The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-09
CHARLES POWLEY
is EXONERATED
Prisoner, Between sobs and
Tears, Tells How Troubles,
Brought on by Drink. Led
Him to Commit Deed.
Thought Only
OF Wife.


broken.h hearted and dispirited, Percy
Martin. the self-confessed train robber,
who held UP the passengers OF a Pullman
car on the Florida Limited Of the Sea-
board Air Line Railroad Sunday night
n week ago. was brought to Richmond
yesterday by Messrs. w. 9. and Albert
Baldwin, detectives, and taken to the
offices OF Mr.. J.. l.. scherer, in the Ches-
npeake and Ohio building where the pris-
oner acknowledged his guilt before all.
Martin Was completely broken down
He admitted everything, and attempted
TO conceal none OF the facts connected
with the hold-up. He declared that he
was alone, when. In fit OF desperation
brought on by many worries of a fnan-
cial nature and by his addiction to drink,
ne robbed the train, and his statement
fully exonerated Charles Powley. who
vas suspected by the Baldwin people OF
having had a hand IN the affair.
Martin was arrested In Huntington, w.
Va. By Chief of Police Dawson a few
nights ago while he was in the Opera
House with his wife. He is we'll connected
In Huntington. his home city, and. as hl
had good record except for the drink
habit. not the faintest breath of suspicion
would have ever been brought against
him had lie not made an undue display of
his money. He left Huntington three
weeks ago without funds: he returned
with a large roll OF money and the police
learned that bis wife had gcne out to
change two twen.y-dollar notes. Finding
that he also Ind q valuable diamond ring
In his possession. Chief Dawson arrested
the young man on suspicion. and It was
then that all the facts in the case came
out.
According to his own statements. Mar
tin had been harassed ard troubled by
work over the robbery, and the sttll small
voice lad given him no peace from It's
reproaches for the deed. He was glad
when put under arrest. and determining
TO take his punishment like n man. rnade
full confession OF his guilt Ills only
thought was for his wife. He remembered
her being IN dire straits. and 4. seemed
completely TO break his heart.
well-drossed. Of good appearance. OF
quiet and unobtrusive demeanor, the
young man. who had strayed far from
the paths OF honesty. formed a most
ptiabla sight az he told his story. 1t
was an object-lesson for all. His down
fall was ascribed to the liquor habit. Ac-
cordlng to his story. he was drunk at
the time he held up and robbed the Pull
man passengers. The idea was not afore-
thought, and was not planned; he acted
simply on the spur of the moment, when
before his eyes flashed the picture OF
himself reduced to the last extremity of
poverty through his own ill-doing, and
of his young Wife, who was to suffer for
his faults. When all this came over him,
the temptation suddenly arose In him to
rob the passengers OF tho train on which
he was riding, that from their plenty he
might get enough to help himself and
his wife.
The Confession.
The confession of Martin. signed and
sworn to by himself. follows:
City OF Huntington, Office OF II. w.
Boss. City Clerk. Huntington. w.
Va.
This statement made this, the 7th
day of January, 1907. My name is
Percy Martin. My age is twenty
three. Occupation. former news agent
on Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.
Was discharged at Huntington. w.
Va. for drunkenness about three
weeks ago. Went to Washington,
D. c.. and from there TO Richmond.
Va. Stayed in Richmond two nights
and one day. Stopped at Davis Hotel.
On Sunday night. December Both,
took passenger train on Seaboard
Railway at Union Station. having pur-
chased ticket to Norlina, and expect
ed to go 70 Hamlet and get work. I
was out of money and only had
enough iuOHey Nthe IliS " 4SpiliAs
got desperate on train and started
to kill myself and then decided to rob
passengers in Pullman car.
At some point about twenty-five
miles from Norlna / got up and vent
back into the Pullman. captured the
negro porter and made him lock the
door OF Pullman, and made him walk
in front of me- and told him to see
what the passengers had. made
Lee cid IN civ
mo his money, and got sl3s. I saw
his diamond ring and got that, too
got nothing else. but went to an
other berth on the same side and the
last one In the car. started to 80
in another berth, and the man l rob
bed told me not to go In berth, as
there was only a little boy In there.
The porter ran back Into the rear
oar, and ] suppose notified the con-
duotor, who came In, I threw my
gun in his face, and made him go
back into the other car I followed
on and went out on the platform,
and found the conductor in the other
car at the door, thought he had
a gun, and I shot him, but did 1t to
scare him.
Jumped off the train and went two
or three miles asntil came to the
Southern Railroad, and then walked to
Summerville. and there saw a negro
pumpman and gave him my pistol to
let me dry my clothes. l got out of
these at p. NJ. and went to Norfolk,
stayed there until loft Tuesday over
the Norfolk and Western to Lynch
burg, and took the Chesapeake and
Ohio and came to Huntington.
only had about $50 when got here
hnd turned over about $40 to my wife.
and told her had won the money.
yyao sarreStad 5FThi1ru1oIy ,,t0l,t T,p
nary 80, by the chief OF police in
The Opera House. made u full CON
yession to the chief Of police Mr..
Dawson, which was the same as this,
.2nd made of my own free will and ac-