The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-14
HE SHOT HENRY WALL
CLAIMS II WAS DONE IN SELF, DEFENSE
THIS IS SECOND TRIAL FOR THE
MURDER.
Thought His Life Was in Danger and H ew
Wall to e Desp rate Man Fri |
Consumed all Yesterday and
Last Night.

The second trial of John Groves, the
white man who shot and killed a negro
named Henry Wall, at FOrestville the
Both of last January, consumed all of
yesterday in Wake Superior court and
was not concluded until last night at
1915 o'clock.
1t has been a stubbornly fought case.
All the morning was taken in trying
to secure jury, only one witness being
examined before the court took recess
for dinner. The jury, as finally selected,
is an exceptionally good one. 1t is COM
posed of Z. B. Passmore, L. b. Crow
der r. NJ. Horton, John Glenn, ID. |.
Fort, J. Robt Watkins, Bryant Smith,
G. 0. Ball. Frank Nj. Busbee, Alex.
Snellings, j. II. Smith and VIM. Grimes.
The principal witnesses were Lonnie
Massenburg, the negro who was with
Wall when he was shot, and Groves
himself. Their evidence was about the
same it was when Groves was first
tried on March oath. The only new
evidence brought out was that of Wallis
wife and mother, who testified that
Groves came back to the house where
Wall was the day after the shooting and
said he wanted to get at him and finish
the job. Other witnesses corroborated
these women in this, though Groves de-
MED it.
The first witness for the State was
Lonnie Massenburg who was the only
person who was present when Groves
shot Wall. He claimed to have seen
the shooting and to have overheard
something of what passed between the
two men.
He related how the defendant Groves
went to Wallis house on the night OF
January Both, 1897 and asked for Wall
and being told that Wall was absent
went into the house and sat down and
waited for him. When Wall came he,
told Groves he was welcome if he behav-
ed himself. Wall then went out for
some wood and Groves began to curse,
saying that some one had been telling
hes on him and if it were not stopped
somebody would get hurt. When Wall
came back he ordered Groves to leave
the house, which he did cursing. A few
minutes later the witness and Wall went
to the house OF Turner DORIAN, a short
distance away.
They were there picking the banjo
when Groves knocked at the door. Wall
went to the door and stood in it talking
to Groves. Soon they went out and the
witness went to the door. He said he
heard Groves say: "Henry you didn't
treat me right at your house tonight and
Tn mad about it,
10 this the witness said Wall replied:
Yes, it was q little insult, but it's
alright now
80 It's d-n lie," replied Groves
with that he. shot Wall As he pull
ed his pistol Wall exclaimed: Don't
shoot me man,.
Massenburg said it was pretty dark,
but he could see the two men and the
pistol, though he didn't see Groves pull it
from his pocket The men were stand
ing ABOUT five feet apart When Wall
was shot he fell on his knees and Groves
ran. Massenburg said he went for Dr.
Powers, but denied that he told sim he
didn't know anything about how the
shooting occurred.
In this latter statement the witness
was contradicted by DR.. Powers, who
testified that he pressed Massenhurs 10
tell him about the affair, but he deelar-
ed he know nothing whatever OF it or
how it occurred.
DIR. Powers said 1t was very dark
night, with some rain and hail; he did
not think it possible to have recognized
a man q few yards away.
Fannie WAX, the mother of the muir
dered man, said she talked with Wall a
few minutes before he died. He said
ne THANKED the Lord he was ready ana
willing to die. He always said he expect
ed to die and never expressed any hope
that he would get well. lie said he and
Groves had worked together and had
never had any cross words in their lives;
that ne didn't know how Groves, came
10 shoot him; that he wasn't doing any
thing to him and Groves shot him On
the sly; that he didn't know Groves was
mad enough With him to shoot him.
Eliza Wall, the mans wife was in
kaieigh when the shooting occurred,
trying to get her brother-in-laW out of
the werk-house.
when l got home l found that Hen
~ was shot. He said he never expected
70 live to see me again; that he was go-
ing to die. He said he had no idea why
Groves shot him; that be didn't even
know Groves was mad with him.
Sunday afternoon, nearly sunset, Mr..
Groves came up the railroad with his
pistol in his hand, into the edge of the
yard, and said he was going TO see
Henry WaA and d-n him, if he wasn't
dead he was going to kill him. lie shot
HlS pl6lol near the mouse three times p"
Asked why he didn't tell this on the
Erst trial the witness said she was not
then summoned as a witness and was
just called ia and asked some questions.
but nothing was asked her about this
incident The reason Groves didn't 30
to the witness house, she said, was that
Mr.. Watkins, the section master. met
hiur and turned him back.
In this evidence Wallis wife was cor
roborated by John Dunn, who saw
Groves come UP the railroad, heard the
pistol shots and saw Watkins turn
Groves back. The witness was the own
eF Of the house to which they brought
Wall after he was shot He helped IN
dress and put him to bed, but no pistol
was found on him.
1t was to John Dunn's house that
Groves went early in the evening. hunt
ing for Henry Wall. He went in and
said somebody had been telling wrong
tales on him and if they didn't take i'll
back he was going to beat them. When