Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12
Exoneration of the Lad Who Struck
Kirby Mobley.
BIS STATEMENT OF AFFAIR BELIEVED
Declared He Had No Intention of
lnflicting injury.
MOBLEY'S BURIAL TOMORROW

west, as published in yesterdays Star.
There was large gathering of boys about
the police station, friends of the deceased
and of William w. Grebie, the lad who
inflicted the fatal blow. Assistant District
Attorney. A. r. Semmes represented the
government. and Mr.. A A. Birney, ex-dis-
trict attorney, was present in behalf of
Greble. A large number of witnesses had
been summoned, but it was deemed neces-
sary to hear them all, as none of them
showed disposition to conceal the facts.
Greble in his own behalf made a frank
statement of the affair, which was the
same that told by other witnesses. The
other boys who We're arrested Thursday
night and Friday morning were released
yesterday, after Greble admitted having in
fiicted the blow
After hearing the evidence, the jury re-
turned a verdict generating Greble and
the boy went home with his parents, who
We're in the building to hear the result. of
the inquest The jury believed the boy
story that he did not intend any harm to
Mobley.
The body of the deceased was turned over
to Mr. Osgood, his stepfather, and his
funeral will take place tomorrow after
noon.
The Testimony.
Leroy Krouse thirteen years old, of 1923
New York avenue northwest, told the jury
that Wednesday night he was at Keys BIZ
cycle shop talking to George Lucas, when
he saw about twenty boys walking down
10th street. They stopped at 1 street, and
witness remarked: There's going to be
trouble" He said he was looking for some
of his friends.
who are your friends?' he was asked.
Witness gave the names of several of
them.
DO you live in that vicinity?''
Yes, sir. We play around there, and
never trouble anybody. Witness walked to
10th and l streets, he said, where he met
run mile but stopped when the crowd
of twenty came along. Witness said his
crowd inquired what the others wanted, and
they said they were looking for boy
named Arthur. He said the boys in the
crowd of twenty were armed with sticks
and stones, and were ready for anything"
How many were in your crowd? '' the
boy was asked.
About nine or ten
Witness said he had never seen any of the
other boys before. Some of them he said
wore long trousers. The crowds We're about
thirty feet apart when he reached the cor
ner. ana those of the opposing faction stood
IN front OF an ice cream place. Most of the
boys, he said. had sticks He heard some
OF them had bricks. Two of them he knew
nad proomStlckS. One of his friends George
Hunt, was in the other crowd and he was
told that they had taken him.
What They Did.
Then what did you do?" the witness
was asked
When they left he answered, eve got
sticks and followed them to see what they
Were going to do"
Where did you get your sticks?"
In front of Dorseys store"
Did you have a stick?'
I had piece of barrel stave," he an
swered, but 1 didn't use it."
Witness said they followed the other
boys as far as 9th and Grant streets, and
there they were attacked with pieces of
br1cks. he threw his stick away and ran
to 9TH and F streets. One of the boys
whose name, he thought, was Burch, over
took him and hit him in his mouth and side
with his fist. Witness then got away and
returned to the park, where he found about
nine of his companions. They had then
thrown away their sticks and given up
the fight.
Did you know boy named Kirby
Mobley?"
No. SIR"
Did you see him that night?'
No. sir"
Witness said he had never seen Mobley.
Was there a boy named Grebel in your
crowd?''
He had left US and gone over to the
stoneyard."
Thursday night witness said, there were
two fights. His companions were armed
with sticks that night. Witness had
wheel spoke with wire wrapped around
one end of it. They were seated on the
chain fence around the parking at 18th
street and New York avenue taking
What were You doing?"
We had learned that the crowd was COM
ing down"
How did you learn this?'
NAL. Murphy came down on a bicycle
and told US that he saw the crowd coming
near 10th and r streets"
Did you then get StickS?'
mo, sir; because We already had them
Were you going to play a game with
them"
NO, sir. We were waiting to see if the
crowd would come"
The "Crowds" Meet.
Witness said the crowd came down 18th
street armed with bricks. One of wit
ness companions remarked: Her, they
are" and one of the boys in the other
crowd said, Yes; we are ready" and
bricks were thrown Witness then ran
down the street to get out of the way, and
bought some candy. About fifteen minutes
later he returned to the park and found a
crowd of larger boys, among them Sam
Stiles, Lucas and Greble. They were the
ones who were in the stone yard the night
before, and who said they would help the
smaller boys. Witness gave his wheel
spoke with wire around it to Lucas and
left After sitting on the C. ID at 18th
street about fifteen minutes he Eeard some
thing like groan. A crowA Of boys ran
out of the park and witnesa went home.
MS, he SAID, was DSIOr6 MORLEY was
killed.
What time did you get homer
Twenty minutes past 9"
Witnessed Part of Trouble.
Gordon Krouse, seventeen years old.
brother of the preceding witness, testified
that he saw part of the trouble Wednes-
day night. Five or six of them were sit
ting in front of Dorsey's store at 10th and
I streets about o'clock when the crowd
came. One of them said they were after
Arthur Green, and witness thought he
meant Arthur Fenton- Witness said his
crowd pursued the others when they got
after Arthur Fenton. They overlook the
other party at 9th and Grant streets, and
a fight followed. Two boys were scratched.
Greble was not with them that night
The night the fatal fight occurred, he
said, his crowd met in the park about s
o'clock, because they thought the other
crowd would come there. Some of them
were in the park east of 18th street and
others were across the street in the other
park Most of the boys were armed with
sticks. Greble had a piece of broomstick
but there was no wire on it. About $50
O'Clock he said. the crowd came down l
street from 18th street, and attacked them
with stones.
I'VE fired some stones back at them"
said witness. land the crowd separated
fa ufr