Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-10
7. Hall Davis, Jr., Charged With
Numbering a CoIored Man.
EYE WITNESSES SAY HE DID IT
Coroner Jary Also Places Blame On Him
for Taking the Life of Jettie john
son by Breaking His Skull
With Hammer.

u years, was murdered in the saloon of
L. H. Davis & Son. on West Queen
street yesterday afternoon shortly after
l o'clock. Mr.. T. Hall Davis. Jr, the
Junior proprietor OF the place is now
locked up in the murderel's cell at the
county Jail charged with the crime.
The circumstances surrounding the
murder are apparently Of very dam
aging character to Mr.. 7. Hall Davis
~, whom eye witnesses testified before
the coroners inquest yesterday, swore
murdered the colored man by taking
hammer and battering his skull in
The place of Davis & Son is q sa-
loon in which colored people congregate
and drink owing to the fact that they
can obtain whskey at I'VE cents per
drink. Yesterday there was a number
Of colored men in the saloon at the
time the killing occurred.
about l O'Clock the news that some
one had been murdered spread rapidly
over the city, and in a short time a
large crowd Of people congregated in
front OF the store in which the unfor-
tunate affair took place.
From what could be learned Of the
killing, it seems that Davis and the
colored man had INDUCED in a game
of cards known among card ma II pula-
tors as five up" Johnson Won and
'AHClI Lie l1ouUIe ptSdL.
AS soon as the murder was known
Mayor Hope. Sergeant Fred Cunning
ham. Magistrate Richardson aru ON
GERS Deistill and Knewstep, of the 20
lice force, were on the scene. and while
Mr.. Richardson, who is also acting cor
Oner was preparing to hold an inquest
Sergeant Cunningham summoned the
following jury: Messrs Walter Holt,
w. E. Lawson, H. S. Thompson Frank
Moore. H. NJ Minor and H. c. Blacks
ton. When the jury had been sworn
the evidence was gone into. DR.. wal
ter A Picker the physician who at
tended Johnson, was tie first witness.
He said that he had been hurriedly
summoned to Mr.. Davis saloon t. see
man who had been hurt: upon arriv-
ing a. the place he found the body OF
johnson lying on the floor of the sa-
LOOM and upon making an examination
soon discovered that ne was dead.
Just above the left temple there was
an ugly wound which had been made
by q blunt instrument. The wound
was semi-luna shape, and the bio was
made with 50 much force as to frac-
ture the skull and cause pieces Of it
to enter the brain. thus causing his
death. Dr. Picker knew nothing of
the circumstances surrounding the
murder.
MIR. Davis, Jr.. was then put or the
stand and testified that between ! and
O'Clock there had been a barroom fuss
In his place during which the man ly-
ing the floor had been murdered. He
said Johnson, Sydney Cardwell and an
old soldier named StraDbs wanted to
indulge in a game of five up but he
refused to give them the cards: they
got mixed up in a nluddle and before he
could say anything or quiet them down
johnson fell to the floor. He claimed
that he was engaged at his work be-
hind the counter when the killing took
place. He sent for a physician Davis
denied that he had committed the
deed.
John Minkins. colored, said when he
came into the saloon, he heard Mr.. Da-
Wis say II hit Johnson to make him
keep quiet" When some one told Da-
Wis the man was dead he then denied
killing him.
William Edwards, colored, saw the
whole trouble and was an eyewitness
to the killing. He said Johnson and
Davis had played a game Of five up
for 20 cents and Johnson won. Then
the old soldier (Strabbs) wanted to
play Johnson, but Davis refused to al
low them to play. This brought about
controversy and Davis ordered John
son to leave the saloon. Davis and
johnson had some words, and Davis,
securing hammer came over the
counter and struck johnson, who fell
dead to the floor.
Jennings Wise testified that Orlander
Walker came across the street to the
place where he was employed and tolG
him Hall Davis had killed Jettic john
son with a hammer" When he got
over to the store he found the body
Of johnson on the floor, ard heard Mr..
Davis begging saying .'some one please
so for doctor or johnson will bleed
to DEATH" He also hear d Davis say
he had struck Johnson with a hammer.
Sidney Cardwell. the man with whom
Johnson was playing pool, to!t: the
story of the trouble UP to the tine OF
the killing. Davis and Johnson, he
said, played a game of five up and
then the old soldier said be would play
johnson. but Mr.. Davis refused to
give them the cards. Davis ordered
johnson to leave his place. and John
son told him he was Il good customer
and did not see why he should treat
him like that. Johnson started to
leave when Davis came over the bar
and struck him on the head with the
hammer. Davis then SAID: IT struck
Kim; go and get a doctor or he will
bleed to DEATH" He told Davis John
son was already dead, and asked Da-
Wis if ne had struck Johnson hard
enough to kill him. Davis then denied
it,
George Strabbs, the old soldier, was
entirely too full to testify anG Cor
oner Richardson ordered him locked up
in the county jail. He soon sobered