Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-15
Remarkable Crime Committed
Thursday Night.
FATAL POCKET HANKERCHIEF
Mystery of Minnie Fargo's Death Solved
By the Surge on's Knife. Louis August,
A Soldier, Under Arrest Charg-
ed With the Deed.

upon prOSalc days when woman can
die'as Minnie Fargo died?
Poetry is originality coined into
words. This WOnlan'S death was o1igi-
nality coined into blood
In a wretched hovel in Tin Bucket
Alley they found the body of this mu-
la'tto woman alt midnight last Thurs
day. Her clothing was torn from her,
but there was not a mark upon her to
indicate how She came to her death.
There was no clothed hole where a
pistol ball might have found its way
to her heart: for she did have a
'heart-The autopsy proved that. There
was no sign that might have shown
where a dirk could have been thrust
into lle1. breast There was no cut or
cash. She was not butchered. There
was upon her no bruise. She was not
beaten Ito death. Her throat had not
been clutched by murderous fingers.
There was no gas in the room. She
could not have been asphyxiated by the
usual inartistic method, Her condition
was proof that she had not taken
poison. s+.-,a
How then had this woman been sent
out of the world? For once the nnys-
terry of the murder was deeper than the
mystery Of the motive, though the first
has been solved. While the latter re-
mains unelucilated 1t took a sur
geons knife to discover the one. The
merciless probe Of the law may not find
the other
Much excitement was caused in
Phoebus yesterday morning When it be
came generally Known that Minnie
Fargo. 4. coored woman who resided in
Tin Bucket Alley. had been fouly
murdered by some unknown person.
Louis August soldier from the Fort,
is in Jail charged With the crime.
AS was stated in yesterdays Daily
Press. THE woman was seen on the
streets Thursday night about O'Clock
In company With an unknown soldier
They Were afterwards seen to go into
the house occupied by THE woman. and
nothing more was thought of the mat
ter until nearly Il O'Clock that night,
When she, was found dead in her room
James Mack. white, Who is fa1niliary
known as Doc" ana who has for some
time been intimate terms with the
woman, went to the house shortly after
II O'Clock. Arriving there. according
to his statement, he called for Minnie
several times, and receiving no reply,
he Went into the house where he found
the woman lying on the floor dead,
with her clothing torn off. Mack mott
fed Constable w. r. Williams and
Officers Joe Mastin and B. Giddings.
Who at once proceeded 10 the place.
Coroner j. Y. Jones, OF Hampton. was
'phoned for. Mr.. Jones was too i'll to
respond to the call and he IN turn
'phcned Justice z. z. Furness, asking
him to act in his stead.
HANDKERCHIEF IN HER THROAT
Mr.. Ffurness at once summoned a
inv
William Scheffer a. p. Wallace. S.
White and b. Giddings, and an investi-
cation was begun.
The JURY was unable to find any
marks OF violence on the body of the
deceased. and Mr.. F'urness called in Dr.
turner fer the purpose Of holding an
autopsy. He soon discovered what had
caused death, and brought to light one
OF the foulest murders ever committed
in Tin Bucket Alley. The murderer
had taken !his handkerchief. rolled it I'D
in a small lump and pushed it down the
Woman's throat. suffocating and
stlangl7ng her to death. The handker-
chief was an ordinary cotton one. wifi,
the initial "a written with ink in the
left hand corner.
a large number of witnesses We're ex-
:mined. after Which the jury adjourned
order to make an investigation and if
possible cause the arrest of the guilty
party. The proceedings were behind
closed DOORS, and the evidence is net
known.
SOLDIER ARRESTED.
Leaving the jury room Mr.. Williams
determined to find if possible the man
VINO had committed the heinous crime.
With the evidence he had cleaned at
the hearing, he made his way oven. to
the Fort, where at 8 o'clock yesterday
afternoon he arrested Louis August
charging him With THE murder Au-
gust:is a German by birth, but has been
i'm this country for twelve years He
came to Fort Monroe three months
ago with Battery G., Fourth ARTILLERY.
and has always borne "a good name.
The Prisoner was carried to iPhoebus
and placed in Jail until 10 o'clock last
night, When he was removed TO the
Hampton Jail to await prelimina nv
hearing.
DID NOT FIX THE BLAME.
The coroner's jury reconvened about
$50 o'clock last night and remained in
session until 1920
The first witness to testify before
Them was Lizzie Mead (colored) who
told OF having had a conversation with
MINNIE Fargo early i'm the afternoon on
the day the: murder was committed.
THE PRISONER TvESTTFIIcS.
August was brought before the jury,
and was told by Justice Furness that
any statement he might make might -
used as evidence against him, and that
he was not compelled to testify unless
he wanted to. August seemed to be
Rlld OF the fyDnartIIyj,t>, ,.J ro;1 ~