Evening star., 1902-07-31
Denies He Committed Crime.
TROOPS ORDERED OUT.
Alexandria Light Infantry to Protect
Craven at Leesburg.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, July 31.-Capt. Jas.
E. King Of the Alexandria Light Infantry
this afternoon, at 1 30, received a telegram
from Adjt. Gen. Nalle in Richmond direct
ing him to take his company Immediately
to Leesburg to protect Charles Craven, the
negro confined in jail there. suspected of
the murder of W. H. Wilson at Herndon,
Monday last. Capt. King at once dispatch
ed messengers to the soldiers directing
them to report as soon as possible at
armory hall. AS many of the men are en-
ployed in Washington. difficulty was expe-
rienced in getting a complement together,
but within an hours time twenty or more
men had shown up at the armory. Capt.
King stated that his company would leave
presumably by special train over the
Southern as soon as thirty or thirty-five
men were collected. They will probably go
off by 4 o'clock. In his message the ad-
jutant general said thirty-five men would
be sufficient. The sudden order created
much excitement here, 1t is recognized
that the soldiers are likely to have hot
work before them.
Story of the Pursuit.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
LEESBURG, Va. July 31.-Yesterday's
pursuit of Charles Craven, the colored
slayer of Farmer William H. Wilson,
near Herndon, Monday forenoon, was even
more exciting than was the chase Of
the previous day. Craven was seen sew
eral times during the day and was fired
upon, but each time the shots went wide
of their mark. At one time his pursuers
were within thirty or forty feet Of him, and
even then the three shots fired at him fail
ed to disable him. ALL day long "Hurrt-
cane Branch and his bloodhounds, Tiger
and John" were kept on the move. At
times the animals would take up the scent
of the fugitive. only to lose 1t In a short
time where the colored man would take
to a stream or perhaps manage to get upon
a horse and ride a short distance.
There was no difficulty experienced by the
posse in tracking the prints made by Cra-
ven's bare feet. These prints were seen in
a number of places, and occasionally the
long strides taken by the man seemed to
indicate that he was hard pressed and had
been forced to run. He gathered in four
young turkeys, some roasting ears Of corn
and a few peaches during his afternoon
travels, but these he dropped when Town
Bailiff Edwards of Leesburg fired two shots
at him at close range. Sheriff Russell Of
Loudoun fired one shot at the fleeing form
of the colored man as he was fast diSap-
pearing In big corn field not great dis
tance from the Goose Creek bridge. At the
time these shots were fired most of the
members Of the searching party were about
two miles distant on another trail, where
Craven had been earlier in the day, and
some delay was experienced In getting
Hurricane Branch and his bloodhounds
to the corn field. 1t was at the time these
shots were fired that Craven dropped the
poultry and produce, which he had placed
in a blue sweater. and the plunder was
turned over to Sheriff Russell as the fu-
gitive was then in Loudoun county.
The dogs took up this trail as soon as
they reached the spot where Craven had
stood when he was fired upon, and the man
ner in which they followed the trail to
Goose creek made it apparent that they
knew what they were about Craven waded
the creek below a dam, for his trail was
picked up on the opposite side of the stream
and followed up the mountain path. Some
time was spent in the neighborhood of the
creek, and shortly before sundown the fu-
gitive was tracked to a settlement known
as Sycoline, which is within two or. three
miles of the county seat of Loudoun county.
Conditions in .Craven's Favor.
Weather conditions, railroad trains and
telegraph wires seemed to operate in favor
Of the man for whom the hunt was so
vigorously prosecuted. The heavy rain of
Tuesday night was followed by still heav-
Ter doWnpours yesterday, and the water
had the effect of causing the dogs to lose
the trail more than once. AS the day wore
on the fury of the storm increased and
branches which were tiny streams the day
before were transformed into raging tor
rents. Volumes of water poured down the
hillsdes and effaced the prints made by
the barefooted man and drenched those who
were so anxiously awaiting the capture To-
ward evening many Of the men dropped
out of the pursuit to get little rest for
number of them had been two days and
nights without sleep.
Craven had been left Monday night in the
woods not far from Dranesyiie where he
had been fired upon by two citizens and
while the general belief was that he would
remain IN the big woods over night there
were some who were of the opinion he
might try to get back to the home of his
mother at a place known as "Old Califor-
MIA, where he had changed his clothing
Monday after the murder of Mr. Wilson
was committed. 1t was believed that he
would go there for the purpose of getting
supply of food. and il was also thought
he might possibly go to the house of
colored woman not far from the scene of the
crime, which he had also visited Monday
night
Monday just before dark, while on his
way TO the home of his mother to change
MS clothing, he was singing in a loud tone.
as II nothing had occurred to interfere
with his happiness. From his mothers
house he retraced his footsteps to the house
near the scene of the murder where he
ooasted that he would kill every white
- - who crossed his path A second
visit was made there, and upon this occa-
sion the woman of the house informed him
she would shoot him If he returned Craven
he called upon a colored friend, and when
Informed of the fatal ending he displayed
an unusual amount of nervousness and re-
marked: MY God, what will do?"
The only thing open to him was to take
to the woods and find a place of conceal
ment. He had already been fired upon and
had every reason TO believe that his life
would pay the penalty without legal hear
Ing. On every hand he found evidence of
the efforts of the people of the two coun-
Ties to get him. and his movements showed
that he did some fast walking or running
and that he was unable to tell just which
way to go to escape his pursuers He had
gone in the direction Of teesburg and then
toward Herndon. Then he had made his
way In other directions, seemingly in be-
wilderment.
At several times Tuesday he must neces-
sarily have seen some of those on picket
duty for his foot prints show he was near
the pike and public roads on several occa-
sions.
Missed an Opportunity.
II was believed Tuesday night that Cra-
ven would enter the dense woods between
the pike and the river and attempt to reach
Washington. Had he taken such a course
he would have had a stretch of at least
| twenty miles OF thickly wooded country
and UOuld have caused tho poSvaS o,5 oas