The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-07
PRISONERS ALLEGE SUICIDE
Dick Wray, Marie Martin, Charles
Lansdowne and lrna Henderson Are
Charged With Murder-H. j.
Matthews Material Witness.

charges oil murder as result OF the
tragedy but all protest their innocence
of the deed and say that Freeman fired
the fatal shot himself
The persons arrested on thescharge of
committing the alleged crime are Richard
II. Wray, a saloon keeper; Charles Lans-
downe of Nashville, better known as
"Skeezicks" Marie Martin and 1rma
Henderson, one of the inmates of the
house. II. j. Matthews, who was present
when the shot was fired, is also charged
with murder. but was released on bond
it being announced that he was wanted
only as a material witness The others
are held without bond.
According to the police the death Of
Freeman is shrouded in mystery. All
that is definitely known is that he was
with the persons arrested from an early
hour Monday night until the time of his
death, except for short time yesterday
morning There were six persons in the
room when the shot was fired, including
Freeman, but none of the other five saw
the firing of the weapon. All happened
to be looking in another direction, accord
ing to the testimony given under oath
to the coroner at his examination.
Coroner's investigation.
Coroner Paris began his investigation
shortly after l o'clock, and it was not
concluded until nearly 6 o'clock. At that
time the coroner announced that a post
norton would be held and that he would
render a decision In the matter this
q or hi,
establishment of Lige 10y, on Third ave-
nue., where an inquest will be held.
Chief of Police Wier, Lieutenant Egan,
Detective Patton and Policemen Givens
and Armstrong were early at the house
where the tragedy occurred and assisted
the coroner in conducting his examina-
ton. Dr. b. A. Fox had been called in
to attend Freeman Immediately after he
was shot, and returned later to give his
testimony He was deputized to conduct
the post norton and did SO, locating ana
removing the bullet.
Almost Instant Death.
Freeman was shot in the right side, the
bullet entering below the ribs, at a point
about one-quarter of the distance to-
ward the back from a line drawn down
from under the shoulder. Vital organs
were perforated and death ensued almost
instantly. Several members of the party
FASTENED to summon physicians, and later
to telephone the police and the coroner.
When .ne coroner arrived the body had
been moved from the house, but by his
order it was returned before the exam
nation began.
There was marked variance in the sew
eral stories told the coroner. In the
matter of time the location of articles
in the room. and what the occupants We're
doing when the shot was fred no two
of the stories fully agreed. The testi-
mony was of such nature as to cause
the police to arrest all the persons who
were in the room.
IT + Matthews, who is held as wit
ness. but is out on bond, was the first
member of the party to tell the coroner
what he knew about it. He said ne mad
lust arrived In the city yesterday morn
ing. and had reached the house but "a
few minutes before the tragedy occurred
He had not been in the room more than
Ave or ten minutes, he said, and was
preparing to wash his hands in one cor
ner when he heard shot fired and looked
around He saw Freeman falling with
blood flowing from his mouth and nos
trils, and at once he ran out to summon
a physician.
Matthews said the members of the
marty had told him they had been up all
night, and that they had had good
time. He said they all appeared to be
on friendly terms, and everybody was
laughing and Joking. So far as he knew
there had been no argument or russ
during the night, and there had been
no trouble while he was in the room'
He EXPRESSED it as his opinion that Free
man committed suicide, although he
ha
which he saw the only other occupants
of the room when he turned round
The Body Was Moved.
A cause of serious delay to the coro-
ner's examination and one which seeaed
| likely for a while to lead to dlsasreea-
bile consequences, was the removal of the
body from the room to Lige Logs flu
neral parlors Coroner Paris was angry,
tn find. upon his arrival at the house,
that the body had been moved and that
the pistol had also been taken from the
floor where it was alleged to have fallen
from Freemans hand.
The coroner issued summons for Iige
Ioy aud for DR.. b. A. Fox. calling them
into his presence instanter and demanding
of 10y that he bring the body back at
once DR.. Fox was the first TO arrive and
he soon explained his connection with the
matter to the coroner. His statements
we're corroborated by Detective Patton,
Iige 10y and others.
Or. Fox's Statement.
II was driving by the house in my bug
CIV. on my way home to luncheon" said
DR.. Fox, when | was stopped by man
who works in the furniture store on the
ground floor of the house. He told me
a man had been shot upstairs and that
my services were needed. ] asked If an
other physician could not be summoned,
as / did not have any surgical instru-
ments with me. ] had left my emergency
case at the hospital The man replied
that It was a serious matter and a doc
tor was NEEDED quickly, so | went upstairs.
| l saw at glance that the wounded man
was almost dead, and he breathed his
last almost as | reached his side.
when 1 found the man who mad been
shot was dead ] gave instructions that
! the coroner be sent for and said that he
in turn would notify the police and take
whatever steps were necessary. 10y came
i'm about that time, as did Mr., Harris,
the acting coroner; who announced that
the coroner would be present in short
time | had picked the pistol off the floor
because stepped upon ii in Leaning over
the dead man. / turned the pistol and
one or two other articles over to Mr..
Harris. 10y said something about NOV
| ing the body. but ! told him | had moth
| ing TO do with that, a 5 the acting coro-
| nsr was then in charge. Then ] left. and
returned again when summoned.
| Mr. Harris said he had ordered that the
| body be not disturbed niltil he could tele
phone for the dead wagon. When he