The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-18
The MECKLENBURG MURDER.
Ihe Death Of William Warren Is still 1
Deep Mystery.
BITTERNESS OF DEAD MANS MOTHER.
she Charges the Death OF Her Boy to the
Door ofthe House Of Rogsrs-TheF Father
OF tho Accused Cool and Unmoved
Over the Authorization OF Bail.

>o'HluS dfouSes the Indignation and In
tensihcs the feeling of resentment OF
community, more than murder. Darticu-
larry when done i'm the dead hours OF the
nlght. on lonely country farm in q
peaceful and law-abding neighborhood.
where all her people are busy about their
daily advocations
IN such a ncighborhood as this. the
scene of last Saturday nights tragedy
Was enacted when the red handed assas-
sin, struck down the harmless and In
offensive farmer. William ID. Warren. in
Rogers wheat field. which crime to all
appearances was done from ambush
where the assassin lay concealed I'm n
thickct awaiting tho coming OF his prey.
No character is so abhorent TO mankind
and from which we shrink more than the
man who will strike us down in the dark.
Yesterday In company with Common
wealth's Attorney Goode | visited the spot
whore Warrens dead body was found.
The commonwealth Attorney vis-
tied the place for the purpose
Of locating and designating by
signs the place where Warrens
body was found and also the place where
the paper gun wadding was found, ana
TO set the distance from the scene OF
the tragedy OF the home OF Young Rog-
ers the party charged with the murder
Mr.. Goode wanted also 10 acquaint
himself more fully with the situation or
Affairs and to further investigate the cir
cumstances In connection with the mur-
der. which would aid him in properly pre-
senting the case 10 the Jury az the trial.
AT THE ROGERS HOME.
We first visited Mr.. Thomas Rogers. the
father OF John. After acquainting him
with the object OF our VISIT he very
willingly offered to accompany us. and
took us TO the place. I watched him
81. Ia a
I'm his voice, or nervousness OF manner
as we spoke to him. but. to my surprise.
he spoke with great calmness and COM
posure, and talked as though nothing
of an unusual character had happened.
not seemingly affected while at the scene
of tragedy
We asked him about his son John.
whore he was. and how he was getting
along. He replied that he was out I'm
the oat field. and had been hard nj work
ever since he was bailed ont Of Jail. He
seemed greatly moved when speaking OF
the serious and helnous crime OF which
John stood charged. and addressing Mr..
Goode and myself he said: Both Of you
gentlemen have sons. and you can mag.
Inc my feelings when n charge Ike this
IS brought against my boy.
BY actual measurement the body was
found III yards from the home Of young
Rogers. in a ravine. which runs through
Rogers wheat field. Some thirty yards
from where the body was found there
stands a cluster Of thick plum bushes
and in these It is thought the murderer
was concealed and from which he
emerged as he fred the fatal shot. for a
portion Of the shot was fired into a fence.
a distance OF one hundred and fifty Yards.
In q direct line with the plumb bushes.
and the spot where the body was found.
The size Of the shot were such as are
usually used to kin geese.
THE DEAD MANS MOTHER.
After getting though al Rogers. wa
went 10 the home Of the mother OF thu
murdered man old Mrs. Warr,ns. Wa
found the old lady I'm the yard on hf
way TO feed her chickens and as soon as
the subject OF tic murder WAS mentioned
her eyes flashed aud with her body al
most qulvering from emotion she said,
they ought To lynch those Rogers. and
the Fame woman. they have killen my son
ana this she spoke with al the yohem.
ence Of her strong nature.
She does not doubt but that William val
killed by one OF the Rogers. While at hei
| house she took into the house to seq
whore the life blood OF her boy had oozed
| from bis wounds in the head upon her
parlor carpet There" she said. "is the
blood that flowed from his head as he lay
stretched upon the floor"
asked her II she had a likeness OF her
SOM
NO" she said. none but one takeu
when he was a child OF some six or seven
years Of age" She got that and handed
II to me- | could see even in this pic
ture, a likeness TO the man. She brought
| also picture OF herself taken when she
was comparatively young woman. This
| she said is the mother OF that little boy.
GENERAL BELIEF
| | believe a large majority OF the peo-
| pie Of this community believe that War
rem met his death AT the hand OF tho
! Rogers
II such was the case. can account foi
| the killing OF Warren upon no other hypo
| thesis than that the Rogers thought War
| rem was some rogue and his failure 10
! answer promptly and satisfactorily the
demands made upon him. to know who hs
was. that he was fred upon aud killed
and II he was killed I'm this way the
| Rogers have made a fearful mistake In
/ not telling the truth from the beginning
| for as the matter now stands, the grav
est suspicion rest upon them and the
! probabilities are that the facts will CONF
| 10 light. and II il should then II viii ID
too late 20 plead I'm extermation the eN
| cuss that Warren was hot by mistake
! they believing he was some person there
| for the purpose Of robbery.
From thorough enQuirng. from the hes,
information w0 can gather. | have noi
been able 10 learn CT one circumstances
which In any way connects woman
with this case, nor II (, IN evidence that
there existed any bad feeling between
the two men or their families and the
theory OF robbery IS not mentioned. Al
| even probable.
The whole matter therefore is inexp,ca
BILE and | am constrained TO believe tha
the killing was done under "A misappre
henslon as 10 who the party was.
THE FAME WOMAN.
We also measured the distance from
the house I'm which the colorcd woman
Fame was living. TO where the body wa>
found. which was little over one hundred
yards. there can be no doubt but In still
night voice could be easily heard and
/ recognized at that distance.
II will be remembered that this woman
testified that she heard Rogers call II
Warren three times TO know who ne wa,
without getting reply and then the
gun was fired.
The two farm are not moro that
half n mile apart | asked old Mrs. War
rem II her son was In the habit OF vis-
iting the Rogers. No. she said. he went
there very seldom. and that she objected
To his visiting them at all.
Mr.. Thomas Rogers said John had no
idea OF going away tha, on the day Of