The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-26
MILITARY GUARD
ACCUSED |||.C|' [ J. i J !. D NEGRO.
-- .--------------
Governor Sends Company to Alex
andria WitheMidgct Charged
With Murder.
SAYS He's INNOCENT.
Negro Denies stoutly That II.
Was lie Who Killed Charles
Smith.
SAYS SAY HE II E !. is INNOCENT
Especial to Tho Times plsnaAch

Special to The Times. y Snatch 4
4 ALEXANDRIA, VA, March 25.-Wl-
liam Johnson. alias George Midget, col
ored who will be placed on trial for the
murder OF Charles T.. Smith, son OF Lieu-
tenant James Smith, OF the police force
OF this city, Is under strict military guard
ut the Alexandria county jail. He was
placed in that institution shortly after
O'clock this afternoon. The military COM
pany is Company L, Seventeen Virginia
Volunteers. known ns the washington
Guards. Tho company Is in command OF
Captain 7. NJ. Larkin, First Lieutenant
a. 6. Billingly and Second Lieutenant
B. M.sLcavel. Tho prisoner will be guard
cd by the military until after the trial.
They will accompany Johnson to the
courthouse here the day Of the trial, and
Will be with him until his fate Is decided.
It Is more than probable that johnson
VIII be returned at once to Fredericks-s
burg after tho trial.
Tho bringing OF military company to
guard prisoner charged with murder
Is unusual in this vicinity, and the affair
has been the cause OF considerable COM
ment. 1t Is maintained by many that
had he not been guarded he would have
In all probability been lynched. The
feeling against the prisoner here Is very
strong. 8
Manac1ed to Two Men.
The train bearing the military ana their
prisoner arrived here at 12:35 O'Clock this
afternoon, over the Richmond, Freder-
icksburg and Potomac Railroad. 1mme-
diately after they disembarked the COM
pany and their prisoner boarded an cleo
trio car and proceeded to tho south end OF
Acqueduct Bridge, and from that point
they marched to the courthouse, dis
lance OF over q mile. The prisoner was
manacled to Sergeant Reuben MCGEE, Of
the fredericksburg company, and War
den Gambler, OF this city, also had tho
''nippers'' around Johnson's wrist.
About 100 curious people were present
upon the arrival OF the train. ali eager
to get q glimpse OF the murderer, and
all who saw him pronounced him to be
a very dangerous looking man. johnson
was a tribe nervous when he stepped
from the train, and as he neared Spring
Park, which Is close to the scene where
the murder occurred, 1t was noticeable
that he constantly kept watching the
Old Fair Grounds Il nearby, where the
! tragedy occurred.
The murder OF Smith occurred on the
night Of October 20, 1903. while he was
assisting Policeman Frederick Carney in
i arrestng Johnson. AS soon as Mr.. Smith
X
ped out q revolver and fred. killing him
instantly. johnson then fled, and few
weeks ago he awas captured In Harris
burg, Pa, and returned to Virginia on
4 requisition papers from Governor Swan
son. Owing to the intense feeling against
him he has since. h1s return to Vir-
i gina been incarceratod tho Jail a,
4 fredericksburg. NJ ~
| Johnson Says He Is Innocent.
All along Johnson has maintained that
i he Is innocent OF the crime. He says
however. that he was in this city when
1 the crime occurred He also admits
being implicated In an assault on Pc.
4 lceman Nicholson, which occurred ar
hour previous to the murder on the ole
i Fair Grounds IA ss.
! Johnson will be placed on trial Wed.
nesday morning at 10 o'clock. Judge
Barley. OF the Corporation Court. vii
preside. Attorneys Howard w. Smith and
Il r. D. Brumback have been designated
l by the court to defend the accused
Commonwealths Attorney Samuel G
4 Brent will conduct the prosecution.
(; One hundred talesmcn have been sum
I rnoned, and It is expected that jur,
Il will be secured with little difficulty from
4 this number. 1t Is also expected tina
\ Johnson s trial will be speedy one.
I Sergeant r. Fl. Cox and Warden vii
Il liam e. Gambler, OF the city Jail, wen
q to Fredericksburg, Va, yesterday after
a noon and accompanied the prisoner Wit
the military to the county jail.