Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-03-18
FOUR CONFESS TO
SKIPWITH MURDER
JOHNSON STUNNED BY SHOT WAS
PHReBN INTO FIRE As he
PLEADED FOR MERCY.
KILLED WOMAN WIN AXE
Ten Negroes Implicated in Brutal
tri1e u PoEhatan County Xvi.
assee shows the Sole Motive
81 FiesdS Was Robbery.

ROW FATAN C.. Especial -Four
confess- tvcr, negroes having a
part IA h. murder OF Mrs Mary r.
Skipwiyh and Walter c. Johnson the
robbery % each OF them. the lOOting of
the hoCse and the final burning OF
the property IL an eGOrt 20 hide the
c-t1e, hsve Been secured by the au-
thoriues OF Pow hatan county. iudicat-
ing tax Cen negroes had direct part
in the murder and arson. while mum
Der or cCh--s were accouplices. The
cOcteSS.0cs whlch have been made UNI
der oaSh % O-hcials for the prosecu-
tiol iDpllcat- Joe and Isham Taylor
3D. nam. and several others whose
names gre being withheld for the
present. ac1 give the FIRST connected
account o. che OF the most brutal
md pre1 ecitstet crimes ever COM
mites 10 virginia
With deliberate intention az robbery.
and SsiiesiuE that Johnson had IN the
house IN proceeds OF his years sale
~ tobacco. Ire negroes watched their
opportunity. guarded every road. had
spies az an entertainment at nearby
house I'D surrounded the house With
intent - steal put the inmates out
of the say and cover the crime by
burning me dwelling
CSufe>> Deliberate Murder
It Wa betEe-n $ and 3 O'Clock on
me nighJ o.. February u " hen John
500 Vas attracted 20 his front door by
"a knOck. sn3 thinking some one had
,ailed. a. opened the door. According
10 sworn confessions. now In the
hands o. prosecuting officers. and
hich agree ir all essential details
lshaEn Tay .o- Nas standing just out
side tAe coo-. Raising a shotgun as
the do0r opened ne fired "A charge
az bird shO- directly into the face and
eyes O. ais victim, who. blinded and
stunned fell backwards into the par
Tor room. Mnen the door was opened
Zoe Taylor was standNg Just outside
with an axe Passing the PROSTATE
ngure, o. ran quickly upstairs. and
Drained the defenseles old woman.
crushing ~ her skull and killing her
almost instantly. She had not al thar
time gone % bed With the assistance
of other negroes. whose names are
known 20 tie prosecution. the body OF
aArs. Skipwirh was dragged down the
staircase and into the parlor room.
where u was placed beside the un-
conscious Johnson. Blind. stunned
and bleeding. ne began 20 recover con
seriousness. seemed 10 recognize the
figure of MIS- Skipwith. and repeated
Il
saying. Come here. come here" In
his pleadings he mentioned the names
OF more than one negro. and all four
confessions agree in repeating these
The list Is being carefully guarded by
the prosecution officers. and will rot
be divuiged until the cases are tried
in court
Pied for His Life.
Johnson was warned by the man
whose name he had first called that il
he made any further outcry he would
Immediately be killed. being threat
ened with a pistol. Nevertheless, he
tried 70 get up, though blind and bleed
ing from the shot in his face While
staggering on his hands and knees he
was kicked over BY Isham TAYLOR.
who told him that II he made any fur
Their movement he would shoot him
again. johnson replied: You had
just as Ieli Kill me now: you and Joe
have shot me"
None OF those who have confessed
could state positively whether John
son was dead when the house was set
on FIRE. The belief Is that he was
left bleeding and stunned on the par
Tor doOr beside the body of Mrs. Skip /
with. and met death In the burning
house Johnscn's pockets were rified, 4
the rcssers securing boIn loose change 1
and rsit OF bills. the amount not ]