The Washington times., 1908-10-11
Slayer of Brother-in-Law
Will Enter Plea of Self
Defense.
WIFE STANDS BY HIM
IN HER TESTIMONY
Little Feeling Displayed Against
the Prisoners by Their Neigh
bors Since Tragedy.

ThOWas Posey, the man who killed his
brother-in-law, Edward Fair, after that
relative had in turn killed his own
brother. Allen Fair. will base his de-
tense to the grand jury, which meets
at Manassas on Monday. and before the
Prince William county court, II the
case goes beyond the grand jury. upon
the fact that II was a case Of kill or
be killed and will say that he welded
the ak which caused Fairs death, only
when he found that he could not con
quer that mailman in any other way.
Both Posey and his wife when they
faced the coroner's jury Friday testi-
fed to the hard struggle which Posey
had upon his hands when he. accord
ing TO his statement. tried TO subdue Ed
ward Fair. Posey said that it was
case of kill or be killed" and that he
chose, Of course, the latter.
His wife. who. according to the tes-
timony Of the several witnesses. and
in part in agreement with her own
sworn statement. handed Thomas Posey
the ak. with which he killed Fair, did
It with the wish that her husband kin
the man with whom he was then strug-
Cling.
Wanted Him Killed.
Did you get that ak for the purpose
of your husband killing Ed?'' runs the
copy OF the pro -eedings before that
corOner's jury. TIE question being ad-
dressed TO Mrs. Minnie Posey.
Il certainly did was her reply.
Did you" it continues, want your
husband TO kill Ed?''
Il certainly did
While there is much horror expressed
in Manassas over the crime. and while
persons in that village spoke with a
sort of awe of the tragic fate which
seems to hang over the Fair family,
there were no threats of violence.
One of the best indications of the lack
OF feeling against Posey and his wife
is the fact that neither has been ar
rested nor has there been apparently
any thought among the authorities that
there is any necessity for such arrests.
Among the Virginia country folk there
is no fear that either one Of these two
persons who have each Acknowledged
a part in this killing. viii attempt 10
get away Posey, they believe, relies on
his claim of seIf-defense and adheres
also to his inbred belief that If a man
kills another he should stay and face
the consequences. His wife Of course
Will stay with him.
Believed insane
Many believe that Edward Fair was
temporarily insane. For years, appar-
emily, he and his wife, who was a
daughter of Charles KEGS, weII-kuown
farmer of Prince William county, had
lived happily together. There were two
children from the marriage, and, al
though the couple had "a hard time,
working in the cotton mills of the North,
IN Baltimore in New Jersey. and other
places, they had, so far as their friends
know. no matrimonial trouble until they
got out OF work in the North early in
the summer and came back 10 the old
Virginia county to live
Here. It IS supposed, the woman met
Allen Fair. the brother Of her husband,
and he became Jealous. over this jeaI-
oUsy ne is thought TO have broOded for
many weeks. but it did not eliminate
until n few days ago, when he first de-
clared openly that he would kill his
wife. His brothers life apparently al
this time he did not want 10 take II
was only against the woman that his
wrath was directed.
Came Back Armed.
At any rate, he left the house where
his wife. deserving him, had fed. and
when he returned in the evening, when
the darkness was just coming down
over the quiet green hills of Virginia, he
brought his coat, and in one of the
pockets were eight shotgun shells. One
other was in the gun.
Now, too. 1t appears that he did not
shoot his brother Allen until he and
Thomas POsey, who afterward killed
him. were engaged IN their death struE-
gle. According TO Posey's own testi-
mony, he called for help when he felt
that Ed was beating him. Allen. he
testified. came 70 his aid-with a shot
gun unloaded, say the members Of the
cOroner's jury-and it was then that Ed
shot. killing Allen almost instantly.
The three guns, two big bore shot
guns and an old musket which saw serv-
ice in the civil war. repOSe now in the
little red brick court house In Manas-
as. The AK which beat out the life of
Edward Fair stands beside them and
the old musket broken in the handle.
tough though il evidently was, bears
witness to the strength Of a wOman'S
enraged hand, for the stock is broken
square off where Mrs. POSey broke Il
over the victims head.
Air of Mystery
About the whole tragedy there hangs
that air OF mystery that ever surrounds
the feud % the South. one seems to
go hack twenty years, when one walks
into the court house, looks over the
papers in the case and listens to The
VirEfuians talk Of the other bloody
incidents in the history of the Fair
family.
All the persons mixed in the struggle
Of death bear good regulations about
Manassas. None Of them is known to
be a drinker and all are held to have
beep steady men. Only the record Of
In Afamily in regard TO women remains.
and Of that the Nirginians do not speak
much although the incidents sur
rounding the deaths Of the other mem
bers. are well known everywhere about
the countryside.
Through il all, the woman who seems
TO have been the cause Of Il all. the
wife Of Edward POsey. stood in the
background. She ran when the first