The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-03-11
IT LOOKS LIKE
FOUL MURDER
Mystery Surrounds Killing Of
William Clayton,
MOTIVE WAS ROBBERY
This is the Theory on Which
Police Are Working.
STRUCK DOWN IN STREET
Dead Nan Vas Painter--lie Had Been Out
Late Saturday Night and Vas On His
Way fiome-Th. Inquest VIII
Be Held To-day-Thc
Police Working
on Case.
STRUCK DOWN IN STREET

Within a stones throw Of the Second
lo,ice Station, in the bright glare of an
electric light, and preceded and followed
" a chain of circumstances generally
!nntical with those OF tho John W. Scott
r;urdcr mystery, Fir. William Clayton
81 painter, of No. 1S9 North Fourth Street,
vas beaten unto death at about Z:ao
o'clock Sunday morning. He died in the
e:nshouse, where he had been removed
Tor treatment, at about eight CLOCK
sunday night, never having regaincd con
s,iousness. That murder was done there
seems not the slightest doubt: that rob-,
bry wss the motive Of the crime there
rrcnls also no Doubt. Thus far, however,
there is not the slightest clue TO connect
my one with the murder.
The assault which proved fatal was
cpmmitted at the mouth of All alley II.
lie rear of a three-story house at the
Strncr OF Seventh and Clap Streets, fac
irE Clay. With some blunt Instrument
tlle skull was crushed in directly behind
tho right car-in the Scott case the fatal
how was behind the left ear-and a dozen
bruises on the face and head showed
where the man had been fearfully beaten,
evidently with the bare fist. Despite
these wounds Mr.. Clayton staggered along
Il Q street evidently from Seventh TO
Leigh and down Leigh to Six "a. where
lie was found at about ten minutes past
i,.tir o'clock in scni-conscious cohd-
tion.
WALKED UNTIL HE FELL
When found he was sitting in the shad-
CIV OF a great tree which grows on the
northwest corner of Leigh and sixth
ssIi Gets, trying to get up. Bloody 1lnEer
prints along the tall fence Ut ahis polnt
stowed where he had sroped ms way
along until finally, exhausted by the ioss
~ blood, he sank down to die. \ negro
,nan. David Mayo, who lives at NO. 1 90
>orth sixth Street. who was on Rlss'sas
homo. found him there. and SO, reported
IL the police.
Outside of the mere mystery as to the
identity of the murderer, there are some
other strange incidents in connection with
the crime which may in time serve to
throw light upon its perpetrators One OF
these is the fact that blood spots were
found by Chief of Detectives Tomlinson
.rou Marshall Street, leading north along
seventh toward the spot where MI. Gay
ton received his fatal injuries; another IS
blood spots found on the water pipe OF
a small store at No. 400 East Leigh
Street, indicating that some one leanea
against the pipe Whether or NOT .iiese 80
blood spots have anything at all TO 90
with the murder of Mr.. Clayton is
purely conjectural
POCKETS HAD BEEN RIFLEp.
When found Mr.. Clayton's pockets had
l,cen rified. This was proven by the fact
that one of the pockets had been torn
l,S- the thief as he plunged his hand INTO
il and by the fact that 81, which he was
known to have had at the time, was miss
inr. Then. too, the injured mans hat
was missing, as was pound cake which
he had in a package at the time he lett
gambling-house in Broad Street, where
no had been playing poker. This nat
WAS a black felt, a slouch in shape, and
through it may yet he found clue 10
the criminal. The sum of $3.50 in the
watch pocket of Mr.. Ciayton's trousers
VAS overlooked by the thieves.
That there was an assault committed
would seem to be definitely proven by the
statement of Mr.. w. T. Dabney. of No.
81; North Seventh Street, which is one
door above where the crime is supposed
to have been committed. Just before )
o clock on Sunday morning he heard
what he supposed was some one trying
10 break into his house and listened. y
few minutes later he! ard his wife heard
crcans outside, but as several dogs had
begun to bark they supposed one OF them
had been hurt and was making the noise
Later these Groans died away as the per-
son in distress moved off
A FIERCE STRUGGLE.
The sounds that awoke Mr.. pabney must
have been the struggle, which, judging
fe1cl The appearance of things generally
III the mouth OF the alley, was a fierce
one albeit no one has been found who
heard a word spoken, nothing save he
dead mans srcans. A foot or so inside
This alley, which is only about three or
four feet vide. were the first blood
stains. Here. in the corrusations formed
by the paving stones. had gathered a pool
OF scarlet Just beside the house which is
directly in The roar of Nc. 15i East
Clay, occupied by Mrs. Ryan. On the
~; u the Gcor s.il and the water ppe On
the corner are innumcrah BILE bloody fiu-
ger prints. evidently where Mr.. Clayton
had pulled himself up
In the middle of the sidewalk some four
Or five feet from these scarlet marks, was
another crimson pool, larger even than
The one in the alley. Evidently it is here
where Mr.. Clayton fell, being then
sraSged into the alley and robbed, after
which he was left alone. struggling TO
his feet later and going on his way. In
his alley live a score or more of negroes.
At Leigh and Six Streets it was
that David Mayo. negro. who
a employed In a club. and who has
as being absolutely reliable, 1ooild Ms.
THE NEGRo'S STORY.
Il passed under the market at the
1,olice station just as the city clock
struck A. the negro said yesterday
From there / suppose it could not have
taken me more than ten minutes to
reach Sixth and Leigh Streets. ! live
al No. SIS North Sixth Street. on the side
found Mr.. Clayton. When passed
DOWN Seventh from Leigh Street heard
Mr.. Clayton grooming and saw him sit
t...p on the sidewalk beside the :satc