Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-22
Many New and Interesting Fea-
lures in the Austin Case.
B. TAPPIN TO BE TRIED TODAY
Her Father and Tila Barton VIII BE Ar
rested as Being Connected with tho
Case. Rumored That a Warrant Has
GEE Been Issued for Sheriff Curtis.

1HeEe is i'htlS 10 ne Solllt Sl.tItli'S
developments brought out at the Ere
lilninary Eear:n; this morning oe Per
tina Taop'a, who has been locked Up III
the county Jail since last Saturday
charged with perjury AS is Well ktewn
Bertha T@plln on three occasions
Swore that Colonel Gould P Austin
had criminlil,- assaulted her. ana aftc.
three trials Austin was convicted of the
crime and given eight years in tn, pen
itentiary. .Austin'S counsel. after con-
siderable tr1;!Dc. secured a new hear
ing, whicn !aSultcd i'm his acuuittal as
the girl swene she had falsely accused
Austin of the crime. He went free and
has since been living at his old HON. in
Phoebus
Last Saturday Sheriff Curtis swore
out a warrant for the arrest of the girl,
charging ner with pedjury. She was
arrested anc locked up in the jail
where she E::: since been ncarceratcd
pending an Investigation of the charge
before JUSTICE of the peace. The
hearing Was set for Monday last but
owing to Sheriff Curtis ina blity to be
present I :"as postponed Yesterday
Mr.. j. w. itieharlson. before whom the
case will o.-me up for trial. had the
courthouse This morning at 10 O'Clock.
when the matter will be probed for
what it is worth.
AS Il sequel 10 the whole affair Sheriff
Curtis last night swore out warrants
against W. II. Tappin, the girls father,
and Emma Finley. better known as
Lila Barton. charging them With con
spiracy i'm the case. in that they caused
the girl to rerjur herself by either
forcing or laying her off. The war
rants will &c served on the parties this
morning. Sheriff Curtis is confident he
will be able to mplicate Tappin and
the Barton woman in the crime, and
that he Wall push the case goes without
saying. He has secured the services of
MI. Fay 5. Collier to prosecute the par
ties.
1t was reported last night that Aus
tin had warrants drawn up for the ar
rest of Mr.. Curtis. charging him with
1alse Imprisonment, ana also two
against Mr.. Collier. but this report
could not be verified Sheriff Curtis
was seen in regard to the matter, and
talked freely concerning it. He said
that he lad been told that a warrant
had been dlawn up for his arrest, but
SO far up 70 that time. it had not been
served upon him. There is bus one man
in the county who could be detailed to
serve the warrant on the Sheriff, he
being Coroner ]. Vaughan Jones Mr..
Jones could not be located last night.
However. Mr.. Curtis said he was ready
to nave them arrest him and it was his
Wish that they would do so. He was
determined, ne said. to get at the bot
tom Of this question and the guilty par
ties wuld nave to stand the conse-
quence
Just what the outcome Of the hearing
this morning will be is 4 matter for
much specula ton. but there is one
thing certain, and that is that there
Will be a warm time before it is over
Many people believe that it will f.
nally lead to serious trouble, as there
seems to De vast amount of determ-
nation on both sides. The trial this
morning will take place im the court
room at the courthouse and will no
doubt draw a large number Of people. .
FINNER Al OF YOUNG NELSON.
The funeral services over the remains
of Harry Nelson. the fourteen-year-old
son Of Mr.. William Nelson. popular
conductor on the line of the Newport
News & Old Foint Railway & Electric
Company, occurred from the parents
residence yesterday afternoon at S
o'clock. Young Nelson died Thursday
morning after an illness of several
months With consumption. The youth
was quite favorite with the younger
boys of the town. and his parents have
the sympathy of a large circle of
friends III their sad bereavement
RR1EF NOTES.
Miss Mabel Nicholson, popular
young lady of Portsmouth, is here to
spend several week With her friend,
Miss Margacite Davis, on Armstead
avenue.
Miss Abel Russell. Of Petersburg, is
the guet Of friends in East End
Air. Augustus Winslow and Wife. of
Norfolk, are stopping with MIR. and
the guest Of friends in East End.
County Court adjourned yesterday
for the term.
Mr.. Max M ircus is in New York city.
where ne, will spend some time.
THEIR :,ABORS COMPLETED.
The work OF the Hampton Negro
Conference was brought to close last
night after d very successful session
covering :frca days.
The session opened yesterday morning
with paper Ly NJ. Y. Richards, South
ern Land ana Industrial Agent, upon
: the Possibilities for the Negro in In
d1lstrial Pursuits" This was followed
by a general discussion of the topics by
many Of the prominent colored men in
attendance upon the conference.
AT 1890 O'clock. Professor w. S.
Scarborough, OF Wilberforce University
fohio) read an interesting paper EMIT
led The Negro in Fiction as PORTRAYED
and as Portrayer." The paper was wei
prepared ard caused considerable com
ment among the conference members