The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-04
SOLOMON VARIABLE DIES ON THE
SCAFFOLD
He Met His Fate Protesting His limo
cence, Saying Mrs. Pollard Was Muir
dered by White Man-The Evidence
Against Marable Was Very Copclu-
siye-His Three Accomplices Were
Also Convicted.

rarhlNlile, Va, July 3.-Solomon Mar
| aple was hanged here at 9:51 o'clock this
morning for the murder of Mrs. Lucy
Jane Pollard on June II, 1895. He met
MS itte calmly and on the scafrold reiter
ated MS oft-rcpeated statement that Mrs
Pollard was murdered by white man
Death was CAUSED by stringulation. Mar
aDie was pronounced dead eighteen and Il
haif minutes after the drop fell but was
allowed to hang thirty-five The execu-
ton was III the. Jail and was witnessed by
only Il few citizens
Three negro women are ALLEGED to have
been accomplices in the Pollard murder
which aroused the whole State of Vir-
gina. OF the three nolle pros has been
entered rs to Pokey Barnes. Mary Aber-
nathy mas been sentenced to hang but OK
ecution Is stayed by an order of CORTLAND
Mary Barnes is serving a ten wears SEN
tence in the pcnitentiarv.
Mrs. Pollard was murdered in her back
yard i'll broad daylight by being knocked
IN the head with an axe There were
twenty-five separate and distinct cuts on
the BACK oil her head which was hacked
to Il Jelly. Her husband, f. : Pollard
WAS at work at the time in IL field about
3O0 yards from the residence. 1t was a
daring deed, as fifteen or twenty hands
were working in the field with Mr.. Pol
lard, who was Il man of considerable
means and known always to keep money
IN the house. y trunk was robbed of
$500 in money.
solomon Marable, who was suspected
OF the crime. was captured the following
Tuesday in Mecklenburg county He was
taken to the scene of the murder under a
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 lie finally confessed to having
participated in numbering Mrs Pollard.
lie would have been taken from iail 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 he used as IA witness
to convict the three women who were I'M
der arrest as accomplices
These women We're Mary Abernnthv
Mary Barnes and Pokey Barnes. All four
prisoners We're taken to PETERSBURG for
safe keeping and when the time of their
triai arrived they We're escorted To Lunen-
burg by company of soldiers. They
were all convicted Mary Abernathv.
Pokey Barnes and Solomon Marable of
murder III the first degree. while Mary
barnes received Il verdict OF murder i'm
the second degree and WAS sentenced to
ten years in the penitcntiary. The three
convicted of murder in the first degree
were all given new trials by the supreme
| court and il change of venue granted by
the county court of l.uncnburg The
prisoners were ordered to be tried mt
Prince Edward county.
At the March term Marable was con
victed and at the appeal term Mary Aher-
nathy was convicted, while Pokey Barnes
was set free by II nolle prosequi order
suggested by the commonwealth : attor-
ney Mary Alternately was sentenced to
hang on Wednesday, July s, but her exc
cution was stayed by the granting of a
writ OF error. y rather remarkable fea-
| ture of the murder and robbery is that
the stolen money has never been account
ed Tor. Inc women We're first convicted
on Marable's testimony alone he testify
ing they dld the killing while he held Mrs.
Pollard hands. Afterwards he told an
entirely different story indicating the
women and duplicating white resident
of the Pollard neielborhood