The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-30
TRAGEDY BEHIND THE BARS
James Hill Killed Charles Cooley BY
Striking Him With His Fist.
THEY OCCUPIED The SAHE CELL
Got Into Difficulty and coniey Was
Knocked Down and His Head struck
Against u Stone which Kuptured
Blood Vessel.

An ugly tragedy occurred at the city
jail yesterday afternoon. and now Charles
Conley. white man. about hfty-fve years
Old. Hes cold I'm death as the result OF a
blow inflicted by James I'M. another
white man, who was q prisoner In the
Jail
\ somewhat singular coincidence Is thai
b"th men were sent TO jail on the 1ith
OF November. Conley was sent down for
sixty days by Justice Crutchneld OF the
folice Court. having been unable to give
the required security. lie had committed
some ordinary offence. which did not
show on the books at the Jail. He was
not Richmond man. and had no relatives
here.
IN THE SAME CELL
Hiii Is about forty-flye years OF age.
He Is United States prisoner, and was
sent TO Jeil by the Federal authorities to
await . trial upon the. charge OF robbing
the United States mail
The two men occupied the same cell. on
the second floor. About O'clock In the
AFTERNOON, while eating, they had some
words about some trivial circumstance
Just what the nature OF this was could
not be learned. as there were no eye
witnesses TO the affair, and the circum-
stances as stated were obtained from Hin
himself and two or three other prisoners
In the vicinity who only heard the men
quarrelling
From what could be learned fIill called
Conley liar during the course OF the
controversy. and conlcy then retaliated
with a much stronger eplthet. nm then
struck conley in the face with his fist.
The blow was quite a hard one. and the
force OF II knocked Conley down.
STRUCK HIS READ.
He fell TO the floor Of tho cell, and his
head struck heavily upon one OF the
square stones. His cheek was cut pain
fully, but not seriously 10 all Appearances.
About this time Doputw NJ. A. Marin
went to the scene of the trouble, and un-
locked the cell TO take the men out and
quiet them. The belligeronts were soon
brought 10 order and lin explained thar
the difficulty had occurred as stated
above. tie was locked up In another cell
and DR.. W ;. Gordon physician 10 the
city Jail. was summoned 10 administer
10 the needs of COnlcy who did not ap-
pear 10 be seriously hurt until he COM
mcnced 10 sigh heavily. Soon DIR. Cor
don was on the scene, ana the wound ou
conley's cheek was dressed. About
o clock he became unconscious, and never
regained his senses. lie died shortly be
fore ! o'clock.
CHARGED WITH MURDER.
Coroner William ~. Taylor was sum-
mOned and viewed the body lie will hold
a post-mortem this morning al 10 O'Clock.
and an inquest over the remains Will be
held this afternoon NJ o'clock II was
the opinion OF Or. Gordon and Dr Taylor
last night that conley came 10 his death
by reason OF the bursting of a blood
vessel on the brain, caused By the blow
against the stone Conley Will be buried
at the expense Of the city.
CITY Sergeant Fpps qworo out q war
rant against HIM last nirht charging BIN
with the murder Of conley. No turtrer
Investigation Will be made into the case
until after the verdict of the coron"r' =
iurv Is rendered ~ Is not likely tha' Hiii
will be convicted ~ murder as ~" dn7'h
~ Conloy was evidently the immediate
result Of an accident