Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-20
SEAL DENIES The CRIME
FatheP-Ia-laW Of William Smith
Successes" jenkins Did L.
REAL MOTIVE IS A MYSTERY
Men VIII Be Kept In Culpeper Jail
While Net Of clrcumstantlal Evil.
dence is Woven About Thcm-seal
Sought Revenge.

CULPEPER. VA, Sept. IS.-Fccl
Ing assured tnnt the people OF Slate
Mills and Culpcpcr county generally
have no idea of trying to lynch VIII.
liam Seal and his son-ln.law, Fred
jenkins. who are locked UP I'm the
Jail here charged with the assassina.
ton of William Smith, they will be
Kept here while me authorities arc
weaving strong chain of circum.
stantial evidence about the mon.
Jenkins Is quiet. but Seal constantly
protests his innocence.
owing to the fact that tho case Is
not likely to be acted upon until the
November term of the grand Jury.
commonwealth Attorney Charles NJ
waite realizes he has plenty OF time
10 work up the details of the prose
cntion's side of the tragic story Mr..
waite Is having the men closely
guarded so they cannot converse
aDout the murder and only members
Oh inc families are permitted to talk
10 the accused mon. AS each caller
talks TO the men n special guard Is
present ana everything possible IL
ncing done to guard against tho
thwarting of the ends of Justice.
Shcriif Pnlliam. after finding that
inc sentiment of the people was mere.
ly TO have the law take its course
declared he would Keep Seal and ion.
kins In the Culpcpcr jail tlespito tho
TACT that II is not regarded os thc
strongest in the state. So. with tho
excitement OF the arrest over Tho
people of Culpcpcr resumed their ne.
lial customs today while those nj
slate Mills. far away. read ncwspan.
or stories of the strange tragedy.
Seal Accuses Jenkins.
IN jail me accused men sat I'm their
cells In different parts of tho buIld.
ing and held their peace. Seal did
not sleep well during his first night
IN tho prison, and good part OF the
day he devoted TO cat maps. II, was
sleeping when a member OF his fam
ny called to see him. 1t was ono Of
MS sons. ana while the pair did moi
exchange many words the old man
hastcned TO assure the boy that bc
nhd not committed tho crime. Tho
son said he hoped his father was I'm.
noceht ana Seal volunteered tho in.
formation that jenkins must hayo
committed the crime.
Deputy Sheriff Bowersett who has
cnargc or tho mon. said 1t seemed to
nm mat each man was trying to mt
inc crime on the other and there has
oeen great deal OF speculation. no,
only among the officials. but the citi.
Gems ms well. ms TO which of the men
actually fircd the shots which ended
INC HE of William Smith MANY arc
inclined to believe Seal did the shoot.
ns ana accept the confession of
Jenkins is telling the whole truth.
MANY Suspect the Young Man.
UP Mt Slate Mills the people also
differ In opinion in this respect. hui
| mc"riy everyone In the country he.
| licVes the men who are responsible
for the death OF Smith are In the
tollS.. a mml1reo Of persons at Slate
Mills believe Jenkins fired tho Shot.
| hpt tlIatp he, was put. up to. th,l iob
ny his fatheriiulawl, whom Nhcv know
| always had n grudGc against Smith
/ Bottle Story Verified.
Despite the different theories MS TO
who fired the fatal shot. Common.
wcalth's Attorney Waite declares he
ran ont another point in the confes.
sion of Jenkins and found ii true. In
his confession Jenkins said he was
offered whisky by Seal and that he
| mad poured the liquor upon the
ground. after which he had thrown
the bottle down. Mr.. Waite said he
had found the hottie Mt the place des
| ignated by Jenkins. but that he had
| Deen unable so far to ascertain where
the liquor had been purchased.
Do Not Know Real Motive.
Another point upon which tho att
thorities wish to satisfy themselves
iuIly Is the motive for the crime. Al.
though they have positive informa.
lion that there had been Lad blood
bctwecn William Smith, his father-in
law ana his brother-in-law for some
time ii Is the desire of Mr.. Waite to
ascertain II there is anything else
beneath the surface which might have
suddenly brought matters in the fam.
lily feud to Il crisis.
The Commonwealth Attorney docs
not look upon the theory that Jenk.
ms Is the real murderer as an i'm
possibility, for he has heard the story
mat Smith is supposed to have said
Jenkins had negro relatives. and also
mat Smith tried To induce jenkins
l3-ycar-old wife TO leave him Roth
OF these things Mr.. Waite looks upon
MS sufficient to arouse Jenkins. Many
or Smiths neighbors also look upon
these two facts as important with re.
gard to learning who fired the shot.
Kidnapping of Smiths Wife.
On the other hand Mr.. Waite has
also heard of the thrilling kidnapping
OF William Smiths wife by Seal. her
father. 1t was just after Smith clop.
cd with Seals daughter, much to the
old mans disgust. that the young
bride returned to the home of her
parents TO get some of her clothing
Smith was greatly surprised when his
bride did not return. Days passed
ana he did not know what had hap
ncned, but finally he came to realize
that his fathcr-inlaw was responsible