Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-20
How Charlie Wiikerson Receiv
ed His Death Wound.
THE TRIAL. OF BEN BATES
Delay in Securing Jury. The List. Wit
tesses on tic Stand Tell of tl,- StruS-
gle on thr &. X q. Yard.
The Ordinance,

tion Court yesterday for his life. CHA g
: ID with the murder Of Charles Wfflkcr-
SON
on the sth Of April. 1899. Bates. ac-
compani.l Ny 4 crowd Of friends. met
Wilk.rson. accompanied by n crowd Of
he rar,lmaslcr's office Tho Two hal
had a difficulty several days before.
ana there was bad blood between them.
a quarrel cnsucd wilcn the crowd mot.
Wglke,Son ana Bates had a fight which
resulted in Wik-rSnn'., receiving
mortal wound in TIE abdomen.
Bates was arrested that nigh, by Ser
gcant Reynolds. Wikers"n died in !,
hospital in Richmond the 18th oi
April
The defense is self defense. the pris-
oner claiming that he was under Will
k.rson when the shot that k'tel Will
k..rson was fired. The commonwealth
is apparently enucavoring to establish
the theory that the fatal shot WAS fired
before the scutflc on the ground ensurd.
Messrs. c. G. Mitchell and O. r. Mar
tin ably represent the prisoner. Com
monweaith's Attorney j. *. NJ. New
ton is conducting the prosecution in n $
usual capable manner
Bates who has made Il model prs
oner since his incarceration. is a pre-
possessing looking boy with a clear
grey eye and perfectly self possessed
manner He is so.upuluusly neat. ard
came into court yesterday looking for
all the wolid as though he were just
going on dress parade His appearance"
is distinctly in his favor as is also hi,
I,;1.
he fully realizes the gravity Of his sill
nation, is that Of an innocent man.
The esltirc morning was devoted to
securing Il jury. the following finally
being obtained:
IL. K. Vaughan, r. j. Wingfcld. Nv. T.
Pickett ]. r. Marsden. S. s. Archibald.
T. r. Voolfolk. G. r. James. II. w.
Lane George G. Ware. ~ IL, Garner.
David Leo ana J. l.. Clinedinsi
STORY OF TIL. FIGHT
Harold Brett. clerk for the c. & O..
was the fins; witness placed on the
stand. The witness testified TO the fact
that Willlersnn was wounded by 4 ps
tol ball. hut was unable To say in
whose hands the weapon was. He sal.
shat there were Bates and another sol
tiicr and four civilians in bates crowd,
and in Wilkersons crowd in addition TO
WilkcrSon and Brett, there were 10"
Ftenitz, Ealie Davis. Willie COX. Hun
ter Birch and Willie Cosby hut Wilkpr-
son had left tho crowd before. reachin.
the railroad.
Tho witness told how. cartier in Tho
evening. Bates ana another soldier
came up to him mt Rlassenham's bnr
ana Bates said he was looking for tho
-- --- who hit him. and would
IN bI. ,,h
him where he was
The next time the witness saw BATES
was when the Two crowds passed each
other on the railroad yard in front Of
the yatlmaStcr'S office. The crowds
mad passed each other several fes.1
when some one called Davis back ana
told him he had il'en'S Knife which 81
Wis denied Then Wilkcrson walked IN
ard joined the crowd again ana gave
witness bundle ana told him to hall
IL. Bates asked if the man who hit him
was in the crowd. Wilkerson replied
that he was the man Bates asked if
he had his knife. Wrilllerson replying
in the affirmative. Bates demanded the
Knife. which Wlkerson refused 10 sur
render Bates asked Wilkerson WHY he
wanted to hit HIM Wilkcrson said ba-
caused YOU grabbed the woman BATES
''iii ilc Ntuli Scl lntt kllt!t ana Will
Ecrsnn sard I'm see You when YOU GET
H. Bates called Wlkerson a vile name
and reiterated his intention of getting
the knife. The two men "Sut together"
ana there was general scramble
"a mx-up." There was ,wo shots
fired. Bates was lying on the ground
with his revolver in his hand Wilkcr-
son was lying in front Of him. The VIII
ness saw bates raise himself IN and
Are his revolver. but he could NOT saw
what became Of the balls. lll.. did not
know WilkcrSon was shot until he
walked into the yarlmaster's office and
opened his clothing. \ number az
shots were fired but he couldn't ten
who fired them.
When the first shot by Bates was
fired. Wilkerson was directly in front
of him about six or seven feet Bates
revolver was pointed in front or him
when this shot was fred Wrkersou
was standing up.
As soon as the shots were fired the
crowd scattered, but the witness saw
the Two men ciinch after the Two sho, :
Were fired. They scuffled along on IN.
ground. He could not see which was
on top. While the scufiling was going
on Wllknrsnn called for '4Holly'' ana
l'dFlS ana me witness started toward
Wilkerson and Bates. The other SOL
der pointed 4 revolver in Davis face
ana told him to stop.
:" hen the two men 60; through scuf-
fling Hates got up and he ana the other
soldier ran, Wilkerson got up drew
MS pistol from his left hand coat pocket
rs ne was getting up, and holding tho
weapon in left hand fired several times
" nh
tracks. The other soldier was ruDujn q
thE irncks Il