Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-24

Hayes Bridge Affair Proves TO b a
Nest Mysterious Murder.
He Wa. n CoIored Resident of Man
chester, and Had Been In Rich
Fouud and No Clues TO Murdcrcrs.

Found and No Clues TO Murdcrcrs.
The Mayos-bridge murder. an account
Of which appeared in yesterday morn
Ings Dispatch. is stil deeply shrouded
In mystery, though the police have sue
rcedcd in sufficiently unravelllng IL TO
assure themselves that tho victim was
Barney Perry. q young negro man. who
was employed as a driver for Mr.. G. a.
Jones. a Manchester groccry-man.
Divers and drc1gers were engaged
throughout yesterday in searching the
river for the remains Of the unfortunate.
but when darkness closed in on them
their efforts had been unrewarded.
From all that can be learned. the deed
was ono OF great daring. and must have
been committed by desperate men. In
auirles made by Dispatch man yester-
Gay elected the following particulars
leading up 20 the crime:
Joseph n. Barker. an employee OF
Messrs H. W. Rountree & Brother, and
who resides on Everett street. in Man
chester. WIS first seen in company with
Barney Perry. about 10 O'Clock on Fri
Say night. and. through the invitation
OF Barker. they both got into a Rich
mond- bound electrician, at the corner OF
Seventh and Hull streets, Manchester
ASKED PERRY TO COME.
Barker, who Is white man Of family
had asked several men 10 go with him 70
Richmond; but. upon their refusal had
invited Perry 10 accompany him. saying
that he would show him good time. Bar
ker gets paid off on Fridays, and usG
ally spends his money very freely IN
III II is oil gone.
Perry accepted the Invitation. and. ac-
cordingly, the two men came TO Richmond
and spent some time at Bakers bar
room. near the corner Of Fourteenth and
Main streets. Barker treated his colored
companion several times. and the couple
were seen by Mr.. James Lipscomb and
Mr.. Graves at II 80 i. NJ near the bar.
Mr.. Lipscomb. who knew Barker very
well. stopped and talked with him some
time. trying TO persuade him 10 stop
drinking. Al 100 a. NJ. Policeman
Brown, passing along his beat, found
the negro asleep In doorway, and Bar
Eer standing near by with n white man.
whose name was afterwards learned
TO be Coleman Ware. The policeman
tapped the negro on the shoe with his
club. and, recognizing him as Mr. Jones's
driver, told him he had better 90 home.
or he would have 70 arrest him. The
negro promptly moved on towards Four
tcorth street. while Barker and Ware
went back 20 the bar-room. This was
the last seen OF Perry.
TWO MEN THREW HIM OVER.
Mr.. James III. LpscOmb OF Manohes-
ter who. as told In the Dispa CHI was
the only eyewitness 10 the killing when
80. q 4.
his home. in Manchester ABOUT o'clock.
and when he had gone about tho distance
OF one span on the bridge De heard
the cry. "Oh. dOntw lie then saw dis
tinctly two mon lift a third over the
railing, and the next moment he heard
n splash from the water below Becom-
ing Mortified and panic-stricken, Mr.
Lipsc0mb retreated as rapidly as he
could and at Fourteenth and Main streets
he met Sergeant Otey and Policemen
Crane. OF the First-Police Dis
trict. to whom he told his story.
and the three FASTENED to the scene.
About two and quarter spans from
the Richmond bank they found the small
pool Of blood and a straw hat. The police
headquarters OF Richmond were at once
notified Of the affair, while Mt Llpscomb
proceeded 10 the Manchester side under
the protection Of an officer Mr.. Lipscomb
went direct 20 his home but on his way
notified the Manchester police headquar-
ters OF the tragedy which had been en-
acted. and officers Wright and Jones were
soon on the spot.
A CORROBORATIvE STATEMENT.
Mr.. Lpscomb is confirmed in his convlc-
ton that he saw two men throw a third
over the railing. but adds that he Is UNI
certain as TO whether the men were color
ed or white.
In the statement that there were two
men connected in the crime he Is corrob-
GRATED by a colored yard hand OF the
Southern railway. who said yesterday ar
ternoon that he saw two men running
from the direction OF the bridge shortly
behind Mr.. Lipscomb. and that they sepa-
rated, one going towards the dock and the
other turning up Cary street
rs soon as II became known that muir
der had been committed crowd began
10 cOngregate on the bridge. and when
day broke their number was greatly aug
mented. Among the first 10 arrive upon
scene after the officers got there was
Barker. who reached the brige about 2:$
a. NJ.
PROVED AN ALTBI.
The suspicious OF the police were
aroused by this. especially after Perry
failed to show up yesterday morning. and
the hat had been identified as his by Mr..
.. a. Jones. his employer. and several
others. Consequently Captain Thomas
and Chief Lipscomb, OF Manchester,
brought Barker 10 Richmond yesterday
morning. but made no arrest as has been
stated. Barker was asked TO account for
himself. and he clearly proved his where
abouts from II o'clock until 2:30 a. NJ. by
the bartender OF Bakers saloon and Cole
man Ware
Barker was released in consequence.
and now the police 90 both cities are
completely in the dark" as Captain
Thomas expressed IL last night. Every ef-
fort has been made 10 get even a clue to
the murderers. but each stone turned over
revealed nothing more than has been
stated above. The best detectives have
been detailed on the case. but their labors
have 80 far proven fruitless though they
are s;ill at work. and no stone will be left
Nniurned. The search for the body viii
lie continued to-day.
Many people on yesterday visited the
scene OF the murder. and so densely was
the bridge packed that special police
man was detailed to keep the crowd In
circulation. The spot Is designated by a
cross mark cut In the plank. and though
the heavy rain OF yesterday has succeeded
in washing away most az the blood, some
stains yet remain.
Barney Perry was e small negro about
- years old. and had been a faithful en-
rloyee OF Mr.. Jones for the past seven
years. lie was very eesily scared. and
had been told Friday night about Chris
Baker and the medical students often kill
ing people on Mayo's bridge for their
bodies.