Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-11-05
TIE TALL
MAN TESTIFIED.
TOLD HOW THE WOMAN MET Her DEATH.
Remarkable Scene in the Court Room. Trouble
About Dollar Wrapped in BandageS.
Rosa Lee Smiths Awful Death.--Police- Officers
Testify.-Coroner Taylor Witness.
John Lee Ayers Acquitted.

Rhere was much excitement in this
nifty over q report that q colored wom-
an Rosa Lee Smith had been murdered
Saturday night, October 29th by an un-
kno~n colored man.
The affair took place in Belvin's AL
ley. Governor St. near Ross st. Sub
ssqueut'y John Lee Ayres went to the
Second Police Station on Sunday after
noon and gave himself up to the su-
khorities.
TIE COURT ROOM PACKED.
The case was called Tuesday, Novem
Der LIST, in the Police Court, Justice
JohG J. Crutchfield presiding. The
White Chr mber was packed with SOL
dir rs and citizens of both races.
" hen the case of John Lee Ayres
was calico, a tall dark-skin man with
his bead wrapped in bsndages and his
arm likewite came To the bar. George
f. Use. young white lawyer repre-
scented him
MAGGIE BRowH's TESTIMONY.
Maggie Brown. colored testified. sI
WAS slFting down by the stove with the
door hslf-open and heard a woman &
voice. j live in Belvin's Alley. Rosa
Lee Smith occupied a room in a two
story hoote and live in a room oppo
site on the other yard. 1t was Just
about 20 o'clock / reckon heard q
voice that sounded like hers. sayir q.
SO dow n the steps, and the mails
voice said I'm not going down 'tina
you give me my doilarf / heard a
tcpffie. | heard her say. Caroline,
run hsre?' Then heard q crash and
Saw the woman was on fee. tail
man with liRhtish overcoat cane
down the steps with his right arm on
FIRE.
BALD HE FIXED HFR.
As he came down, he said, She's got
my dollar. but have fixed he-.' He
went towards l4th st. have been iiV-
ing there about three months. 4 got
acquainted with Rosa Lee smith
about last March.
She left my house last Saturday at 4
O'Clock. Yes, we were close and init
mate friends.
She was lying near the door cross
wise The lamp was all around her
broken In small pieces"
THE coRoNER's STATEMENT.
Coroner Taylor testified: II was
summoned in this case and got there q
little alter IL o'clock. Every thing
WAS In confusion. l locked up the
room and made my Investigation the
next morning Sunday.
On examining the place, there was
water on the floor oil on the floor and
blood on the floor around the woman's
head.
Row SHE WAS BURNED.
There was much lamp-glass. The
woman was burned terribly, except her
buttocks, her thighs and her legs The
upper portion of her body was burned
generally. / found that q towel had
been set on fire.
On examining her body. found only
one injury. On her face 1 could find
no injury. although il it had been only
- brulse. ] could not have old. There
was . cut in the back of her head about
II of an inch, but not to the bone.
IN THE DEAD woNAN's HAND.
Near il was piece of glass, which 1
thought made the cut. ] found on
furning the body three five~cent
pieces In the dead woman's hand
was q small purse about one and one
half inches square, with nothing in it.
She had clasped it, and although her
hand was burned, it was uninInred.
FOUND THE DOLLAR.
room gave me silver dollar, which
she said she found under the bed. 1
gave it to the dead woman's mother.
officer Bailey said that he was acting
sergeant st the Second Police Station
at about 2 o'clock Sunday when a man
walked in and said that he was in the
scriEnmage with the woman in Beivin's
Alley. As John Lee Ayres insisted
that he was the right man he locked
him up.
A eTArELEET TO THE OFFICERS.
Officer Gibson said that Ayers said
that he met the woman at the bar
room on Broad st., near 10th ST., and
he went to her room upon her invita-
ton. After he got in there, she locked
the door, and fooled with him, and
took out of his pants pocket $l.15 or
SLIPS. don't remember.
he told her she had to give him his
money. They got into acuffie and
she struck him with the lamp. He
tried to get the lamp away from her.
1t fell to she floor and beran out. He
SAID that the reason he did not give
himself up on Saturday night was that
he did not know she WAS dead and he
did not know that she was any worse
burnt than he was. He said that when
she hit him with the lamp. the oil flew
ON the side OF his lace. He then got
out of there.
JOHN Ike AYREs TRsTIFIRs.
The accused man. John Lee Ayres
testified as follows: II met this wom-
an across the street at the bsr-room.