The times., 1897-04-24
jury Finds He Was Strangled
by Persons Unknown.
POLICE DEFENDED THE LAW
Mob Too Formidable to successfully
Resist-Autopsy Showed Negro's
Neck Not Broken-He Was Chokeh
TO Death-Mr. Lacey Threatened.
His House Guarded.

little daughters OF X. A. Lacey, found
that the deceased had come to his death
by strangulation at the hands of a per
son or persons unknown. The verdict
further stated that from the evidence
brought before them the jury were c,ii-
vinced that the police in charge of The
prison had done all that was possible TO
keep him out of the hands Of the mob
The inquest was held in the undertaking
establishment of j. Demaine & Sons, on
King street, neal Alfred, Coroner Puryis
presiding.
Commonwealth s Attorney Leonard Mar
bury was present, and closely lntellosateu
the witnesses to see If evidence could be
educcd upon which any person or pei sons
could he held for completely III the lynch
Ing.
About a dozen witnesses of the afiail
were examined but they Were all unam-
nous in testifying that they did not Ieeog-
nize anyone in the mob All the evidence
also tended to slow that the police had
eXerted themselves 10 the utmost 10 pro-
tect the prisoner.
The jury, which was impanellcd yeSter-
day morning at $40 o'clock, consisted OF
Louis Brill. foreman; c. j. W. Summers,
Julius Dcnielt, Charles Smith, +. War
field, jr, and W. L. Allen. The inquest
began at : O'Clock.
The first witness examined was DR. WIZ
liam NJ Smith He testified TO having per
formed an autopsy on Mccoy His death
had resulted from strangulation, lhere
was a burn on his face as if from gun
powtler and il was considerably swollen.
There was a large open wound just above
his forehead and confusion on the back
of his head.
witness had cut away the flesh from
the skull and found no fractures beneath
these injuries. There were also three
eunshot wounds on the left side of his
breast None of these wounds was suiff
cient TO cause death.
pr. Snowden, who performed the autopsy
with DR. Smith, gave substantially the
same evidence he further said that he
had found evidence of a contagious disease
on the victim McCoy's neck was not
broken.
Lieut.. Smith. who commanded the squad
of police, testified TO the facts as told In
The Times OF yesterday. The flrst al
tack npon- hte station, he SAID, was lie
tween II and 1l2o O'Clock at night
He spoke to the crowd, telling them that
he and his men would do all in then power
70 protect their man, and that he was
sure the prisoner would be hung for hit
crime.
When the mob returned at O'Clock he
fought as long as he could, but was over
powered by numbers and BONE outside the
station-house.
he did not recognize anyone In tht
crowd. the witness said, in response TO 6
question from Commonwealth AJtorne!
Marbury.
Robert Knight, the next witness, teSu
fled that he was in the station when the
first assault was made. -Four men, WHO
gave their names as Franc Spinks, j. w
Franks, Charles Armor, and Fcrd Knight
came into the station with the crowd, and
were placed under arrest. They were
afterwarG released on their promise Il
go home and stay there for the rest OF
the night.
Gould they not have been pushed into
the station by the crowd without amy n
tentiou on their part Of participating IL
the attack?'' asked Jurynan Sommers
"Verv easily was the reply.
William Bechham was also in the sta
ton when the attacks were made. HiStesti
mony added no new facts to the evidence.
Ibid it appear to you that the polio
DID all that they could TO repelthe crowd?
Foreman Brill asked.
"Yes. sir" the witness answered. "l d
not think any band Of men could hav
withstood that crowd minute longer, an'
If their number had been trebied the resul
,rorld have hppn the same
Policeman Lyles was one of the officer
detailed for duty in the station Thursda
night.
In answer to question from Forema
Brill, he said that he thought large mum
Der of persons in the crowd which mad
the attack were strangers in Alexandra
John II. Strider testified that he is I'll
Alexandria representative Of The Wasl
iprton Times: was in the station-house .
the nightin question: saw both attacks an
followed the crowd to the corner OF lie
and Cameron streets, where the prisohe
was hanged. He couldn't recognize a sill
gle face
Foreman Brill: Don't you think ths
the ringleaders were strangers in tow
and came here for the purpose of lynchIn
MeCov?"
NOul'lD l eolA
Constable webster. who followed, sal
that he was in the station house when u
mob broke in and captured one of then
The man was a total stranger 10 hiin
He couldn't recognize any faces, but W;
certain that atleasttw of the crowd WI
took the prisoner out were strangers.
Several Other witnesses testified TO IL
same facts as given above, and The cas-
was turned over TO the jury. They fcun
the verdict as given after less than IL
minutes deliberatiUn.
All Alexandria was still in state
fcrment last night. and il would have T.
puired very little to precipitate rae
war.
Yesterday. Mr. Lacey received sever
anonymous letters, stating that the c'
pred people intended to burn down b
house, and kill his family. This news W
nosed about town, and was all that w
needed to complete the excitemnet amol
the white population.
Nj Lacey was much alarmed, and
fear was heightened when about oclo
he noticed colored man prowling in
ward whose actions warranted the 81
picion that he was an incendiaTy. He te
phoned an alarm to the police station, a
sergt Smith, with Officers Knight, Lyl'
Davis, Roberts, and BettiS. responded i
mediately The alarm had in the nrea
while become known in the streets, wi
the effect that people from ali
rections come trooping toward \
Lacev's house, which is situated clio
by the colored section OF the town.
Before the police reached there the
n hn