Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-05-19
ii. ii. Bragg on Trial for Murder
of Thos. T.. Drawbond

! \uOWdIu H. DioSBJ Suii'y va
der in the first degree, as charged
in the Indictment"
This was the verdict rendered
at 4 :35 o'clock this afternoon by
the jury, w. N. Bell, foreman. On
the first poll, the jury stood eight
for first degree murder and four
for second degree.
The trial Of Howard III. Bragg
for the murder of Thomas E..
Drawbond, a night Waterman on
the Norfolk and Western railway,
which occurred between Vesuvius
and Midvale on the night OF
March 10, 1909, has attracted con-
siderable interest In the Circuit
Court Of Ro,kbr;dge this week.
The details of the crime are
fresh in the minds Of our readers.
1t will be recalled that on the
morning of March Goth the dead
BODY of Drawbond was found on
the railroad track mutilated by
two passing trains. Young Bragg
was suspected of the crime, and a
chain of circumstantial evidence
was gathered, all of which pointed
to Bragg as the perpetrator OF the
crime. He was eventually caught,
a preliminary trial was given him
and he was sent on to the grand
jury, who in turn indicted him
for murder.
During the trial this week, court
and jury have been presented the
remarkable spectacle of brothers
and sisters swearing away the life
of their brother. The testimony
Of these me N bers OF the same fam
ily was the most damaging pre-
sented. One brother created a
sensation Monday afternoon when
Re produced in court magazine
which he said his brother had
given MIN in the Jail the week pre-
vious, and which contained writ
ings that were damaging to the
case CT the unfortunate prisoner.
Among the writings found in the
book were the following:
"Tom, come around the back
way some night and let me out.
Come up bere and get the key and
let me out of Jail. The key is in
| the kitchen on a nail"
"D0 this Ut once. Don't forget
to send me a saw and file. Get
loaf of bread and put them in it."
81 will 60 where there amt no
railroad. Some of you boys come
up and stay all night and get the
key and turn me out You can DO
this all right and will 60 away
off and never come back no more.
Please do this for me-"
"Goup on the hill and look in
the straw stack and you will find
the gun, and 60 up the hollow and
you will find the shoes."
Messrs. w. M. McElwee, cashier
of the Peoples National Bank, and
H. G., Wise. cashier of the First
National Bank, were put on the
witness STAND to determine wheth-
er the writing in the book was
similar to letters written by How
ard Bragg. They were unable to
say, although there was great SINH
larity.
The case was given to the jury
yesterday just before noon, after
a long array of witnesses had been
examined. Brsgg's counsel were
Messrs. G.. d. Letcher and K. 5.
Shields, who were appointed by
the court to defend the prisoner.
Capt. David K. Moore represented
the Commonwealth. Several wit
nesses, the mother of the accused
and Mr.. G. A. Jones, were intro
duced to show that a strain Of in
sanity was in the young mans
blood, His mother told of his Pc
culiar actions in childhood and
frequent suffering with intense
headache Mr.. Jones at on time en-
pIoyed Bragg's father, and had to
discharge him because of his weak
ness Of mind.
The following gentlemen COM
posed the jury: Messrs. A. M.
Zollman. j. S, Womeldorf, E. r.
Flippo, w. E. Wise, w. N. Bell,
C. C. Bare, w. N. Key, F. F.
Harris, F H. Hart, H. 7. Muse,
F. A. Pultz and P. II. Fix.
j. j. Funk, special agent Norfolk
and Western railway, testified
that on the morning of March goth
he was on the passenger train No.
l, southbound, which stopped be-
tween Vesuvius and Midvsle just
after daylight. because OF the dis
covery on the track of the body OF
man. Accompanied by Road
master Turner Hughes, who hap
pened to be on the train, the engine
crew went back to make an inves-
tigation. The scattered remains
of q human body were found.
Acting on Mr.. Hughes advice, who
suspected foul play, the conductor
returned to the train and aroused
Detective Funk, who Immediately
repaired tc the spot whore Draw
bonds body was discovered. Soon
after he began making the examl-
action Funk found Drawbond's
hat, and when he picked it up ne