Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-20
In Which the Quarry Was a
Human Being.
AN UNPRECEDENTED SCENE


present candidate for the peniten-
tiary, came within q hairs breadth of
being strung up to Il telegraph pole by
an Infatuated populace last night.
That he is alive this morning is prob
ably due to the fact that no rope was
handy when the crowd was in a humor
to swing him. and that it was learned
in time to prevent extreme violence
that he had not murdered anybody. as
was at first believed!
Charlie Williamson has been employ
ed recently as a helper about the home
of Mrs. $. L. Chandler on Twenty lift.
street. At this house resides a Mrs w.
II. Minor, who has Il room on the second
floor.
shortly after { o'clock Williamson
Went into the Warwick Pharmacy and
throwing down a twenty dollar gold
piece asked for change. quick. w G.
Burgess. the proprietor did not change
the money and the negro went out a
few moments later Mrs. Minor came in
and told Mr. Burgess that she had
missed the money. She asked him if he
had seen the negro whom she suspect
Led. She was told of the incident Of the
double eagle and returned home Mr.
Burgess telephoning to the chief Of no-
lice. who telephoned to Officer Mccall
lum. at the stat'ionhouse and told him
to go around to Mrs. Chandeliers and get
the negro.
OFFICER McCallum Went around to the
house and Mr.. Burgess. With c. c. 1Iar-
grave. deputy clerk of the courts. also
went around to identify the man.
The officer, in order to catch the ne
gro. who had returned to the house
pretended that he wanted to engage
board. He asked Mrs. Chandler if he
could be accommodated and was told
to come in. He was then ushered into
the dining room. and Williamson. who
was in tho kitchen, was told TO come in
and make Il place for him at the ia
BILE
The negro, however saw what was
up and bolted through the back way.
Mr.. Burgess and Mr.. Hargrave had, in
the meantime. gone around to the back
yard to guard that portion of the house
Inc negro ran by them and they start
ed in pursuit. Finding that he was
followed. Williamson turned and fired
directly al Mr.. Hargrave, who was lust
behind him. Just at this moment. Mr..
Harsrove stumbled and fell. and the
cry Went up among the crowd which
rapidly gathered on Twenty-sixth
street. WHITTIER the man had sped. thai
Hargrave was dead
me excitement was unprecedented
Every moment added to the pursuing
crowd until its number was sswelled r.
at least five hundred. The negro like
a hunted animal. turned down TWENTY
sixth street. crossed West avenue and
sped like the wind across the Casino
ground oblquely toward the water.
After him came half a thousand peo-
pie, spread out over the lot but con-
Ferslhs toward one point-the fugitive
The air rang With shouts "a hundred
voices We're hoarse with cries of ..Shoot
him! He has already killed one man"
Scores Of people who had come down 10
the Casino grounds for breath of air
and quiet evening, had their reveries
fuuely interrupted, sprang TO their feet
and Joined in the man -hunt In n mo-
ment. where the peace that had follow
ed thp glory of the sunset lay like
4 benediction upon the rand. chaos
swirled like Il storm across the green
the air Was filled with shouts of men.
and strange echoes crept muffled and
shoStly across the darkenng waters.
such scene was never before wit
messed even in this city where deeds of
violence are common and man hunting
has ceased to be other than mon,,tn-
nous.
Williamson reached the path that
skirts the waters edge and scurrietl
northward toward the glade that falls
down to the waters brink opposite
Thirty-first street. He disappeared
over the bank just rs the foremost o.
his pursuers reached the edge. AS he
reached the bottom, the negro turned
and aiming his revolver straight Back
at the gathering crowd on the brink of
the iravine. fired. The ball went wild.
and the fugitive resumed his breathless
course. the multitude behind him
tumbling down into the hollow at his
heels.
Then some one started the cry that
he had killed two men, and the crowd
took it up.
In a moment the fugitive had scaled
the further bank In another, he had
reached Thirty-secOnd street. and here
he jumped 4 fence and found himself
in Judge Christians back yard In
another moment the crowd was upon
him. The hunted man flung his revolt
yer between the palings of the fence
but the plank upon which he rested t:1,.
weapon was too high for him to aim
81. In another instant Barton Ewers.
who was in the van Of the pursuers
grabbed the negro by the wrists from
the outside Of the fence, showed tn,
revolver point into the air and held the
rnan until some Of the rest Of the crowd
coa,id go back into the yard and Sc
cure him. This latter was but the work
81 an instant. In less time than it
takes 10 tell it, the crowd was upon
fhe negro. The scene that then ensuad
IS inlescrTbable Some one started the
report that the man had also killed a