The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-07-22
THE MECKLENBURG MYSTERY
P1hapS Jealousy Caused the Murder
Of william Warren.
WHITE CAPS THREATEN FAME WOMAN



BOYDTON. Va. July I.-special.-
Monday being County Court day quite
number Of the neighbors OF tho parties
10 the bloody tragedy were here. which
tragedy was enacted last Saturday night
one week ago at Thomas Rogers, when
| william Warren WAS shot dead in an
open field.
talked with several Of the neishbors
with "a view Of getting at am expression
of opinion as to who they believed was
the guilty murderer OF Warren. Each
unhcsitaunely expressed the opinion that
/ John Rogers was that man, and while
/ there was n0 evidence Drought out al lle
! trial 90 sustain eucn "a htlit-' iAtie d-ef
! nevertheless. some Who say thcic Us ho
! doubt but tlat Jealousy Was the direct
cause of tho murder. that Warren bad
| been n ihe habit OF visiting the house oi
/ the Fame woman. and tAal youns Rogers
! l..arqe Jealous and determined to pul
au end t0 Warren visits. aud for tbs
I purp0ss lay in watt c0ncraling himself
I in ID tnlcket 0f plum bushes which were
/ ON the route Warren bad 60 travel ODD
/ roing to and from nome, and shot MIN
/ a5 lc PASSED along.
SUSPICIOUS ClkrDMSiANCES.
Tffs theory of the murder is borne ont
1 in measure by some of the circumstance
taken Jon connection with what took place
/ that uuiucky night
! It viii be- remembered, as near as couid
Doe udecd. the killing was done between
! the hours of l0 and II o'clock that nisht
ON the Rogers farm and very near hls
! dWciung.
AT that hour Of the night Warren could
not have had any legitimate business ON
Rogers place. and Do is known that he
! left bis home in very stealthy manner,
| for his mother says she dld not near
him when be left the house.
| She showed me- the location OF his
| room and explained how no came down
through the hallway thence through
/ her parlor and rnlsed the back winow
! TO TO- which is four or five feet from The
| ground. and from this window he sprans
out.
So after an these suspicious may bo
! true. al any rate L give them for what
| they are worth.
Old Mrs. Warren says she did not miss
| her son until about sun rise on Sunday.
| and Thought Doe was in his room until
/ that hour.
| Another report 1 heard on court day
! was that some Two or three years since,
colt belonging TO Mr.. Thomas Rogers,
| got into the leld and on the crop of War
| rem and that Warren shot the animal
| and that this act on the part OF Warren
SO .ncensed Rogers that he made threat
40 the time to neighbor, that If ever
! William Warren crossed his premises he
| would get even with him.
! L talked with eX-COngrcssman Thorpe
I yesterday in regard to this story. lie IS
! counsel for Rogers. and he says this trou-
! bic occurred some ten or fifteen years
ago.
A STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCE
one circumstance Connected with this
| sad tragedy is hard 90 understand, and
! is irreconcilahle with common sense and
| common docency and which shows total
| lack of the plaincst duty that one brOthe.
er owes another
II is in the manner and failure OF John
| Warren To- slto the alarm at the very
moment the body was found. that his
brother had been founy murdered and
not TO have waited until neighbors came
iu. who upon examining the body them
! selves found that death was caused by
/ violence. before ne had ever even sug-
! gested such a thing TO a living soul.
The only excuse / have heard offered IN
mitigation of this most unnatural con-
| duct on the part of John Warren towards
his dead brother was that he was strick-
| en with terror, lest vengeance OF the
murderer OF his brother might Doe visited
upon him. in case he should make IL
| known that his brother had been murder
ed
THE NEIGHBORS' DISCOVERY
| But for the timely examination made of
| the body hy these ncghbors AN traces
! of This wicked murder would have been
| covered up and perhaps forever buried ln
/ ID. ..
| it proper 90 state here that John Warren
! is man If very ordinary intelligence
! and has but little education and consid-
! ering DIS t.mdity "a great deal OF allow
! ancs should Doe made for his seeming neg
! icct of @ plain duty.
! WAS informed by Commonwealth At
! loruey GOOde that the woman Mary Fame
! was here ON Monday TO see him and that
! she stated tO him that she had received
several me ages from the friends Of the
! Rogers family. threatening 10 white cap
| her for the part She had taken in this
murder case. hy giving I'm testimony
| against John Rogers.
She wanted 90 know Of the Common
| wealth's Attorney If her life would be
| safo i'm remaining i'm the neighbOrhoOd.
! She also said that soon after the muir
| der was committed. size moved two miles
| away from the residence Of the Rogers
and that within the past few days she
had moved still further yet she felt un-
safe.
She also said that she had not been ap-
preached directly By any member Of tho
/ Rogers family regarding the subject or
the murder. nor had they themselves
! made any threat whatever against her.
| II is curious TO see how keenlv desirous
! the detectives are TO get 10 work upon
/ this case and are as eager 10 get a bite
at it as a hungry buzzard Is TO devour
! g. carcass.
This was shown when a very few days
after the publication Of the murder. COM
| monwcalth's Attorney GOode received a
| letter from one of them Offering for the
sum of ono hundred dollars To work the
| case to = conviction.
n n-----
,rnf,, GIITyreING ann