Linden ana Cary
streets alone at ten minutes TO II. KIM
brough was at that time very much in
toxicated, ana was swayng his body TO
and fro. He had a stick in his hand,
but whether ID was q cane or a broom
handle she didn't know Witness had
known kimbrough Off and on for two
or three years, but he had never visit
ed her. and her meeting with him on
the fateful Monday night was purely
accidental. Being asked by Mr.. Sands
II she knew either Ike or John Bullock,
the men who found the body, witness
said only by sight. She grew some
what excited under this line OF ques-
tioning. and couldn't say exactly when
she saw them last.
Mary Short r-year-old negro girl,
was next placed on the stand. She last
met Kimbroush standing on the corner
OF Linden and Cary streets about ten
minutes past 10 on the Monday night
and left him at the same place at ten
minutes TO H. Her testimony was
largely substantiative Of that given by
Martha Gray. She never saw kim
brough before in her life, and never
saw him after. She realized that Kim
Being asked by Mr. Sands. witness re
piled that she knew the BullOcks, and
had known Ike for several months,
having met him at other peoples houses,
though he had never visited her
CHARLEY WARMERS TESTIMONY.
Charley Warner, a short. heavily-built
negro, testified that he saw Martina
Cray on the night Of Kimbrough,s dis
appearance. on the corner OF Linden
and Cary streets, and she asked MIN
10 go in to Rankins store ana ask
Kimbrough 10 come out. He declined 10
20 for her. and she sent another man.
and in a few minutes Kimbrough came
out They went to JOhnson's bar, ana
Warner ~ tnt with them, and they all
had several drinks together. He lost
trace Of Sam Kimbrough in the BAR but
located him afterwards about lo:oO
o'clock, with Martha Gray. He was
standing OF the corner then, and that
was the last he ever saw of him.
lie went to look for the missing nesIo
the next day. at the request of Mr. Kan
kin and went down 10 Martha Gray
house. but he was not there. she was.
though, and she told witness that she hau
run away from Sam the night before. ne
saw a man wrapped up in bed, but ne
couldn't see his face, his head being COW
cred over. and therefore, he could not
say who Il was Martha said il was her
husband. Witness and Martha talked
some time In the room, with this man in
bed. but the conversation, though entle ely
audible. did not seem 10 disturb the al
legged sleeper. Witness went back TO the
house The next morning, and went all over
st at the suggestion Of Martha 20 search
for Kinbrough. All he found was a
dark-skinned coiorci man, whom ne
didn't know, who said he was the owner
of ne house and didn't want 10 inter-
ference
Warner was severely cross-eXamined,
and grew rather contradictory. lie said
that ne was too drunk on the Monday
night in question to know exactly what
happened. When he went 10 look for
Martha and Kimbrough on the next
Morning he met a woman who SAID she
saw Martha and a man. both drunk, gong
home together the night before. He con
tradicted himself even worse than before
after giving in this testimony, and hnaliy
broke down altogether.
Ike Bullock, one of the men who founu
the body, was the next witness TO testify
He IS employed as a laborer by the 1rac-
tion Company He didn't know KIM
brough. but had seen him several times al
Rankings He had also seen Martina
Gray. but was not acquainted with her'
though he visited her house about three
or four weeks aso.
Thursday, and carried with them nee
dog. They went down TO the canal, anc
while following a hawk which he was
trying to get a shot at he stumbled ovei
the body. which was lying in some prler'
about or feet from the canal. Inc
dead man was lying fiat Of his back VIII
his arms stretched out. his head to the
east and his face fronting south. His ha'
was folded under his head.
Witness called his brother and told hin
there was a man lying down there. nc
first said ne told his brother who II was
tut contradicted this almost in the same
breath. saying he didn't know who it was
He subsequently said that he tod nj
brother II must be the man who was los'
from Mr. Rankins. though why he shou.C
have said this he didn't know, as he dld
not recognize the body.
OTHER WITNESSES TESTIFY.
Ellen Frazier a woman who occupied
the house with Martha Gray, was next
examined, but shed no new light on the
case She was succeeded by Jim Billips
husband of Martha Gray who testified
that be was the man In the bed whei
Martha and Warner were talking in th'
room.
When he concluded DR.. Croxton testi'
Ned. He expressed the opinion that the
deceased came 10 his death from othei
than natural causes. but did not believe
that the bruises about the body had pro
duced death. He was confident that th'
body had been lying In the underbrusf
but short time when found.
When DIR. Croxton concluded the jnr,
was adjourned over until this morning a
II O'clock and the Doctor was INSTRUCTED
TO make an examination OF the remains
and, II nece sary, remove the stomach.