Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-16
William 'stroasi Held for the Murder
of Rosa Talbert,
LARGE CROWD GATHERS At INQUEST
Mother Of Dead Woman Faints
While Listening to Evidence.
sTROTHER SENT TO JAIL

The inquest held at the sixth precinct sta
ton this morning over the remains Of Rosa
Talbert. the colored mistress of William
Strother, who was so brutally killed by the
| latter IN their room at No. 433 Franklin
| street early yesterday morning, attracted a
| large crowd of colored men and women, the
| friends of both the prisoner and the wo-
man. These people congregated ON the
sidewalk in front of the station and were
permitted to remain there until the taking
of testimony was finished.
Strother had been measured and pho
| tographed for the gallery earlier in the
morning. and he was given a seat in the
room where he could listen to the evidence
given against him. Seated near the pris-
oner were Mrs. Talbert mother of the dead
woman, with her daughter and SON The
women were dressed in deep mourning. and
| they were perhaps the most Interested spec
tators. excluding the prisoner.
Joseph c. Baylor. in whose house the
people lived. was the first witness exam
tned. He told the coroner and jury that
his wife had aroused him a few minutes
before o'clock yesterday morning and told
him that Strother was beating his wife, At
first he thought she was mistaken but he
finally went up and asked what was the
matter. In few words Strother informed
him that 1T was none of. his business and
refused to open the door for him.
Then l left the house." said BAYLOR
and ran to the station fast as my feet
could carry me-
He returned to the house. he said, with
the officers and found that the woman was
dead
How long had they lived in your house ~
the coroner asked him.
"One month tomorrow" was the re-
Spouse.
Witness said they had Guarreled before.
but. SO far he knew the man had never
hurt her. He knew very little about them.
Mrs. RayIOr'a Evidence
Mrs. Emma Baylor. wife of the preceding
witness. testified that when she heard the
noise she called to her husband that the
people upstairs were fighting. He thought
not, but she insisted, and her husband
went upstairs Her husband could not get
into the room.
Mrs Baylor said that before calling her
husband she had heard noise in the ROOM
as II there was scuff1e, and she heard the
woman say to Strother: Lift meSIp." This
she repeated. and then her voice was .eard
no more. After her husband had left the
house to call a policeman Strother she
said. came down stairs to the sink. and
washed the blood from his face and hands.
Policeman Luton. who. with Policeman
Cooper. made the arrest. exhibited the
Ratchet alleged to ih4ke been used by the
murderer. He testified that a few minutes
before O'Clock yesterday morning he was
ordered by the sergeant to go to the house
on Franklin street With his brother officer.
tLuu NHSit luty ISfiCuSq Tie pTlSOueT TOOHl
the latter was stshding at the door,
Admitted to he Murder.
whats the matter here?" Strother was
Il guess it's a case of murder" he re-
soonded. :,
,Thers was dim lsRht in the room. ana
witness took ths-lan5p and walked over to
the bed. where. he said, he the wo-
msa..wilh he. s4gls cEAshed in; A;b y
woman, and he replied In the affirmative.
Witness then Nsked up thei tatchet,
which Baylor clainfed' was-his. and Strother
admitted it was the weapon he used.
Other testimony was given coinciding
with The Stars account Of the affair yes
terday. -,.j.r, r., ,,+.,;!
The prisoner was asked, the officer said,
why he had, killed the woman, and he said
he would reserve his statement until later.
Policeman Cooper gave similar testimony.
When they went to the house he climbed
over. 1.-The back fence. fearing the murderer
might attempt to escape through the al
ley. Entering the back door,, he went up
stairs and met Strother, who was partly
dressed. He asked that he be- permitted to
remove his blood-stained garments and
put on clear. ones This he was allowed to
do, and he remarked that he could have
escaped. If he had desired to-. when he
went down to wash his face and hands.
Witness told Of the prisoners admission
as to the crime. and Of his statement con-
corning the weapon.
The Deputy Coroner's Story.
Deputy Coroner Glazebrook told of tie
woman's injuries She was a remarkably
healthy woman, he said. and while she
might have been between twenty and TWEEN
ty-five years old. she was SO horribly mu-
tilated that her exact age could not be
Appropriated. The injuries were confined
to the upper part of her body and lead,
and there were at least seven distinct
blows struck. 1t was evident that both the
sharp and blunt ends OF the weapon had
heen used. Four of the wounds, he said
were necessarily fatal. Ten bones were
fractured, ard the womans death. which
was caused by acute hemorrhage, must
have occurred within a few seconds of the
time the wounds we're inflicted.
Strother informed the coroner that he
would not makesa4tatement. and the jury
returned verdict holding him for the
homicide. He was committed to Jail for
the action Of the%grand jury. r Mrs. Tai
bert, mother of the dead woman, tainted
VIXEN she heard witnesses tell of the brutal
affair, and had to be assisted from the
room. 81.