The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-01-06

told that officer that he bought the suit
from colored man near the Atlantic
City bridge the day after the murder for
$3.50. Meantime another darkey. George
jackson. said that at Z O'Clock on the
night OF the murder he saw Bess. who
invited him aboard the schooner saying
that Williams was with him.
FOUND GUILTY.
With so contradictory defence and
such powerful circumstantial evidence IL
is small wonder that the jury In the
Corporation Court found him guilty
when the case came to trial, despite the
earnest and faithful work OF MessrS. p.
u. Morris ana Hugh g. MIller. who the
court had appointed as his counsel.
These gentlemen worked hard and left
. no stone unturncd to save their clients
life
Judge Hanckel overruled the motion
for n new trial which was made imma-
diatcly after the verdict was rendered.
~ FIGHT FOR LIFE.
The case was. however. taken to the
Court of Appeals on an application f1r
a writ of error. on the constitutional
ground that the jury had been shown
evidence outside the sight OF the prlso-
ner. The court, however. declined To re-
verse the decision of the lower
sentenced the prisoners to be
hanged on December ith. AS there
was possibility that the Court of APP
Hcals might reopen the case. Governor
O'Ferra!l granted the petition for u re-
prieve until to-day 1t had been expect
ed that he might grant the petition for
moment. Not many entertained this
idea however, and his letters to Attor-
ney Miller and to City Sergeant Law
Ter. declining to interfere, were not I'M
expected, even by the prisoner.
WILLIAM DOwNING'S CRIME.
lao Lit
liams and only two weeks later occurred
'hn r'nrder OF F,oma Lane hv William
Downing, alias Bill Dodd. alias Black
Bill. The crime was committed IN Il
house. No 10. in that out of the way
portion Of the city inhabited by cnlored
people. and known as Allyntown. The
house in which the crime was committed
bears an unsavory reputation ana many
an arrest has been made from IT,
AN uNPROVOKED CRIME
The shooting Of the Lane woman was
an unprovoked. and. SO far as the evil
dentc shows. cold-blooded crime The
house in which 1t was committed was
occupied by Emma Lane thr murdered
woman. With her boarded Caroline
Portlock, who did Downlng's washing.
The big black fellow. whose pronounced
color had won for him the sobriquct Of
BLACK Bin, scarcely knew the woman
who met her untimely death Ut his
hands. by sight. He had been to her
house for his, laundry frequently but
had always sean Caroline
Emma Lane did not even know his
name and had never spoken to him
but once in her life.
HOW THE SHOOTING OCCURRED.
The origin Of the whole affair was y
quarrel Downing had with his wash
woman. He created so great Il disturb
ance that the Lane woman ordered him
OH her premises and told him never tn
} come back again.
The Portlock womans testimony.
which probably did more to place the
moose about Rlac, Bits neck Than any
thing else. was to the effect that he left
the place NowinG vengeance even If
hc had to Kill niger" TO obtain It,
i; RETURNED FOR NENGENCE.
II was probably with the intention OF
satisfying this thirst for revenge that
, Downing returned To Emma Lanes
May "a. for OF tina, fatal occasion he
carried revolver with him.
; After reaching the house which the
Lane woman had forbidden him To en-
ter, Downing took early opportunity to
engage in quarrel with his latndrcss
Caroline was game and she aud the hig
black fellow had ii out in tnnguc-l0sh
inG. Emma Lane, who was seated In
the room. opened the door To ascertain
the cause of the row. Scarcely had the
u''l HNulS WI INS hinges Wntn Down
ing. taking deliberate aim at the woman.
opened fire on her with heavy 80
calibre revolver He pulled the trigger
three times, but two of the balls went
? wide of their human target and buried
themselves In the walls. The third en-
tered the unfortunate w0man's body
we'll below the left breast, passing
through the liver ana stomach ana i'm
bedding Itself in The stomach.
The injured woman fingered fer some
: time AZ ST Nincent's Hospital where
? she died after giving out an anlc-mor-
tenn statement, in which she declared
, that she did not even know the name
of the man who shot her. except that his
first name was Bill. She had never had
, any words with him except upon the oc.
casion of his quarrel with Caroline
Porjlock
, ESCAPES AND Is ARRESTED.
Immediately after the shooting Down
t; ing made his escape in the confusion
), lie left the city and stayed away for
several weeks. but was arrested i'm Nan.
, semond county and brought to this city
where he was tried on the charge nj
killing Emma Lane.
TRIED AND CONVICTED
, So conclusive was the evidence of his
, quit that DoWnings plea that he went
to Allyntown prepared TO defend him
self against an enemy by the name OF
, Patterson, whom he claimed had sworn
To XIII him. had but little weight with
, either the Police Justice or the grand
, jury. Equally futile was the plea tha;
the fatal shot was fired at Patterson in
stead of nj the Lane woman. whom he,
slayer claimed he did not know he had
: shot until the following AIonday.
Mr.. Julius II. Saunders was DoWninr's