Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-27
TAYLOR CAPTURED.
Concealed In n CelIar-Great Excite
meuf I'm Roci<hridge.

concealed In teIiar-treht EAcite-
ment In Rocl<bridge.
LEXINGTON. VA, June 26.-(Special)-
Henry Taylor. the young white man who
is charged with the crime of criminally
assaulting Viola VI. Williams. the adopted
daughter of Edward Williams. on last
Wednesday afternoon. was arrested Sun
day afternoon at o'clock at the home
OF Mr.. j. G.. Paxton. aboslt five miles
from here and a short distance from Tim
Der Ridge Station, on the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad.
AT o'clock Sunday afternoon Police
man Walker, with the following sworn
in deputies-William Crgler John II.
Tolley, j. II. Marks, Henry Mutherspaw,
William Pulse, j. II. White, and Charles
Baker-left here for the house Of Paxton,
whose wife is an aunt OF Taylor's. they
having received word about midday from
man who had been on watch all night
near last Lexington that several trips
mad been made by members of Taylor
family in that direction backwards and
forwards, and that he knew of a cellar
TO the house which had d concealed
tIap-dOOr. Magistrate Lindsay and Police
man Walker consulted and IL was de-
teImined 10 send party to the house, al
though Policeman Walker and a deputy,
| Charles Brown had visited the house
two nights before. This visit, il is be-
lieved threw the friends OF Taylor of
the track and lead them to believe Pax
tons house would be safe place, and
II is thought Taylor was told TO make
his way 10 that point. The party when
about a mile from the house left their
vehicle at neighDoring farmers house
and took TO the woods, assembled steep
hill. and quietly surrounded the house.
No one was at home but Mr. Paxton. and
the doors and windows were all open.
search was started without any objection
from Paxton, who stated that Taylor was
not there. At last one Of the men dis
covered the hinges of trap-door behind
stairway. \ piece Of mating covered
The door, and barrels and boxes were
piled on that. These were quickly re-
moved, when Paxton demanded a search
warrant. and said the party had 10 have
one. This gave away the whole thing TO
the officers, who knew that they had their
man Paxton was told that he would be
arrested If he interposed. and was made
TO get a lantern, several OF which he had,
as he is a watchmQn on the railroad.
When the door was opened he shook 80
that he dropped the lantern. bur four Of
the men-Crieier, Tolley. Mutherspaw,
and Baker-went down into the cellar.
which would scarcely permit of a mans
standing, while the others stood at the
door and on the steps. II was so dark
that nothing could be distinguished at
first. and TOley was on the point Of re-
turning 10 get box of matches when he
made out the figure OF a man. and point
ed him out. The man was Taylor. and
he was hurried out OF the house by the
back way and taken through the rail-
road cut, with two men thrown out in
advance. When first discovered the pris-
oner was completely unnerYed. and
thought that a party of lynchers had him.
as he did not see the officer. He had no
arms whatever. On the top of the hill
above the cut he begged the men 10 kill
him. At $50 o'clock this town was
aroused by the cry. They have got
Taylor was taken out Of the surrey and
Jailed so quickly that very few saw him.
In "a. few minutes hundreds had gathered,
every one asking questions. It none
showed any desire 20 harm the prisoner.
On his way to Lexington Taylor was
seated between Walker and Crigler with
out being tied or handcuffed He stated.
when asked If he had done the deed and
why. that he was drunk and didn't
know anything about it." He said that
he had gone 10 the Paxton house early
Saturday morning from Davis. which is
about four miles away. He had heard
that. there were bloodhounds on his
track and had waded creek In Its cir
cuitous route for five miles on his jour
ney in reaching PaXtOn's house. Friday
he was on the other side Of a fence as
Sheriff Sterrett and Policeman Spillan
rode along the road. and he dropped be
hind the fence as they looked across the
other side Of the road at some men cut
ting wheat. Shortly after he arrived here
he asked to have Rev; DR.. James a.
Quarles sent to him. General Ship is
sued to the authorities a supply Of Spring
field rifles. and soon heavy guard pa
tTolled the courthouse square. with or
ders to allow no one 90 come In or any
groups to gather on that side Of the
street. The street was cleared on that
side but further up and down II there
were groups Of men eagerly discussing
the situation and expressing a desire that
Justice should take its course, and speedy
justice al that.
After the assault search was kept up
by Sheriff Sterrett and Policeman Spillan
with posse. and on Saturday afternoon
Spillan returned 20 Lexington and raised
party OF young mon, about forty N
number. who were armed with WincheS-
tiers. Springfield rifles shotguns. and re-
vovers. and at dark left here for Browns
burg In the mean, time parties were
raised all over the hpper end cf Rock
bridge county by the Sheriff and his depu-
ties. while other parties were organized
independentlY. There rendezvoused near
Davis Saturday night a II o'clock n party
some two hundred strong. and began a
systematic search Of houses woods.
mountains. fields. and brush in that part
~ the county. All night II was kent up.
Sunday morning saw fresh men arriving
by the hundreds. TIE farmers Of that
section were Thoroughly aroused and had
Taylor been caught IL would have been n
short shift for him. The wheat harvest
had kept them from searching. but by
sunday lIltN Udb flitNf ~ lItlN IniNNS 10
have the man II he was in Rockbrdge
county. II was estimated Nv 2 man I'm
the party that at one time SUNDAY morn
ing there We're in his range Of vision from
a hill ton 50A men. and they were still
coming All day the search was kept Np
and as soon as the prisoner was brought
to Lexington the telephone lines were
used and the searchers notified Of the
caDture.
There was no fear Of a lynching by the
peopie Of Lexington hut the county peo-
nlo were much worked no. and for safe
keeping the prisoner was quietly taken
out Of the fail nv Sherry Sterrett az 2
o'clock this morning and with Policeman
Walker end Deputy Charles Brown and
another deputy. placed In a hack and
driven 10 BALCONY Falls There n train
over the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
was taken for Lynchburg.
Funeral of MIR. Plant.
NEW YORK. June 26.-The funeral of
Henry Il. Plant organizer Of the Plant
railway system, who died June sd, took
place at the home Of the deceased this
a Harmon The SERVICES were conducted