The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-12-12
Mr.. JAMES Q. STIFF
Gives an Account of the
WeStmOreland
Tragedy.
AIS: THE CAUSES THAT LED TO IT.

Mr. j . Stid at the Emergency Hos
pital in Washington has told the story
of the lamentable tragedy near Oak
Grove a. the result alamily conference.
4t which IL was decided that. M view ot
his critical condition. he should give a
full a.c0uut before bee grew too weak to
talk
MIR Sti.i alleged that the cause of the
attack on Marx was "a story told 10y d.
e. Franklin of what he said he had seen
during an entertainment at Oak Grove,
ON the night of November - given by
the auxiliary OF ST Peters church. OF
thar place Mr. Suf said that rankin
reported q. the ~torrof b. " Stin a Go
20 Mr. " " stiff that Turing the enter
tainmeut he had seen "A couple come out
oi the hall and go near stable. where
they couyersed quietly. Franklin said
De- heard the girl saying Let me 90. ]
Won 20.
FranAlin reported that the couple then
continued their walk and that he followed
them I'm "a short time hemet the colorrd
urearher. Byrd. who asked him whether
or not he witnessed the action of the
couple Franklin replied that he did.
and asked who they were, whereupon
Byrd. according 10 rankliu replied that
thcy were Herbert Marx aud Rosie
Taylor Franklin cautioned the negro
nos to repeat the names of the couple TO
anybody rs 10 might cause trouble.
trankln then. according to Nr. Nuti.
continued 20 follow the couple until they
appeared in the hghtof + " STIFF a Cos.
store. where be- recognized Marx by his
shoes aud the girl. who. Mr. Stiff SAYS.
is about L. wears old 10y her short
dress
Mr. Stir said that franklin reported
thar le followed The pa'rhy the store to
a depression on the lei' Of the Episcopal
church yard whor. thr, again con
ve-~ed
10 was 10 this point that Franklin
went % rhe store and told Nr W. ~.
S,ih what Boz had seen and heard
HrvA~ TOLD rHF STORY.
Mr. stiff then said. At the time Of
ibis occurrence ! was in Prince George
county. but reached 81 Peter IS n time
for church ou sunday ! found Rosie
Taylor in church and upon coming out
found Herbert Marx on the outside 81
the gate. was not dressed Tor church
and hurried home ! heard nothing ot
the occurrence until Willie Helm returned
from Pope's Creek church and. DO com
pany with e. y. Thompson. related u
We went to prayer-mra ting al the
Baptist church and on my return home
told my father ID w hllr liruin presence
that though my plans were made Tor
going on a drumming trip next DAY }
would cancel them % theeNient ui seeing
" =. Taylor Jr. "a fir~t cousin OF me
girl bad Helm telephone hum 20 meet
me- on The road. which DE- did Our We
went ON back to Colonial hrtcn' "H'Fe
secured a wagon whip Tor the purpose OF
cha-tisin- Marx Taylor engaged the
services OF hi> oyster buyer hi-sli.
This all happened oA Monday.
They made engagements 20 ne M
Oak Grove III - = ~. whence We re-
summed orr drive 90 MARKS house. g. y.
Thompson also being IN the party Of
-four
AI NAfA ho'
"A- thr house we found that the lights
had been ppt out. and although hlggih
offered himself IN the role oi q lost
drummer. Marx would not come out
We felt our purposes thwarted and IT,
traced our steps OUT Ter"t'ru '""
another effort Tuesday night and To-
start earlier. We ieit kggin al 'oionIal
Reach taking Mr. Douglas IN his place.
Nr Douglas was also employed by Mr
TAYLOR
I've reached Marx s house on Tuesday
night. there being in the party Taylor.
THOMPSON. He1in, Douglas and myself.
taking with o.. a sack of straw. bottle
of coal oil and a bundle OF oil-saturated
RAGS TAYLOR took a can OF turpentiue
and tar for thepurpose of smearing 1t on
Marks head We also bad the whip and
a tick sharpened az both ends We IN
tended. il necessary. 20 put the stick IN
the ground lab tae bag 81 straw ana