The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-27
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
THE DEATH or BARNEY PERRY
STILL saKoUDED IN MYSTERY.
Result OF the Inquest Held Yesterday.
Number OF Witnesses Examined.
Police ut Work.

urday morning. and concerning whom
there has been a suspicion OF foul play
The Jury. after examining number
OF witnesses. brought in a verdict that
the negro came to his death from causes
unknown 10 the jury
After DR.. Garcin. who was present AT
tho post-mortem examination ana as
sisted In the same, had testified as 70
the character OF the wounds found upon
the drowned man. Mr.. James Lipscomo'
who first informed the police was called
TALKED TOO MUCH.
This gentleman prefaced his deposition
by the candid statement that. In his opin-
ion. he had already talked too much
about the matter. He then proceeded
as follows:
But what know is ! saw the colored
boy and this fellow Barker He was
sitting in the window and some officer
tapped him on the shoulder and told
him to get up l invited him TO get
a drink could not say whether Il was
10 or half past TO- l never saw Mr..
Barker any more. After / got on the
bridge. about 2 o'clock. / heard some
one say oh. don't Then l advanced
and got scared | saw two men.
could not tell whether they were white
or black. l then ran back TO Richmond
and reported to the authorities and came
back TO the bridge and found the stains
and hat on the spot where the man was
supposed TO be thrown over. / then re-
ported to the Manchester authorities.
then came back with Mr.. Jones and
saw Mr.. Barker on the bridge on the
Manchester side Then Mr.. Wright did
not say anything. l then told Mr..
Wright that 1 saw Barker and The colored
boy together. Mr.. Wright said Barker
was always drunk. TO let him so along.
ThenG eftcr seeing the spot where the
blood"xas l left them. l was not
afraid 10 so back then. l am certain
they were two white men who threw the
body over. l was close enough TO see
that two white men threw man over
the bridge
SEEMING INCONSISTENCY.
Or. Leftwich here called the attention
Of the witness TO the fact that he had
contradicted himself by first saying that
he did not know whether the two men hc
had sccn on the bridge were white or
co'ored, ana then declaring that he saw
two Wlite men throw a body over the
iailings The witness explained this
hy saying that he had meant TO say he
did not know whether the man thrown
overheard was white or black. one of
the members Of the jury interposed and
said he did not think the evidence given
Ia by the witness should be adjusted to
suit what he said on second thought.
PARHAMS TESTIMONY.
Edward Parham colored employe Of
the Southern railway. was next examined,
and In reply TO questions he testified as
follows:
Between and 2.3O o'clock 1 sat down
by an electric light and went to reading.
saw one gentleman go up Mayo's
bridge from the Richmond side. About
five minutes after that i saw two men
70 up there one man taller than the
other. After that / saw two men come
back. They loitered in between After
that one of the men kept on. / think
the other went down the York River
track. | went far as Fourteenth
street after the lights were out. and
when l got there / saw two police off,
GERS. one OF them asked me where |
was going. l told him 1 worked over
here. and he said, All right / went
over and stopped at tho company's Of
lice. l sat there for some time and
was approached ~ some other gentle
man. We remained there and talked for
some time. i then went on to the on
posite side Of Fourteenth STREET. and this
other gentleman came along and asked
me what did they ask me said 10
MIN they asked me where / was going.
j mean the policeman asked me. then
asked the man what did the policeman
ask him. / did not know the man. but
would know him If l saw him Yes. |
recognize Mr.. Barker as the man. That
Was about 2:3O, as near as l can come TO
IT, 1t was after the officers went off
the bridge that / saw Mr.. Barker. lie
asked me If / was going over the bridge.
ana told him no. He was a stranger
To me. The last / saw Of him he was
a4F.N.H Il.
boy who was killed. ] could not recog-
nize one as a colored man because The
lowest man was on the outside. You can
recognize white man by the electric
hght. 1 was close enough TO identify
the nrst man as a white man. | said
there was a small man and a. tan man
together. The one this side was dressed
~ dark clothes and had on derby hat.
said / could not see the small man.
This man Barker had on a light suit of
clothes as he has now. / could not saw
he was one of the two that went towards
the bridge"
SERGEANT OTEY EXAMINED.
The next witness was Sergeant Otey.
of the First district lie told how h.
had accompanied Mr.. LApscomb to the
bridge ana found a straw hat and some
few clots Of blood. lie further testified
10 having met Barker near the Allegheny
railroad trestle and 10 have spoken 10
him. Barker had been drinking, but
said nothing 10 excite suspicion. and was
let go - He told the officers that he
had just left Mr.. Bakers saloon. and in
vestigation showed this To be true. and
that he had been there of and on from
IL o'clock.
After Sergeant Otey's examination was
j. II. Barker, the white man
who was In company with Perry on the
night OF his death, was examined. lie
told how he I'm company with Perry.
came TO Richmond and had several drinks
While in Bakers saloon drinking. some
OF the crowd teased Perry about the
students. and he left the place and went |
out on the street lie was persuaded !
TO come back and remained for a while |
and after the crowd went out on the |
street Perry left and went up toward |
Fourteenth street. while he Barker re- |
turned to the bar.
OTHER WITNESSES.
After the examination OF George Whit |
low. one OF the men who found Perry's |
body. Alice Southall (colored) and Ser |
geant A. $. Wright, OF the Manchester |
police force. the jury took the case and |
the verdict above recorded.
In spite OF the air OF mystery that |
surrounds the case. the theory of acct |
dental drowning is perfectly tenable. The |
police, however, are making every effort |
TO probe tho matter TO the bottom and |
V a murder has been committed the
criminal will. no doubt, be apprehended. |
The remains Of Perry were buried yes
Ierday In Maury Cemetery.
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