The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1909-07-17
DULL RATCHET
CAUSED DEATH
NEGRO WOMAN
coRoNER's JURY INVESTIGATED
AND CAUSED ONE LUcIUs GRO
YER, NEGRO, TO BE HELD FOR
MURDER IN FIRST DEGREE ON
STRONG cIRcUMsTANTIAL EV-
IDENcE.

according to the view taken o. 1t
by a, cornore's jury, Martha Howard
was murdered early yesterday morn
| ing by Lucius Grover, at % South
Manresa street. A very dull Ratchet
was the weapon used, also according
to the finding of the jury. Such in
StIument. with a corner Of the blade
besmeared with blood and a few
coarse hairs still clinging to it, was
found on the rear porch where it was
figured the murderer stood and de-
livered the blow. Grover is a shrewd
one, evading all direct questions and
giving evasive replies when he did
reluctantly speak. He came here
fIom Louisville, KY, about six months
ago with a crowd to break strike OF
longshoremen on the L & N. docks.
and since that time, the police find.
he has been living at the house of the
woman he is alleged to have muir
dered. He is big black negro,
gi6nt-like in stature, and is said To
be OF quarrelsOme nature. All the
evidence against him was purely cir
cumstantial, but it is of the very
strongest nature to be had. Both, OF
course, are negroes.
Grover is In the county jail, form
alIy charged with murder in the first
degree. He is entitled to a prelimi-
nary hearing IL he desires same, and
place until the converting of the
grand jury five months hence.
Fight Started It.
Early in the morning a fight oc-
Cured at the Moore Ice Works, near
by, between L. G. Davis and Sam
Howard, negroes. Sam was clewed
with a shovel and hurt badly. Davis
is in jail for this act. When How
ard was down and out, Dave Merritt,
a third negro, came up and volunteer
ed to take Howard to his home, q
Few yards distant. Arriving at his
home, Howard was found to have
been badly hurt, and DR.. r. L. Bry-
ans was summoned. DR.. Bryans
brought Howard around to himself,
and someone was needed to care for
him during the physicians absence.
Howard himself requested that Mar
tina Howard be sent for, and Merritt
went by and so informed the woman.
Martha Howard and Sam Howard are
not related.
At the home of the woman at the
time was Lucius Grover and he told
the woman she should not go. She
apparently tried to slip away unob-
served, for it was sworn before the
July IAdL oAC SlICnIAy SISpL " lie
back door, walked down the back
steps and started toward the street,
passing by a small gallery OF her
home. It was at a spot at rear
door that she received the mortal
wound, and 1t was also in evidence
that the bloody Ratchet had been In
Growers room but when found was
just outside the back door, and the
jury decided that Grover stood hid
den in the half-opened door and when
his paramour came along, struck her
the single blow which DR.. E. F. Bruce
testified professionally would have
caused death.
Tried to Hide IT.
80 o'clock, r. L. Nfckelsen, ex-
0n1cfo coroner. was called by Eugene
Curry, coIored. son of the dead wom-
an, and was asked to come up and
view theebody Of his mother, who, he
told the coroner, had
Died of Heart Disease,
and he wanted to arrange FOR her
burial. Talking with the boy Judge
NickeIsen developed a well-grounded
suspicion that everything was not
right. He went TO the scene, and in
examining the body, found
The Fatal Wound
in the head. Asked about it, negroes
done by the head striking on a nall
This still did not satisfy Judge Nick
elsen and he stopped matters until
he could get officers on the scene
Sheriff Van Pelt and Marshal Sanders
were there soon and both of them in
terested themselves greatly in get
ting at the bottom of the affair. in
his room, dressed in his best and
making ready to leave the scene. they
Found LUeius Grover
who, they said, shook violently when
they entered. He was Immediately
arrested. He was sent to the city
Jail in the patrol wagon and after |
the investigation, was transferred TO |
the county jail
Evidence was further heard that
Grover had forbidden the woman
from speaking to or associating with |
Howard, simmering the whole thing |
down to a case of negro jealousy.
The jury was composed OF Messrs. |
J. N Andrews, Jack Brandon, Mic
Condor, S. F. Bogart, D. B. Reed and |
Chas. B. Chandler.
nnr'f Enrna< tia D14oa