The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-25
DETECTIVE FELTZ
IS EX0NERATED.
He Acted in Self Defense in Killing
Jas. {. Smith.
VERDICT OF C0R0NER'S JURY.
The Examination was Held at Waver-
Iy and Full Testimony Taken Of the
Witnesses to the Tragedy on
the Train Saturday Night.
VERDICT OF CORONER'S JURY.


the body Of James T. Smith (colored),
who was shot and killed by Nj. T. l..
Feltz. special agent Of the Norfolk and
Western Railway Company, on the west
bound passenger train over the Norfolk
and Western railroad on Saturday night
last a short distance west Of Wakefield
al Waverly to-day before Justice Of the
peace II. l.. Mallory acting as coroner
ami d jury
Mr.. Feltz was represented by Judge
". ii. Mann. of NOttoway; Mr.. George
s. Bernard and Hon. William Is. MILL
Waine. OF this city. The inquest was te-
gun about 10 4. NJ. and the exam nar"n
OF witnesses was not concluded unui
about O'Clock this afternoon.
THE EXAMINATION
Mr.. J. Robert Wade, stenographer or
this city. made a s,enOgraphc report OF
the testimony of the witnesses. Mucn
interest was manifested by the communi-
ty at Waveriy in the proceedings ana
the courtroom was thronEed with spec
tatOrs throughout the examination.
Quite q number OF Witnesses were eX-
amined, whose statements were straight
forward and convincing.
Conductor W. NJ. Farrar, VINO was IN
charge Of the train on which the shoot
ing occurred testified as follows: 81 was
thecon1uctor I'm charge OF train No.
last Saturday night. \ gang of about
sixty-fve labcrers got on the train at
Zuni station. in charge of Mr.. r. T.. Car
ter who held the pass for the party.
WORTHLESS SLIPS.
On counting the men ] found several
more than the pass called for and so l
proceeded TO examine the slips or checks
in the hat Of each man and found five
or six who held imitation checks and /
notified them that they would have TO
get off
This man Smith he'll one Of these
worthless checks. ] took IL from Mn.
and destroyed it and told him be would
have to pet off. He was sitting in a re-
Ching position on the seat. and when
touched him on the shoulder and told
him he would have 10 get Off, he
straightened up very quickly and ran
his hand i'm his hip-pocket and uttered
an oath and warned me not to touch
him. said that he was not going 90 get
OF. that nobody could put him on.
SAW 4 PISTOL.
I saw what ! supposed was the gl.t Ter
of n pistol in his hip-pocket | told him
there was an officer on the train and
would have him arrested. ] went back
to the first-class car and told Flagman
Long 10 80 in the sleeper ana tell feiz
10 come, / wanted him.
When I went back TO the iaborers
car smith was staining i'm the ailse
Enginoman Coleman and myself caught
Smith by his arms and Smith caught
hold of us. hut we could not move him
In a short while Mr. Long and Mr.. feliz
came I'm the car and / told Mr.. Feltz l
wanted him 10 arrest Smith. Nj. FeIt%
went mp and told Smith TO SURRENDER
He declined to do so. and broke loose
from Coleman and myself ana made
lunge NJ Fcltz and began showing hiIa
backwards towards the door OF the car,
which was open.
FELTZ DREW HIS GUN.
Then Feltz pulled out his pistol and
again told Smith 10 surrender and
Smith refused 10 DO so, and kept on
pushing him backwards. Feltz struck
him several times over the head. but
did not conquer him. and then j heard
the pistol fire and Smith fell.
j. O. Long. nagman. testified that ne
was in the rear end of the hrst-class car
when Captain Farrar came in and re-
quested him 10 so 10 the sleeper ana
request Mr.. Feitz 20 come over. lie dld
so: saw Mr.. Feltz; told him captain
Farrar wanted him. and then went into
the car where the difficulty was. As Doe
entered he saw Captain Farrar and Cole
man have hold OF Smith. trying TO arrest
him He attempted 90 assist. and tried
TO strike Smith with his hand-lamp, when
Henry Wade (colorcO. who was beside
Smith, caught his lamp and threw it ON
the floor. and az he reached down to PICK
ii up was struck by Smith.
OFFICER OF TIE LAW.
Mr.. Feltz came in and said to Smith,
81 am an officer of the law, consider
yourself under arrest" Smith broke
loose from Captain Farrar and Coleman
and started towards FeltZ. FeltZ caught
hold OF him, and again told him be was
under arrest Smith tried TO strike Feiiz,
and was pushing him backwards to-
wards the door as If trying 10 push him
out on the platform Mr. Felz fell
against a seat. and Smith pressed him
backwards over the back OF the seat, and
while in this position Feltz shot him.
Witness thought Feltz was entirely
justified in shooting smith. and stated
that he would have done the same thing
under similar circumstances.
SMITH A BAD MAN.
r. T.. Carter who had charge of the
gang Of laborers, testified that Captain
Farmer and ne were collecting the
checks of the men and passing through
the car came TO Smith who pretended 10
be asleep and did not have the right kind
of check Captain Farrar told him he
would have 10 get of. And he refused
and threw his hand 10 his hicp-pocket
Captain Farrar sent for assistance. and
Mr. Feltz came in while the witness was
In the other car. and as he was coming
back towards the laborers car, heard
report of a pistol.
Heard Smith say in Darden's store al
Zuni that he had no pass, but was going
mp on No. /. and If any one tried 10 put
him OF they would smell burnt powder"
SMITH HAD A PISTOL.
w. " Cook testified that he heard
OF the difficulty IN the car and went in
saw darkey have a pistol in his hand
could not identify him. While on the
platform heard FeltZ say 10 Smith that
he was an officer Of the law, and 10 sur.
render, and then heard the report of a
pistol.
Thought II Feltz had not shot Smith
that Smith would have shot him. or
they would have had some serious trou-
bic with him.
j. c. Wright. section foreman. testified
TO finding a pistol about sixty-fve feet
east Of 53-mile post. lying about fifteen
feet from the track. partly in the bushes
Looked as If IL had only been there a
day or so: was wet with dew and mud
and sand were I'm the mouth Of the bar
rel. as II It had been thrown from the
train and struck on end.
EYE WITNESSES.
Jim Bass and Wash Morgan were eve
witnesses to the shooting. Pass was sit
a.. aa.Ha.