The age-herald., 1897-09-05
UNSAFE ID REMOVE TERRY Authorities of Coffee County Left
 Him Where He Was. THE STORY OF HIS CRIME Frank Hart, Who Shot g. s. Oates, Taken 10 Prattyile-Commissioner Culver to Issue
 His Crop Report-Appointments.

a9PSN-dh ~ AuASLABS-IiSIdlu
 Montgomery, Sept. IA gentleman from Coffee coun,y brings news that the negro 'fMajor' Terry is still in jai lthere, it being conrldered unsafe 10 remove him to the Coffee county tjsil at Elba. The gentleman relates Interestingly the details of his crime.
 "On the nigh1 of July 12. about Il o'clock D. 1n., four miles nor,h of En.es- prise, Coffeo county, Mls. Lewis c. Thomas wals brutally murdered. MT. Thomas was away several miles work ing on the rlsw railroad. Ms, Thmas, with her sever children, was at home, where they Giave lived fer the past seven years, upon the place of MT. W. J. Prid- gen. About daylight the mex. morning the family of MT. Pr.dgen was alarmed by the cries of Mrs. Thomas baby, an1 Mrs. Pridgen and son ran to the house of Mrs. Thomas immediately. Ihe bed upon which Mrs. Thomas and baby were lying was on fire and burning rapidly.
 The fire was set to the side uporl-w ch Mrs. Thomas was living and the pahy was uninjurad. rS.Thomas was sslif, having been dead several hours and was badly burned A pile of splinters were found upon the b1d, and a good many of the family clothes were piled arour d her, evidently to make sure work Of the burning. The children were a1 awaken ed and gotten out of the house, anu the fire was extinguished in short while Suspicion soon s5ttlSd upon Major Ter ", a negro who lived about one mile from the house of Mir. Thomas. Terry was found in his field blowing, and was arrested by Jos Grimsley. The news soon spread aM over the surrounding country, and an excited crowd began to gather around the Thomas residence.
 I. D. Chancey, constable of Enterprise beat, was sent fer and took charge of the prisorisr. In the afternoon a corcn- er's inquest was held by A. s. Helms at the Thomas home. It was the verdict of the coroner's jury that Mrs. Thomas cams to her death from wounds inflicted by Major Terry.
 IhtM arson of the dead woman was examined by Dr. Grubb5, ard the skull was found to be broken two inches wide. her thiioat dark wit1 finger prln upon it and her mouth full of cotton. The skull was crushed by a blow wath a chair. The following evidence before the cc-oners jury seemed to connect Major with Ehe crime beyond any reasonable doubt
 Major Terry had been in Inc house of Mrs. Thomas several times prior to the killing. He passed there about sunset on the evning of the killing, going home. Mrs. Thomas asked him to bring her some milk, which he consented to do.
 
 the milk to Mrs. Thomas, waited un il after supper was prepared and ate. Jim Herring. young white boy about Is years of age, was there, and went home about o'clock, leaving jor jhcre. The children went to bed and left their mamma sill sitting up and Major dll there. Major admits this. The tracks arour1 and fence where the EplinierS found upon the bed were pulled off, and correspond exactly 10 the tracks of Ma ir .iF1rs s.,-- l.. Thomas house.
 Other circumstances connect him with the foul crime. He was carried by Con- stable Chancey to Enterprise, reaching there about sundown, preparatory to taking him to Elba jail. He was given supper by Mir. Chancey, and after eating made an attempt to escape, and came very near succeeding. About II o'clock Constable Chancey, accompanied by an- other man, started to Elba with the negro. Major was seated on the back of the buggy, a chain was locked around h,l neck. and the chain was fastened around tho front axle, Before they got cut of the town of Enterprise, Major had broken the lock- and left for parts unknown.
 Frank Hart, the Autauga county far ! T. who murdered s. $. Oates, a veal thy neighboring farmer near WadsWo orth in that county yesterday, by shooting him from ambush as he drove along the road in q buggy with his wife and two little chi17ren, was carried through here tc Prattvillc the county site of Au- tauga, this morning.
 He denies that he is guilty of the crime, but Mrs. Hart is positive that he is the man whom she saw fire the load of lead slugs and buckshot Into her hus- band.
 Oates will die. if he has not already been relieved of his agony.
 Tine enmity between the men appears to have grown out of a case involving the ownership of several pigs, Oates swearing against Hart in the matter.
 Commissioner Culver will issue his crop report Monday. It will show the crops have been injured considerably during the past two months.
 Only two appointments were given out from the governors office today. They were
 Robert E. Simpson. notary public. Florence, Laudordafe county.
 L. w. Brwon. notary I 'bhc ar1 ex- of1icio justice of the peace, beat 2, Jeffer- son county.
 Virginia Primaries.