The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-22
The Coronsr's Jury fxonerats:
Cecchini for Killing,
4 SERVICE 10 COMMUNITY
Police are Firmly Convinced that IN
Dead Desperate, george Wii'iama
Was the Head of an Organized
Band OF Cutthroats and
Robbers Other Ar
rests May Fellow.

with the almost instant killing q
George Williams. alias Norfolk early
yesteray morning. at the corner of Mari
shall and Fifth Streets by Paul Gee,
ehini. the proprietor OF an alf-niSh
saloon. after he had made an unsuccess>
full attempt to murder and rob hlf
s!aver q; carnival of crime came to
sudden ending The police are firmly OF
the opinion that the dead desperado WA
tue cGef eonspiritor in AN orglnized EsinA
of bandits who have prosecuted theif
bold ant! daring game about Richmont
for the past several weeks. robbing ans
drGpbInSa innocent citizens at rlndoH
and escaping TO tteir fence without eves
so much as leaving a tangible working
clue.
As a result of the killing of Williams I
two negroes were arrested by the cits
detectives and the police of the Seccn&
Station yesterday one of whoIn they Zee
confident is guilty OF having been assu
ciated witt; the dead criminal in his oirtl
work The otner was later dlsmissed =
for lack of evidence.
That the people in general realize WftA
pleasure the sudden demise OF the asss
perado. Williams is net to be doubted
in view of th,. verdict brouEs- In py ths
jury which was esipanelied BY Coronet
Taylor TO inquire i;.to the death OF tnt
negro. In one respect. at ieitst. sheS Vst'
die, is somewhat of departure iro1t
those usually returned upon such occat
sions. 1t reads:
1--WE the Jury empanefed to inquiry
into th,. death OF George Williams, hnt
shat he. came to his death from a ptstn
shot wound. inflicted on tne sitn cay OF
October. 1902 by one Paul Cecchini, dur.
ing an attempt n,dde By him tsNi!iielmsi
TO rob and murder the SAID CeccninA
ana the jury Is of the op:ion that the
killing was jHstsfante and q sefVlce te
the conInunity.if
DESPERATE CHARACTER.
Williams was u desperate character
Of the most pronounced type. the evf
dence Introduced at the inquest proving
this beyond the least d"ubs8 He has oeee
4: terror to even his most intimate pals
and has cut Eroae. and sweeping hsur4
in the society witt. which he assoc'a1ed
himself He wassa born bully, and BEING
a man of powerful physique. he aeeont
p,isred by brute strength what otheS
negroes feared to attempt
Williams car,e 20 Richmond some ESt
or six months ago from Norfolk Whers
be was n we'll known police character
having been sentenced to the Guy anu
county Jail time after time for otsanseS
innurnerable Ie was. however. nevet
regarded as q particularly nervy nesrct
and it was never once suspected thht
Il. wor,1d attempt such q deed as hnally
resulted in his untimely, but fortunatei
Death
a, one time Williams was a pugnilsts5
having fought a number of nurI patt
ties with the best second class m.adle-
weights in the country. Ese was fast witt
his fists ant. in q saloon br;twi. one OF
his favo-ite pastimes when he hau noneSt
he was a holy terror. Since comih4
to Richmond he had made quite q crtInls
ma, record and since his death. eariS
yeste.dav. morning the police and dee
tectives have traced number OF seriaus
,r1n,es to his door most proEatnc cnt
among these beng a score or more OF
bold and daring hoId-aps some OF WHICH
,re-a ,r.ore or less successful
Yeters,av afternoon Paul Ceechlri. the
brave little Italian bar-keeper, WIS taken
before Justice Crltehtield. who. after
hearing a: portion OF the evidence. dis
missed him to appear this morning. HIS
bond was fixed at Si.o0h. and Sttuire V.
(Chariesp DoEa.f signed the bond. aftef
which both cs .!lcru visited the ,norsuo
at the City Hospital. where they viewed
the remains os ,'te dead negro. Cecchini
was ,inmoyet, rs he gazed upon the VIC
tim of the bullet whtcii ne fired IN
self-defense and had little to say COM
cerning the attempt at robbery.
N SUSPECTS ARRESTED.
Early yesterday morning Captain Hulrel
OF the Second Station, and Captain TONE
linson. of the Detective Department.. set
about investigating the several robberies.
which we're committed the night before.
the two officials working In perfect har..
rnony. Both had one end in view and both
were equally as anxious to arrest any
other parties who were involved In tho
carnival OF crime.
About 8 O'clock yesterday afternoons
Lesley Davis. a negro. who. to certain
extent answered the description OF ono
of the two men who attempted to rob
Mr.. f. c. Tyler. an empioye OF w. r.
Francis and Brother. coal and wood
dealers, located at the corner OF Plum
and Cary Streets. the afternoon before.
was arrested and taken to the Second
Station. In addition to being suspected
Of this robbery, It was thought that heS
was one OF the two men to rob Wah
sing. q ehinainan. doing business at the
corner of Leigh and First Streets.
Lewis was held In the station until
both Mr. Tyler and the Ch.naman had
had an opportunity to gaze upon him.
Both expressed themselves as OF the
opinion that he had nothing to do with
! either OF the jobs. so he was dismissed
from the station. but close watch viii
be kept on his movements. az it may
yet develop that he was one oe tho rob
bers.
Later in the afternoon Mr. Tyler vis-
tied the rnorgue and looked upon the re-:
mains OF Williams. the negro who ws0
killed BY the Italian. He was positive
that he was one OF the two men who
attacked him in the woodward once -
Plum and Cary Streets and this face
~ :, haJfoVs, yyilltny1rsn