Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-01-26
Grand Jury viii Investigate the
Lynching ofW. w. Watts.
Tho Political Evcnt OF tho Month
Will Como or Next woanosday-A
Negro sInEis,rnte of B,oodnoid on
Trial at H--.p,on.
Evcnt OF tho sIonth
Especial to virglnian-P


Newport News, Va, Jan. 25.-One of
the history of the Corporation Court of
this city occurred this morning, when
Judge Barham charged the grand jury
to investigate the recent lynching of w.
w. Watts. the Lynchburg boy, who was
taken from the station house on the
night of January 4th into a wood near
the city and shot to death by mob.
1t was the first lynchlng in the his
tory of Newport News, and consequent
ly it was the first time a Newport News
grand jury was ever so charged.
Witnesses for the investigation have
been summonsed for tomorrow morn
ing, when the affair will be probed. 1t
is probable that one or more indict-
ments may be made, though, up to this
present date, the authorities have not
succeeded in fixing the crime of the
lynching upon any one Individual.
A POLITICAL EVENT.
The political event of the month will
be the sixth annual banquet of the
Americas Democratic Club the most
powerful political organization OH the
Virginia peninsula. This banquet will
be held on the night of January 81, and
will be the most notable in the history
of the organization. Meesrs. Madison
and Tyler. representatives in the Cen
eral Assembly from this district, Will
be present. Among others invited are
Hon. w. "A. Young, of Norfolk; Senator
John w. Daniel, of Lynchburg; Dele
gates Folkcs and Wallace, of Rich
mond; Judge Baker p. Lee and Mayor
Hope, of Hampton. and many other
distinguished gentlemen.
NEGRO JUSTICE ON TRIAL.
The case OF Magistrate Charlie Robin
son took an unexpected turn at War
wick Courthouse this morning.
Robinson Is n negro justice of the
peace in Bloodfield. He went into office
on curious political wave, which put
the Madison faction into power in the
county and displaced the Crafford fac
ton, which had been in control for
some years.
Robinson Immediately became a sort
OF storm centre. His bitterest oppo-
nents kept their eyes upon him. look
ing for the slightest dereliction upon
which to hang an action that would
GUST the negro from office.
Presently Robinson was arrested. He
was charged with embezzling public
funds-certain fees of his Office that
snOuiu nave Dcen turned In to the
State. He was bailed and employed ex-
Commemorative Attorney Fay c. COL
Her, of Hampton. to defend him. On
the side of the State were Common
wealths Attorney p. st. George Will
cox, L. S. Robinson and Colonel i. C.
Baker. They went after the negroes
scalp with n vigor that BODIED him i'll.
The case was called in the Warwick
County Court Tuesday. Two days were
lost arguing motions. technicalities
and preliminnries. The merits of the
case were to have been gone into to-
day, but when court convened Mr.. Col
Tier raised an objection to the venire
facias. He said that there had been n
hot factional fight, in which his client
was mixed up. Feeling was high and
he was afraid it would be difficult to OBJ
tain Il jury capable of giving his man
n fair and impartial trial. Judge Lee
told him that he had every confidence
in the venire. but, to accommodate him,
he would discharge the venire and
order another one for 9 o'clock the fol-
lowing morning. This was done, and
the case went over until TOMORROW
morning.