Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1904-09-14
Shot by Lover.

IN the criminal calender of Clarke
county.
\ young and comely negress
has been slain, and circumstantial
evidence seems to convict her per-
amour.
Last Friday morning about six
o'clock the dead body of Flora
Alexander. a young negro woman,
was found in . room OF tenant
house ON the farm OF Mrs. X. NJ.
Powers. near Wicklitfe. about four
miles from Bcrryville. The woman
had pistol wound in her left
breast. and death was caused by
internal hemorrhagc.
James Chamblin, young negro
man. iS now in Jail here, charged
with the murder Of the woman.
Chamblin was captured at ten
o'clock on Mr.. James Albin' $ farm
q short distance from Berryville.
nut under arrest and brought to
ail. As soon rs the finding of the
woman's body became known
Sheriff Smallwood went immedi-
atcly to the scene. accompanied by
Prosecuting Attorney W. I. Lewis
and Coroner John +. Grow.
The first bits of evidence gath
cred pointed to the fact that
ChambIin had been in the woman :
room Thursday night, and the
officers at once began a search for
him. The result was that he was
found in a corntield ON Mr.. Albin' :
farm. He was unarmed and offer
eel no resistance to the officers.
4 jury of inquest was ut once
summoned. and after the evidence
had been procured, verdict was
rendered that the woman had come
to her death 10y pistol wound i'm
the left breast inflicted by pistol
in the hands of Chamblin.
DR.. 4. p. Osborne, who made an
examination of the woman's body.
testified at the coroner's inquest
that death had resulted from a
bullet wound in the left breast,
causing internal hemorrhage. The
most important testimony ut the
inquest was given by Hampton
Smith. colored, who was in another
room of the same house at the
time of the shooting.
Smith said that the murdered
womNn was the mistress of Cham
bin. according to opinion widely
ara generally expressed, and that
Chambhn had gone into her room
Thursday night. Witness said that
at about three o'clock Friday
morning he was awakened 10y the
sound of two pistol shots fired in
quick succession. Jumping from
bed. he ran TO the room from
whence the sound of firing had
i come.
His knocks on the door for adj
mittance met with no response
and. not suspecting anything
wrong, Smith went back to bed.
lie said that after the shots had
been fired he heard the sound of a
Scutiie from the room where the
couple were. He also said that he
heard the women exclain several
times, "Oh, Jamesl"
Smith testified that when he
came down at 9 O'Clock Friday
morning he went into the room and
found the dead body of the woman
lying on the floor covered with
blood which had issued from a
wound in her left breast.
The prisoner. it is stated. pro-
claims his innocence of the crime,
but there is already chain of the
strongest kind of circumstantial
evidence against him and he will
De held to answer for the woman's s
death.
The man charged with the shoot
ing has been employed on various
farms in Clarke county. and the
woman was domestic. Both are
SAID to be unmarried.
The generally accepted theory is
that Chamblin and the woman had
mad quarrel, as, it is stated that
OF late the man has been known to
nave accused the woman of being
unfaithful to him. 1t is supposed
oy the authorities that the shoot
ing was the result of another quar-
rel between the two Thursday
night.
Chamblin waived his right to Q
preliminary hearing and was com.
mllted to jail to await the action ot
the Grand Jury.
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