The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-12
Died WHILE
AT PRAYER /: R y /.
Aged Negro Brother Had Just
Offered Up Fervent Petition
in Church.
Mr. Ar alDDIck COMMITTED
Former Preacher Will be Con
MR.. RlDDlCK COMMITTED
Former Preacher Will be Con-
fined at Williamsburg-Hard-
ware Store Robbed.

Especial to The Times-Dispatc h)
PETERSBURG. VA, April 11.--- ,DCe
invaded a negro church here Sunday
morning and claimed as its victim Ed
ward Watkins, an aged member. who
was engaged in offering up prayer.
The pastor, the Rev. Howard called
upon Watkins to lead in prayer, and
Just as the suppliant had finished a fer
vent appeal, he fell to the floor nncon-
sclous. He was carried hastily to his
home in West Street. where he died
shortly after without regaining conscious
ness. Death was due 10 an apopletic
stroke
The preliminary trial OF William Aus
tin colored charged with killing Cepha
Dinkins, will he held at Rlch's Store, in
Dinwtddic county. near the city, to-mor-
row morning Austin will be represented
by Mr.. Charles T, Lassiter. and the
Dinkins family by Mr.. w. r. Mckinney.
The coroner's inquest held to-day over
uinkins's body resulted In the verdict
that he came to his death from pistol
shot wound Inflicted by Austin Austin
is In the Petersburg Jail.
RIDDICK COMMITTED.
A commission Of lunacy was held late
evening W ItltluiIc iiilO VIC
tai condition OF tho Rev. j. Z. R. Rid
dick. who was taken into custody earlier
in the day. The testimony OF friends
was that Mr.. Riddick had hecn acting
iuueeriy for the past few weeks, and on
q recent occasion he had threatened to
do bodily harm to relatives. The board
Of commissioners declared him insane
and ordered that he be committed to the
Eastern state Hospital. at Williamsburg,
.forstreatment. vi
The hardware store of the Stratton-
Bragg Company In the heart Of Cyca-
more Street was discovered Sunday
to have been entered, and n number OF
articles stolen, The stolen goods consist
ed Of revolvers and fine pocket knives,
many of them pearl handled, In value
about 500, Entrance was effected by
breaking a glass In a rear door, One
negro is now serving a penitcntiary term
( for robbing the store some time ago OF
pistols, knives and raZors.
CHURCH OFFICERS.
Additional church officers were yester-
day hosen by tbs congregation Of the
Second Presbyterian Church, Rev, w.
Nice. White, pastor, Ntessrs. Irwin r.
Hoag and George w. Jones We're elected
elders, and Messrs s. D. Rodgers. H. r..
Smith, Jr., and George 3, Townsend,
deacons.
The Baptist Union Association, OF PEI
tersburg, Ettrick and Mattoaca held It's
annual meeting yesterday and elected Of
fcers as follows: President, ], y.
Waugh; vlce-pwsident, p. w. Smith;
secretary, C. r. Ellington; treasurer, w.
a. Purdue. OF Mattoaca.
Mrs. Charles Douglass Kirk, OF Nor
folk. has issued invitations to the mar
riage Of her daughter. Miss Thyra Alex
ander Kirk. to Mr., Henry Bird Field.
which will be solemnized at St. Luke's
Episcopal Church. Norfolk, Wednesday,
April 9th. nt So'clock F, NJ Mr.. Field
is a well known young man OF Peters
burg.
a MI. William Perry Derby, formerly Of
Petersburg, and Miss I3eulah lIarndon
Thompson, daushterof DR.. and Mrs, John
NJ. Thompson. will he married April 2lst
at the residence OF the brides parents,
III ErrnshaW. w, Va.
Mr.. II. II, Mann, Jr, left last night for
Montgomery, a Ia, on legal business,
Tho first will admitted TO probate boz
fore Clerk Robert Gillian OF the IIust-
ings Court, under the statute permitting
the clerks to admit wills to probate ETC..
was received to-day, and was that of
William II. Jones, colored. Sarah H. Jones
qualifying as exeoutriX.