The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-21
CORONER PROBES
DEATH OF NEGRO.
Verdict Says Detective Killed
Him in Discharge of His
Duty.
HAD BLACK RECORD
Vile of Waverly Merchant
Takes Her Own
,SsKssa,a Lie.
HAD BLACK RECORD
Times-Dispatch Bureau,
1os North Sycamore Street,

a
Coroner H C. Leigh and jury sa;
for four hours last night investigai-
Ing the circumstances OF the death or
the negro desperado and burglar, John
Fisher, who Was shot Sunday after.
noon on the northbound Seaboard AIT |
Line passenger train By Detective j.
II. Branch. or Suffolk, while violently
resisting arrest. The negro was
wounded in four places, and died in |
the hospital here on Tuesday morn
Ing.
Fisher, on Friday night last. broke
into and robbed the South Hill Hard
ware Store in Mecklenburg county OF
81 razors, two guns and other aru-
cles. and it was for this robbery that
Detective Branch and Special officer
Brown. of South Hill. attempted TO
arrest him on the train The evil
dence al the inquest was briefly to
the effect that when the officers and
conductor of the train faced Fisher
and ordered him to surrender, he re-
fused to submit to arrest. and brushed
the three men aside. In his effort to
escape from the train he fought vio-
lently, and was several times shot by
Branch. These shots seemed to have
no effect on the negro. until the last
one was fred in the vestibule OF the
car as he broke and Jumped through
the glass door. Even then he fled
for some distance into the woods,
where he was traced and found by the
officers. He was not fired on in the
car until he attempted to draw q
razor from his pocket. The verdict
of the jury was that Fisher came to
his death from gunshot wounds In
fiicted by Detective Branch while in
discharge of his duty.
Fisher had black record. and at
the hospital he said that he had COM
mitted enough crimes to justify hang
ing him He had served time for sew
eral robheries. was wanted at Waver-
]y for horse stealing, at Ivor for horse
stealing, at Suffolk for car robbing,
and at other points for other crimes
Suicide Mt Waverly.
A special dispatch announces
the suicide this afternoon at
3 o'clock at waverly of Mrs. Carrie
Grammer. wife of warner Grammer,
prominent merchant of that town.
Mr. Grammer had gone TO the hank
to make deposit, leaving his wife
in the store. While he was away she
secured his pistol and, placing the
muzzle in her mouth. fred it. The
ball passed upward through the BRAIN
and through the top of the head, tear
ing a large hole in the skull She
died Immediately. III health and tem-
porary alteration of mind are as
signed as the cause of the act Mrs.
Grammer was the daughter Of VIM.
II Morriss, of Waverly. and is sur
vived by her father, husband and sew
eral children. She was thirty-seven
years old.
A Worthy Reception.
Petersburg Aerie Of Eagles gave
State President William r. Brown, OF
Norfolk a notable reception last eve
ming, and fully 100 Eagles Joined in
the spirit of the occasion. commit
tee met him at the depot, gave him an
automobile ride through the 'city and
for twenty miles on good roads in the
country entertaining him at the Ches-
fertleld Hotel and gave him cordial
reception in the lodge room. There the
president delivered an address and
heard welcoming speeches from half q
dozen local Eagles and was again en-
tertained. He escaped from Peters
burg this morning in good order. ex-
pressing himself as delighted with his
visit.
Personal and OtherNisc.
At the honae-of Mr.. and Mrs. William
Smithson, on punl~p Street, last night
Miss Marie Traylor and Albert Web
ster Elder, both of Dinwiddie county
were united in marriage by Rev. a, X
Love of the West End Baptist Church
JuQEe j. NJ. Mullen Will ielui u iioh
Newport News tomorrow morning and
will at once open the July term OF the
Hastings Court. There are number
OF criminal cases on the docket. Nc
term OF the court will be held in Au-
gust.
State Farmers Institute.
Judging from the number Of inqui.
ries being made about tire annual meet
ing of the Virginia State Farmers In
t.a1 s,, Ioa3a
gust ell, the attendance of farmers
throughout the State will be the larE,
est in the history OF the institute TIL,
SESSIONS will be held in the Academ,
of Music.
Work on the two new graded publi
school buildings, both on West Wash
,ngton Street, is progressing rapidly
They will be ready by the opening 0
the next session These building
give accommodations TO about 600 pu
pills
MAJOR Jones'a Condition.
Mayor William NJ Jones rested yer
well last night, and his condition j
reported as comfortable to-day. but S
serious as TO arouse anxiety.
Miss Florence Young, Miss Bessi
Barksdale and Miss Ethel Winfield LET
yesterday for Buena Vista to spend tn
Mr.. and Mrs. Hunter Drewry, Of Ma.
4 tinsburg, ". Va. are visiting relative
in this cts.
The Petersburg baseball team wi
return TO the city Tomorrow to pla
the Roanoke team on the home damon
the remainder of the Week. TIL
grounds have been much improved dur
ing their absence.
Famous Case Disposed Of
The case of Avery VS., Tartte, involv
ing the control of the Harrison Stree
Baptist Church, colored which has bee
on trial before Judge J. F. West of tn
Third Circuit, Tor the past seven day
was disposed of Tonight Immediate
~ upon conclusion OF the argumer
Judge West delivered his opinion i
The case. He held as follows
J. That the written constitution
the church is still in full force an
effect and binding upon all its men
bers.
2. That the action OF the Tate 10
lowers in undertaking TO expel the ar
ti-Tartte members from the church an
the action of the anti-Tartte tactic
IS undertaking to eHpel the Tartte 70
lowers from membership in the churc
We're void and did not In any way etIe
the standing OF the parties as churc
members.