The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1906-05-05
MURDER
INQUIRY IN
PROGRESS

The coroner's inquest into the
killing of Robert alias "Sue' Fer
rel, and the wounding Of Ben Gill
and Cleveland Smith in the Reynolds
addition Thursday night, was begun
| at 1915 o'clock this morning.
While several witnesses were ex-
Iamined the only participant in the
fight was Waite Rymer. Accord
ing to his version the bullet that
killed Ferrcl was fred by one of the
negroes. He stated that Ben Gill
started the trouble by going up to
Alva Jackson and after accusing
him Of throwing stones at him,
struck him with his fist. Then
white and blacks joined in. ''Sue'
Ferrell, the dead man, went to an
other Of his crowd and demanded q
revolver. This was refused him and
he went to another, this time gett-
ing one. He fired twice in success
sion, but in. what direction or at
what person witness was unable to
say. Witness saw one of the
negroes taking aim at Ben Gill and
threw himself on the negro to save
IGill. He fell against him and
showed the negro to the ground. just
as he started to run another negro
ran u pand said "You white
lI'll kill you, too" The man who
said this was on lower ground than
either himself OF Ferrel and had the
gun aimed with both hands. Rymer
states that he was scared badly and
cried, "Oh, don't" Just then Fer
Irell, who was between witness and
the man with the other gun, arose
partly from the ground and simul-
Itaneously with this the shot was
fired. Witness saw the injured man
reel once or twice and then fall, he
thinks in the road. Other witnesses
testified that the dead man was ly-
ling partially on the bank.
Aside from that Rymer told a
very straightforward story and
created favorable impression on
his hearers. He was positive that
not a man that was in his crowd had
a gun of any description. This
was partly substantiatcd by other
witnesses.
Rymer also told of meeting the
negro gang with which Alya jack
son, white, affiliated. He told how
lGill, Smith, Del Junkins, brake
man named Fowler, and himself,
started home when the negroes pass
led them going in the same direction.
iGill overlook Jackson and accused
him Of stoning him. Words fol-
lowed and a blow passed that start
ed the proceedings. Rymer was not
positive how many shots we're fired
ibut can remember distinctly of three,
iHe didn't see any of the men who
fire the shots, except the last one
land does not know which one Of
the negroes fred that.
Thomas R. Kearns told Of the
|boys, Gill, Smith, Junkins, Rymel
land Fowler being in his saloor
shortly before II o'clock. They
were drinking little beer, but none
twas intoxicated.
4 William Taylor, who conducts 8
1store near the battlefield, saw tht
IGill crowd shortly after 10 o'clock
land at that time they were drinking
water at a spring near his place ot
business. There was probably 1
dozen in the crowd at that time ant
jail were sober. He saw no guns ant
Iheard no talk Of any trouble. II,
told of how the injured men, Gil
and Smith, were brought to hi.
Istore after the shooting and wa.
positive that neither had weapons
Smith wanted Taylor to loan him .
gun TO go and hunt the man whc
Ishot him in the arm. Some one re
marked in the store that zone Of til,
Iniggers was up in the road all sho
to r." and TAYLOR and anothe,
man went up to investigate. The,
found Ferrel dead. Aside from
Ethis he knew nothing of the affair
Bessie Carroll. colored. who stay
where HAYES Harris. Charles Wat
Ison and Sue Ferrel boarded q,
Shanty Hill. was called. Her testi
mony was that all the trouble oc
curred over white girl. or woman
named Winnie Nye, who has Ia,
u most cheekered career both il
Morgantown and Fairmant.
Lately the Nye woman has bee,
living with Alva Jackson. ssSne'.
Fellel and Charles Watson. The
woman also told of how on Thurs
day afternoon these four and Ger
Monevpenny, a white girl. were d
the Hill abovt her house. Soon after
wards they came to her house an,