The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-16
COMMITTED WITHOUT BAIL
JOHN GROVES Held FOR MUIR
DER OF HENRY WALL.
Preliminary Hearing Yesterday Before
Justice Roberts-.Only States
Witnesses Examined.


Witnesses Examined.
John Groves must lie in Jail until next
term of court. Justice Harry Roberts
yesterday so decided. He is charged with
the murder of "a negro, Henry Wall, at
Forestville, on the night of January 30.
The preliminary hearing was held yester
day afternoon, and Groves was committed
to Jail without bail.
Though only witnesses for the State
were put on the stand, the case now looks
pretty dark for the defendant. All of
the witnesses to the tragedy and the at
tendant circumstances are negroes, and in
sympathy with the man who was killed.
1t is understood that the defendant
will acknowledge the shooting of Wall,
and most of the facts brought out in yes
terday's investigation, but plead that the
| negro was killed in self-dcfense. One of
| the principal witnesses in the case was
Turner DORIAN, who is now dead.
The defendant is represented by ]. c. l..
Harris Wallis friends have no counsel,
anu tHc titSts Which II ColIltS ~ W III
probably be entirely in the hands of the
solicitor.
Emma Stewart Il colored woman, was
| the first witness at the trial yesterday.
She said she was at Henry Wallis house
the might of the shooting, January 80.
John Dunn, LOnnie MaSsenburg, Mary
Crudup, Jack Young and the defendant,
John Groves. she said were also there.
Wallis wife. Eliza. was III Raleigh.
Groves came TO the house about 1870 and
asked for Henry Wall. John Dunn told
him Henry had gone to the store. and ask
ed Groves to have Il seat Groves re-
| marked that he didn't like to come into Il
| mans house when he wasn't at home, but
sat down. When Wall arrived he was
told that Groves was there To see HIM
They exchanged cordial greetings and
| Wall told Groves he was welcome as long
| as he behaved himself Wall then went
out after some wood, and Groves then got
| up remarking that he was mad; that there
had been some d-.n lies told on him; with
out some d-n pretty 'polishes'' ne was
going to whip somebody that night
Wall was sent for to stop Groves from
cursing in the house Wall came in and
asked what was the trouble. On being
informed, he told Groves he could not talk
| that way in his house. Groves then
walked out cursing-
The witness said that this was all that
was said in the house, and that ii was
about twenty-five minutes after this when
Henry Wall left the house accompanied
by 1lonnie Massenburg The witness and
Mary Crudup went out after them and
the hast they saw Of them they We're cross
ing the railroad going toward Turner Dor
ht M Che J1d all
any more until after he was shot Lon
| ME Massenburg and Turner DORIAN were
carrying him TO his home He was laid
on the bed and a doctor sent for There
was iio whiskey drunk at the house that
night
On croSS-cxa minatioal the witness said
Groves and Wall had always been on
friendly terms so far as she knew. That
was the first time she ever saw Groves.
lponnle MaSsenburg. who works at VIII
son X UtlcyS saw mill. about FIVE miles
from Wake Forest. said he was Forest
vile the might of the ShOoting-at Henry
Wallis house. He corroborated the story
of Mary Stewart, as to Groves coming
there and saying that ne was going to
whip somebody unless he got mighty
good policy for the reports that had
been circulated about him.
The witness then told about his going
with Wall to Turner Dorham's house
Turner and Henry We're playing banjOs
and the witness dancing when Groves
knocked at the door Groves and Wall
stood in the door and talked awhile. then
they went outdoors. About ten minutes
later the witness went to the door and
heard Groves say: You didn't want me
at your house tonight; didn't | treat you
II, I'll Il L. 4. n
insulted him. but it was all right now.
Groves replied. ITS a d-n lie and pull
ed out his pistol. Wall threw up his hand.
and jumping back, Saii Don't shoot me-
man.
Just us Wall spoke the words. the wit
ness said. the pistol fired and Wall fell
Groves ran. The witness and DORIAN
took Wall home, put him TO bed and sent
for DR.. Powers.
This all occurred on Saturday night
Massenburg said he saw Groves the next
day, but did not speak to him.
On cross examination. the witness said
he supposed he and Wall had been at Tur-
ner Dorham's house half an hour before
Groves came. When Wall went out he
(WalD closed the door. and he and Groves
walked about twenty steps from the
house. In about ten minutes the shoot
ing occurred.
The witness said he drank sometimes.
but wasn't drinking that night He ac-
knowledged having been in court about
fighting. Didn't know whether Wall had
a pistol that night or not.
DR.. j. Il. Powers. of Wake Forest, was
the next witness. He saw Wall first on
Sunday, some twelve. hours after the
shooting. He found bullet wound in the
left side over the kidney, in what is tech
nically known as the lumbar region. A
probe inserted in the wound passed easily
and directly into the abdominal cavity. |
Now is when YOU need |