Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-08-06
Jury Finds Him Guilty as Charged
in the Indictment.
NEGRO CONFESSES HIS CRIME
Judge Faulkner Sentences Prisoner to be
Hanged on Friday, September 9.
a demonstration Followed.

STAN representative
placed opposite the mass of evidence
against the prisoner.
There is no evidence on the surface
that an effort will be made to lynch
Williams, as the people seem satisfied
to allow the law TO take It's course.
HAD NARROW ESCAPE.
A daring attempt was made at
Charles: Town SUNDAY night to get DOS.
session of the negro williams for the
purpose of lynching him, but owing to
the cleverness and firmness of the
officials at the jail, the effort was a
signal failure, and resulted in | the ar
rest of five well known residents of
Jefferson county on the charge of car
rying concealed weapons and their
conviction at the trials held Monday
morning.
The story of the attempt TO get the
negro comes direct from Estates At
tornev Mason to The Evening World,
and is in substance'as follows:
Following the alleged organization
of the men of Jefferson county, as told
in The Evening World Of SATURDAY.,
a crowd went to the Jail at Charles
Town Sunday right at late hour and
demanded Williams from the officers
in charge. They stated that thew were
acting for number of men, who had
authorized them to present the de.
mand. The officers at the jail took
the matter yerv coolly, seeming to
acauiesce in the demand of the crowd,
and invited the men into the Jail.
Five of the men, said TO be Clay
borne Porterfeld, David Fulton,
Oliver Roper. Daniel Snyder and an
other named either O'Brien or Yates.
entered the Jail to bring the negro
out and turn him over to the crowd.
Thew were courteously received by
the officers, invited to 30 back to the
cells In the rear and do the job neatly
and expeditiously. Highly elated at
the seeming success of their plan, the
men entered the prison and folio wed
the officers back to the cages. The
door was opened and they entered that
portion where the prisoners are
confined
No sooner were thev safely inside,
however. when the iron door was
swung shut behind them. and they
found themselves prisoners of the law.
They storm ed and expostulated with
.the officers, who quietly told them
thev would be compelled to remain
there until they were tried in the
morning.
They were relieved of their weapons
and kept locked up all night. When
the failure of the men was learned on
the outside OF the Jail, it had a very
depressing effect upon the other mem
bers of the crowd. who very quickly
scattered toavoid the same fate. This
morning the men were given a trial,
found guilty and fined PES each and
bound over to keep the peace for a
year. rs
The action OF the officers was very
clever and cool piece of work. and
probably was the means OF avert
ing more serious trouble, 1t Is evident
no v to everybody that the officers in
tend to defeat any attempt to prevent
the law taking it's course.
II is said that the negro willi be de-
Tended by Attorney Moore, and pos
sibly one other lawyer.
Mr.. Mason reported everything as
being quiet in Charles Town Monday,
and says he doesn't anticipate any
further effort to get possession of Will
liams. He denies the statement that
two additional companies of militia
will be sent there by the governor
He also said that there was no foun-
dalton in the rumor that he would be
put-on the stand an eyewitness OF the
crime.
Judge Faulkner has ordered spec
clal grand jury for Tuesday morning
Co investigate the charges against Will
liains. the first indictment against
him being in the opinion of the court,
of doubtful regularity, To remove
the possibility of technical error in
the proceedings the court has deemed
it wise to have second grand jury
to pass upon the charges against the
prisoner. Nearly fifty witnesses have
been summoned for the prosecution.