The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-26
M ayor A. H. Bousman,
of Ridgeway, Killed
by Assassin.
REV ARD OFFERED
FOR M u RDERER
There Is No Clue to Perpetra-
tor of Crime, and Authorities
Are Mystified-If Cu1prit
Is Found 1t Is Believed He
Will Be summarily
Dealt With.


Ridgeway. Va. July 25-The assas-
sination last night OF Mayor A. H.
Bousman. aged ffty-fve years. who
was killed by the explosion OF a dyna-
mite bomb hurled directly at him
while he was sleeping in his front
yard. has aroused and mystitied
the Inhabitants of this village and the
surrounding country. The crime, un-
precedented in this section of the
country. had apparently been carefully
planned by its perpetrator. whose
Identity the authorities or members
OF the victims family have been un-
able 10 even guess at. The dynamite
bomb. which tore the body OF
Mayor Bousman to pieces. was thrown
about 10 o'clock at night. The charge
of dynamite in the bomb must have
been heavy one. because the body
of Mr.. Bousman was badly torn to
pieces. On the sides of houses sixty
feet away blood had been spattered.
and bits of flesh adhered to the walls.
Bits of the body also were found on
the roof of an adjoining house.
Story of the Crime.
AL s:15 o'clock Sunday night Mr.
Bousman's neighbors were alarmed by
a sharp explosion. loud enough to be
heard throughout the quiet country
town. His nearest neighbors. Geo. L
Grlggs, ]. w. Griggs and w. Atkins
rushed TO the Bousman residence. and
found him lying on the ground about
FIVE steps from his front porch with
both legs blown off about halfway be.
tween the foot and knee. One foo,
had been blown some distance away
and the other was hanging by a small
piece Of skin TO the rnangled leg. He
was conscious and able to give direc-
tions-to those who were seeking to
staunch the flow OF blood but knew
nothing OF the manner of his hurt,
barring the fact that as he lay on a
quilt or blanket spread on the ground.
smoking cigar, the explosion came.
He saw nobody, and heard no foot.
steps or other sound.
Mrs. Bousman, the only other per.
son on the premises. was in the house
when she heard the explosion.
Rushing out, she discovered her hus-
bands condition and gave a cry OF
alarm. which was heard by the neigh
bors. She was. of course, utterly pros
trated by the shock. from which she
is still suffering. Physicians were
summoned at once and the injured
mans limbs were amputated near the
knee. He died at 2 o'clock this morn
ing
The coroner's inquest was held to-
day, but no new facts were discovered
Their verdict was that "the deceased
came to his death by means of an
explosion of dynamite, or some other
explosive. thrown by the party or
parties to the Jurors unknown, the
said explosive being thrown on the
legs of the said A. H. Bousman about
9 o'clock at night while he was lying
on blanket in his yard"
Dynamite sticks Found.
A Baldwin detective on the ground
to-day found four sticks of dyna mite,
with about three feet of fuse, in a
cIump of bushes just outside Of Bous-
mans yard, and a little to the rear
OF his house, about thirty yards from
the spot where he was killed.
The assassinated man is survived by
widow and son of twelve years, both
of whom are prostrated by the murder.
Mr. Bousman recently declined re.
nomination for Mayor. but still held
the one which he had. filled seven
engaged in farming. and was a
large grower of cabbage. John
o, Coan. prominent tobacconist Of
Winston Salem. N. c., is a brother-in-
law of the dead man. Mr.. Bousman
was connected with prominent fami-
lies in Henry and Franklin counties,
and in other sections of Virginia.
Although the town authorities, when
notified of the murder, made every ef-
fort to discover the assassin, no clue
could be found, and 1T is believed he
escaped without being seen by any
one The news quickly spread about
and aScitannanf prauy fa b;ri,
pitch. The surrounding community
to-day is worked up over the murder.
and it is believed If the perpetrator
of the assassination is caught he will
be summarily dealt with.
Motive for killing.
The only motive assigned for the
assassination is that of revenge by
negroes, growing out of an unfortu-a
nate killing of a young colored man
by a Ridgeway policeman through a
mistake about two months ago. It
was charged by negro witnesses of
the affair that Bousman ordered the
officers to shoot at the negro, and he,
with two of the officers. had been re-
Gently indicted for the shooting.
This alleged motive, which is gen.
orally accepted as the correct one, is
all the more deplorable and disturbing
to the community because 1t marks a
new method Of revenge by negroes for
real or fancied wrongs 1t is not RS.
called here that there has been any
previous instance in Virginia of assas.
sinatton by the use OF dynamite or
similar explosive.
While returning from his farm in
the county to the town week ago
some unknown person hurled an ex-
ploslve at Mr.. Bousman as he was rid
Ing past wooded section. He told
ms friends of the occurrence. but they
treated the matter as Joke. and It
was not given serious thought until
to-day.
AT a special meeting Of the Town
Council this afternoon reward of
$500 was offered by the town for the
capture of the murderer The county
offers $3.50 and the Governor will be
asked to offer $3.50.
Dynamite Stolen From Mines.
Mica and kaolln mines were operated