The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-04
willis Ellis
Gets TE 4 ! |. Al {
Verdict Of Murder iii Second De
gree for Killing MrW. II
Childress.
THOUGHT ne WAS IS IA NEGRO e: I / 3
M L. 7ETTI7 'E.7-3EI5' n jgsj
Reuben Jones q II: Had d; \ Whipped the
Wife u Ellis, , and He y, Was Y as
Cunning for Jones.
THOUGHT he WAS "A $ "A NEGRO 4 { (: B
n
\ Especial q The limos. Dlspntch.,

(Sreclnlt ne
! Bttck1Nd HAM co 1RTHOU USE, Van
August 3.--.NVi,lia Ellis, colored. was sem
I, tenced to ten years by the Circuit Court
here to-day for the murder OF Mr..
u III. Cllldrcsg. FL 53 HI fl, III N
This case, according TO 1ocai lawyers.
I IL ono OF the most peculiar In the his
ktory OF virglnin. No parallel case. ca
.be found Il, any OF tho law books. which
Twill Mt this cnse. IF III
f5s On May 2Gth, or this year. WIN. II.
\ Ctildrcss. an inoffens1vc, friendly old
i OF the road between here and DlllWyn
u BY Willis Ellis. c,l,lldress wns riding
!. 70 DillWyn. In company With z. a.
; Grlgg, when suddenly Ellis appeared in.
{ u curve OF the road and. without warn
ting, raised shotgun to Ills shoulder
|, and #nred Mr.. Gr1gE ~ once wheeled
( hs horse and Nj disappeared into the
I woods, making for Dillwyn as last as
X possible. N5s Il. {s slS{ si
when Mr.. q rigg reached - llwyn hc ii y
ready found Icllis there. hunting for u a.
h doctor. Dr. Mitchell was found, and at
once Wit Ii Mr.. Grigs and Editor WI lite, IA OF
[ tho outlook, went to tile scene ~ the
l,nirdcr and found crowd gathering
,around ana childress lying In the road
..dead. $S Ellis gnyo himself up and was
Through here to jail. AZ the time feel
Wing ran high here and summary pun
3 istment was tulked OF strongly, but!
Elhns finally quieted down. 3;S hi 5#
ELLIS tcatincd In his own behalf. and
q claimed that he shot Childress. think
y ing he wns Reuben J onca. lila story Is
]. credited, people believing generally that
The is telling the truth. III 3 .,35i;i
II { seems that several years ngo Eli
Hiss wife was beaten up badly by jones'
i and that himself suffered In @ 81
!, scrap between the two. a warrant was
s,aasucd forNF ones. and after d trial he
4 was fined. II0wovcr. the two shook
Ihands and made UP, although there has
been considerable III feeling between
ythe two since. The day before the
], death OF Childress, Jones paid another!
yisit To Ellis.s wife and whipped her
!. badly and when willis came home IN
], the evening ne was told Of The occur
i renee He took down n an, went 70
hDillwyn, had q warrant issued s8s TOT
Jones. 4 bought some cartridges and
!, started home again. when he met Chill
s. dress riding a horse that looked IKE
!, Jones's ana Ellis raised his gun ana
4 shot. 81 I'll $ M .585 u. .s I, ).
a F.llis as soon az he found out what ne
.had done. Jumped on the dead man
| horse and rode TO Dlllwyn. where ne told
| his story Just ms he told II IN court. and
sent help to his victim. but TOO la
IIo Expressed extreme sorrow for what
1,s & ,,ns N done. and there IS siderable
synpa thy expressed for him.
A number of good people OF the county
testified to the good character OF Ellie.
d All day Wednesday was taken UP with
rttncssep, and most OF Thursday Z. wa f1 9
used IN III, effort 70 get instructions be-
fore tho fury. Attorneys Flood. % A "a
por1attox: strobe, az Amherst and Gayle,
OF buckingham. appeared for tho de-
;fensc. while Commonwealth Attorney
HUBBARD was assisted by Frank Moon, Of
iscoitsyille! Mr.. Moon made the opening
address to tho Jury Thursday evening
and was followed by Mr.. strode mr..
Gayle and Mr.. Flood closed Tor the de-.
fenso this morning. leaving Mr.. Hubbard 70 70
close for the State. 35 I. I'll &.
/ Tho verdict was murder IN tho second
-Aerrea with 1lIlnishment "a above noted.