Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-12-19
ACCUSED NEGRO CONFESSES.
Chambers Or Davis Is Identified By
His Victim, Mrs. Reid.
WILL MEET SUMMARY PUNISHMENT
FOR HIS CRIME.
lie Was Taken To The Home Of His
Victim Yesterday By Sheriff
And His Deputies.


The colored man yariously known
as Edward Davis, Henry Davis Cham
bers, who has been in Jail charged
with an assault upon Mrs. John Reid,
committed last Friday, was taken be-
fore Mrs. Reid yesterday afternoon n
and was positively identified by her
as the man who had assaulted her.
The man then made n complete confess
sion, though il has now become known
that he practically confessed as early
as Sunday last.
The man was returned TO the county
Jail, whers he will remain until pre-
sented for trial, unless the people of
the community attempt and succeed
in lynching him. States Attorney
Nicholas III. Green said this morning
that while he thought the case
should be disposed of as speedily as
possible in conformity with law that
the calling of the grand jury or spec
ial term of Court rested with the
Court. Mr.. Green said, however, that
ii was useless TO talk of such course
until the victim recovered sufficiently
TO appear against Davis. This, at
present, is decidedly uncertain, as
Mrs. Reid is still in serious condi-
tion and il will be some time before
thought of bringing her TO Annapolis
and putting her under the strain of a
trial can be entertained.
The confession of the negro and mis-
Identification SO far as can be observed
outwardly has not increased the ex-
citement or danger of summary justice.
Sheriff Linthicum left Annapolis this
morning for Baltimore, but il is un-
derstood that his visit was purely a
personal one and that he still holds
to his determination to keep his
prisoner in the Annapolis Jail. The
Identification took place at the home
OF Mrs. Reid and her husband, near
Iglehart, the accused having been
taken there. He was carried i'm
closed carriage, with Deputies Rueben
L.. Smallwood and James Krouse,
while Sheriff Linthicum preceded the
party in his buggy.
The officials with their prisoner
succeeded in leaving the Jail without
attracting any attention, nor were
they in any way molested or threat
ened during the trip. While the party
was at the home of Mr., Reid, Elihu
). Riley, of Annapolis, an acquaintance
and the legal adviser of the family, was
his sympathy with the family, in en-
tire ignorance of the fact that the ac-
cused was TO be taken there. Sheriff
Linthicum had not informed either
Mr.. Reid or his wife of his intended
visit, as he did not think it wise in
view of the fact that feeling against
the man was SO strong.
The negro was taken to the room oc-
cupied by Mrs. Reid, the Sheriff and
his deputies, Mr.. Reid, Mr.. Riley and
Mrs. Bessie Reid, niece of Mr..
Reid, being also present. Mrs. Reid
did not at first identify him, merely
saying that he looked like the man
and walked like him. When the man,
with the officials and Mr.. Reid had
left, Mrs. Reid said most positively to
Mr.. Riley and Mrs. Bessie Reid that
he was the man, but that she had re-
Trained from saying SO because she
feared that Mr.. Reid wonld attack
the man at once.
When told that Mrs. Reid had iden-
titled him, Davis (or Oh hambers) adj
mitted that he had committed the as
sault, saying that he guessed the devil
made him do il. 1t is learned that
Sheriff Linthicum has known to a
practical certainty since Sunday that
the right man had been captured.
The man appeared to fear confronting
Mrs. Reid more than anything else,
and did not want to see her. Just be-
fore he left yesterday afternoon he
begged the Sheriff not to take him
away, and said that he had committed
the assault, but Sheriff Linthicum
thought il better TO carry out his plan
and make the Identification absolute
ly certain.
1t is thought the Identification of
the man and his confession are likely
TO allay the Excitement. The fact
that it is probable that this death pen
atty can be inflicted for the crime will
do a great deal towards inducing the
residents the section to allow the law
to take its course. It has been learn
ed that Davis has already served
term in the Penitentiary for a crime
similar TO the one which he has now
confessed. In 1900 he was convicted
of an assault upon n colored woman
and served two years in the Peniten-
tiary.