Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-27
.COTTON'S BODY
ARRIVES here
Viewed by Many Thousand People
White and CoIored.
SUBJECT FOR STUDENTS
He is Brought Back Dead wearing tho
Same Cont with which He Escaped
and Which Belonged to Guard Saunders
Ho Had Grown Darker and stouter-
His Face Looked Calm, tho RepuIsivc
Feature TO Great Extent Being Absent


His Face Looked Calm, tho RcpnIsive
Feature 70 n Great Extent Being Absent
Through the sound OF the patter of
the rain drops and occasional furry of
hail Sunday afternoon near s o'clock
the cry rang through the city, Cot
tons body has come" Go and see Cot
ton" He is at the staton-house and
in a moment thereafter it seemed as if
the great majority of the population of
the city was vending its way station
houseward to get Il glimpse of this most
noted desperate.
This was no hoax, for lying there.
dressed as If in life, In white pine box,
shaped something like Il coffin. was the
remains of Walter Cotton, the muir
derer of Mr.. Charles Wyatt and of
other dastardly crimes too numerous to
MERTON. Enough is it to say that the
commission of the double murder at
Enporia. which was attributed to him.
was sufficient TO arouse all the deter
mination of the people in that section
10 act at once, and in no uncertain
way. and the sequel of their vengeance
was the body of Cotton clothed in
death. lying in box at the station
house in this city, with his shoes for n
pillow. and no kindly hand to remove
the dirt from the flesh or the clothing
he wore.
The Virginian- Pilot Sunday morning
told of the departure Of Sheriff Smith
for EmDoria. in company with Mr.
George Mooney. for the purpose of
identifying the body of the colored
man lynched there Saturday. and if it
proved to be Cotton's, to bring it here
that the people might see the remains
and thus be convinced that no mistake
had been made by Judge Lynch who
sit in the case.
THOUSANDS VIEW IT.
But a few minutes after the body had
been deDosited in the station house
steady stream of visitors passed around
the box to see Cotton's face, and this
Kept I'D undated until late in the
night, men, women and children of all
colors. kinds and conditions showing
marked curiosity TO gaze upon the face
OF the dead criminal. This was not all
either. Many were not satisfied with
mere looking. but the relic or souvenir
hunter was present and several at
tempts were made to cut Cotton's
clothing. several being successful in
getting pieces of his socks, his shoes be-
Ing off, and buttons from his coat and
pants were soon gone.
everything about the grusome sight
was noticed even the certificate which
was written in lead pencil on a strin
y,
set forth the fact that Walter Cotton
aid not die of any contagious disease
WHAT THE SHERIFF SAID.
Sherlf Williamson Smith was pressed
to tell what he saw and heard during
ms short stay in Empora. and the fol-
lowing is short synopsis:
He said that he talked with many
people at Emporia where he was tod
or the events preceding the lynchings
Cotton was perfectly cool and fearless
throughout and said. while the hun
dreds of men We're surrounding him
mat IL was given n stick he could go
through the crowd unframed. He da-
MED having murdered either WYATT ar
sick. and said that at one time he
thought OF returning to Portsmouth and
EiVhS himself up but wanted 10 kill
weaver. who gave the PRINCIPAL testj
mony against him; Oney Cosgroyo an
p.ner wi.ness:: and Tom" the blood
nound owned by Constable Branch. He
also said that after getting ont If iaii
ne STAYED in Portsmouth four weeks
put there was contradiction of tbis
statement when he told Branch tbot Ia
saw him In Weldon, ~ C.. as tho lat
yer Trip to North Carolina was made
'''' ''uout a week after the escape.
TO LYNCH HIM. TOO.
ne sneriif was Informed that it was
II GOOD thing for him that he did NOT
go 10 llmporia last Friday night. II
was rimored in that town that he wa.
coming and n committee was annoint
eu 10 meet him Mt the train and warn
nm against taking any steps to sccnra
lotion. If he persisted he was TO have
been killed. ~ nave
After the hanging Saturday the body
"i COTTON was taken to Jarratt's in a
wagon and delivered 10 Mr. Moore 90
tnat gentleman could claim the reward
"i Sioo oifercd; hut il was decided that
the better course would be to return r.
TO Emporia. and this was done Tho
reward will be paid. and Moore will
uN!de 1t with Constable Branch and
ne co.oreu man l'arham, who assist
cd in the capture.
IDENTIFIED O'GRADY
Sheriff Smith fully identified the hodv
OF the white man who went along tho
.hempen route" with Cotton as Brant
q Grady. who served five-days' SEN
fence in this Jail for drunkenness last
November ''
He was saw-hler. who liked Col
ton, and the two men met after Cot
TONS escape. OGrady showed great
nerve and bravado while the rome was
ab"iIt his neck. cursing the mob and
calling them towards
SENT TO UNIVERSITY.
Yesterday morning the body was
again put on exhibition in the iail-
yard, and there again thousands of Deo-
pie viewed the remains. and the lam
and push Ia see him kept up until the
time to ship the body by the 3 O'clock
Chesapeake and Ohio steamer en- route
to the University Of Virginia. that be-
ing uoEa promptly
HOW he; LOOKED.
The only visible marks of violence
was bullet holc under the left eye
and wounded f.rger. the latter re-
celvcd from enc Of those he murdered.
ana the former ,:ado by an avenger
Ihe"e was another bullet in Cotton's