Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-07-14
NEGRO MURDERERs
EXP|AIE THEIR CRIME
Tom Jones and Charles Woodruff
Hanged al Independence
Va, at Dawn.
VICTIM FOLLOWED TO HIS HOME
Old Man demonstrated With the
Rowdes Who Were Disturbing a
Child of One of Them-eovernor
Refused to Commute Their Sen.
fences to Life Imprisonment.
tsreeInl 10 thc paIIy press.l

INDEPENDENCE. VA. July a.
Tom Jones and Charles Woodruff
tcolnreD were hanged today in IN
enclosure near the jail for The ln,lr.
der of Wiley Jones (coloredl in De.
cember
AT eleven o'clock Sheriff H. L..
PhipDs surrounded with his depu.
Ties and guards proceeded To the jail
and read the death sentence, OF ehch
of them, Woodruff and Jones. Eacn
said they would make statement on
the scaifold AMI wanted all OF the
people to hear 1t.
Tom Jones said on the sea ffuld he
was so drunk he did not know what
he was doing. and for all the people
10 take warning and never drink
any liquor or carry Il pistol, as they
now saw his sad fate.
Woodruff Denies His Guilt.
Charles Woodruff said he was pres
ent but did not fire the shot mt
Wiley Jones. that his pistol was at
his own house: that he had nothing
against Wiley Jones: that he ex-
pected to soon be in heaven.
Both men were hanged at the same
time. The drop was five feet four
inches. DR.. A. J. Koontz. at the ex.
piration of ten minutes, pronounced
them dead. The bodies were shipped
to the medical board at Charlottes-
vile, Va.
Friends and relatives of Tom Jones
| tried to get his body to bury 1t here.
and telegraphed TO Secretary Miller,
of the board, 10 release The body.
He answered he had no authority
to give mp the bodies.
History of the Crime.
On Dec. 2G, 1906. in the town of
Fries, Va. the negroes had dance.
The dance hail was conducted by
Tom Jones and Charley Woodruff,
and at a late hour of the night
Wiley Jones. the murdered man and
father of Thomas Jones, requested
the dance to stop. as the child OF
Charles Woodruff was i'll, and
Charles replied:
Let the child die: II is mine"
From this an alteration arose be-
tween Wiley Jones and the prison
ers. Wiley Jones was taken to his
home and Charley Woodruff com
PEELED Baz Johnson, another negro,
to give up Tom .Jones's pistol.
1t was seen by this time that a
bad row would occur, as both men
were armed. Relatives of the par
ties tried to stop the prisoners from
going to the house OF Wiley Jones
the prisoners swearing they intended
killing him.
When they reached Wiley Jones S
house they opened fire on Wiley
Jones as soon as he came out. Ton
Jones fired twice and Charles Wood
ruff once: Tom Jones fired the shot
that killed his father. He had 4
pistol OF 32-calibre. and on post.mor
TEN examination 1t was found that
q 32-calibre ball had caused his
death.
Wiley Jones, after being shot, sal,
to the prisoners: you have sho,
me without cause"
At the first court held after the
crime was committed they were in
dicted and tried The verdict was
guilty of murder in the first de-
gree" as to each of them. Judge
Jackson sentenced them to be hang
ed May IS. but the governor re-
spited them to June %, then to July
10. to give them time to prepare for
death
Strenuous efforts were made "a
get the governor to commute theil
sentences to life Imprisonment, petit
tions by the hundreds being sent
but Judge Jackson and Common.
wealth's Attorney Parsons declined
to unite In the request.