Evening star., 1896-07-03
SOLOMON MARABLE HANGED.
Execution Of the Murderer OF Mrs.
Pollard.

Execution Of the Murderer Of Mrs.
Pollard.
FARMVILLE, Va, July 3.-Solomon
Marable was hanged here at 957 o'clock
this morning for the murder Of Mrs. Lucy
Jane Pollard on June IA. 1895. He met his
fate calmly. and on the scaffoid reiterated
his oft-repeated statement that Mrs. Pol
lard was murdered by a white man. Death
was caused by strangulstion. Marable was
pronounced dead eighteen and half min
utes after the drop fell, but was allowed
to hang thirty-five. The execution was In
the Jail and was witnessed by only few
citizens.
Three Eegro women are alleged to have
been accomplices in the Pollard murder,
which aroused the whole state of Virginia.
OF the three a nolle pros. has been entered
as to Pokey Barnes. Mary Alternately has
been sentenced to hang, but execution has
been stayed by order of court, and
Mary Barnes is serving ten years SEN
tence in the penitontiary.
The Murder of Mrs. Pollard.
The crime for which Marable was hanged
was the killing Of Mrs. Lucy Jane Pollard
near Fort Mitchell in Lunenburg cNlnty, on
the 14th day of June, 1895. She was MUIR
dered in her back yard in broad daylight
by being knocked in the head with an TX.
lHeTe were twenty-five SepdGdte d.l us
t!nct cuts on the back Of her head, which
was hacked to a jelly. Her husband, +. 8.
Pollard, was at work at the time I'm a field
about three hundred yards from the resi-
dence. 1t was a daring deed, as fifteen or
twenty hands were working In the field
with Mr.. Pollard, who was a man Of con-
siderable means, and knoT always to keep
money in the house. A trunk was robbed
of $500 in money.
Solomon Marable, who was suspected of
the crime. which created a profound sensa-
tion throughout Virginia and North Caro-
lima, was captured the following Tuesday
IN Mecklenburg county. He was taken to
the scene OF the murder under heavy
guard.
The evidence against him was conclusive
from the start, as the clothes he had on
the day Of the murder were found, and
they were covered with blood. He finally
confessed to having participated In muir
dering Mrs. Pollard. He would have been
taken from Jail the night of his arrest and
lynched. but the commonwealth attorney
prevailed upon the crowd to allow him TO
live in order that Marable might be used as
a witness to convict three women who
were under arrest as accoinplices.
These women were Mary Albernathy
Mary Barnes and Pokey Barnes All four
prisoners were taken 10 Petersburg for
safekeeping. and when the time OF their
trial arrived they were escorted TO Lunen-
burg by company of soldiers. They were
all convicted, Mary Abernathy Pokey
Barnes and Solomon Marable of murder in
the first degree, while Mary Barnes re-
ceived verdict Of murder IN the second
degree. and was sentenced to ten years in
the penitentiary. where she is now serving
out her term. The three convicted of MR.
der in the first degree were all given new
Trials by the supreme court, AMI a change
OF venue granted by the county court of
Lunenburg. The prisoners were ordered to
De tried IN Prince Edward county. at the
March term Marable was convicted and at
the April term Mary Aberna,hy was con-
demned, while Pokey Barnes was set free
py noile prosequi order suggested by the
commonwealth attorney Mary Aber-
nathy was sentenced to hang on Wednes-
DAY, July y. but her execution was stayed
by the granting of writ of error
A rather remarkable feature. of the muir
DER and robbery is that the stolen money
never mas been accounted for. The women
were first convicted on Marabel's testimony
alone. he testffying they lid the killing
while he held Mrs. Pollard's hands. After
wara ne told an entirely different story
Vindlcating the women and impIica ting a
white resident Of the Pollard neighborhood.