Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-03
Manchester
and
Chesterfield.

I,amentinp his past life and praying 1or
tho forp,veness Of everybody for the
crime he has committed, Ernest Davis.
the condemned negro VINO IS 10 Dc adnseo
for the murder of John Henry STOKES
also colored, is now tossing from one
side of his cell to the otnsr ishorans ~
the fate which awaits him and which
nrohably means that the light OF life
will cut off from him before he IS taken
into the streets Of Manchester again. me
hanging will be in charge OF Sergeant
Saunders, who will pull the trap, Whlcn
will launch Davis into eternity.
ST don't know what murder In the nrst
degree means said Davis yesterday.
.Does it mean that they are gong 10
hang me?
Davis told Sergeant Saunders that he
entertained no harsh feelings towards
him because of the testimony the officer
had given at the trial. The condemned
man rather seemed anxious to set him
self right with everybody. He still con-
| tends, however, that he only struck
! Stokes once and that the dead man fell
| back on the knife, which inflicted the
fatal wound.
| QUARRELLED OVER WOMEN.
! The murder occurred on the night OF
August Sth. when Davis and Stokes quar-
relied over Kate Hull and Rose Hayes.
!
Marcellus Hatcher, one of the alleged ac-
cessories to the crime, engaged in the
dispute over the sweethearts of Stokes
and Davis at Nineteenth and Hull streets
Hatcher told Davis that two negroes
would jump on him. Stokes slapped
Davis and Christopher Columbus Cooper,
another negro, interfered, and was hurt.
Davis then struck Stokes and it is said
| that the fatal stabbing followed. Davis
had borrowed large kniIe from Hilton,
| which resembled a dirk, with which he
| killed Stokes. Immediately after the
stabbing the men, whom it is alleged
attacked Stokes, ran away, leaving the
| injured man, who was dead before assist
ance could reach him. Cooper ran in the
direction of the car sheds and Sidney Hill
! ton, Marcellus Hatcher. Wyatt Collins,
and Davis ran to Decatur street
| After learning that he had killed Stokes
with the dirk Davis said. II am sorry,
that cut him and / didn't intend to Kill
him. struck at him and he fell back on
| the knife
The above words are almost the same
as those related to Policeman Alexan-
der S. Wright and r. P. Smith, after
the arrest of Davis.
KNIFE COVERED WITH BLOOD.
AS soon as he stabbed Stokes in the
back to the heart Davis offered the knife
to Hilton, who declined to take it, because
it was covered with blood II don't wan,
that bloody knife said Hilton. Davis
then licked the blood from the weapon,
which he had in his possession when he
was arrested. There was no blood on the
knife when the police got hold of 1t.
| It was through the statements made by
! Hatcher that Policeman Wright learned
| that Davis was the man who did the cut
| ting. He examined all of the accused
| at the police headquarters after arrestins
them on the morning of August 9th.
| The verdict in the Davis case is being
| generally commented upon and many
| citizens believe him to be guilty of the
| crime for which he has been convicted.
| The motion to set aside the verdict in his
case will be argued before Judge Ingram
in the Corporation Court at 10 O'Clock
! Monday morning. when it is probable that
| the cases of Marcellus Hatcher and
| Wyatt Collins will be set for trial. Hill
! ton will be tried October %.
The hanging of Davis will be the first
witnessed in Manchester. 1t will be the
, only execution to take place anywhere in
the county since the hanging of Daniel
Burton for killing a brakeman about
twenty years ago.