The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-13
CONV|C TED MEN
ARE ALL INNOCENT
Smith, in Confession, Says His
Testimony Was
False.
---
DOES NOT HOPE TO ESCAPE
Blames Police for Making Him
Tell Story to Clear
Himself.
DOES NOT HOPE TO ESCAPE

-----
Alexandria. Va. January 12.-Henry
Smith, colored, convicted along with
Richard Pines, Calvin johnson and
Eugene Dorsey. of tho murder of Wal
ter II. Schultz. near Alexandria. last
March. confessed this morning to Cram
dial Mackey, COMMUNICATING attorney
for Alexandria county. that johnson
Dorsey and Pines were all innocent
OF the crime.
He said that he, upon whose tcsti-
mony they had been convicted, had
brought them into the case merely ia
was innocent.
He had no thought of saving himself
in making this confession. he declared
but did not wish to ace his Maker
until he had done all In his power to
save these innocent men. who had
been brought into the shadow Of death
by his statements.
Standing In his cell at the county
courthouse this morning. with knees
arms raised to heaven. Smith called
upon God to witness that the three
men were not guilty.
Appeal to lie Made to Governor.
Crandal Mackey said later to a re-
the Governor of the. State and ask
that the Governor himself listen to
the confession of Smith.
MT. Mackey said he had been asked
to listen to Smiths confession by
county. to whom Smith had also told
his story.
From the beginning to. the end OF
the confession, MI. Mackey said, Smith,
EN- to show that he had been
the police. Smith told Mr.. Mackey
that he had no knowledge of the de-
tails Of the murder of Schultz or OF:
Schultz himself until he learned them
from the police.
Smith said. he had been born and
in Richmond; that he had never.
been farther from Richmond than
Washington. When he was fourteen
years old he stole a diamond ring and
a sentence for the crime in the
-
There he learned the trade Of an
u~pholsterer. Later he settled in Rich
nons sn snd p %lGrlse Toi # this this t paasi,,.
After the murder of Schultz I had
no idea that I was connected with
the crime. or even suspected. I Knew
nothinE Of Schultz. and had never seen
G G,m, a ahe p pSiies, especially CAPTAIN
me the details OF the crime.
goods to sell for her. I had sold them,
y had kept back the n Her
IlC f v LII uTESS e III
l did not make good.
u learned that Inquiries were be-
ing made for me. Thin king 1T was
Tor this trouble, and that l might be
locked UP before / could attend to
certain matters, I left my home in
Alexandria at night
u walked into the police station
later, thinking I was wanted for the
thing about the Schultz murder. I was
told to go on back to a. cell. and did
so. I was kept there5from Friday until
Sunday morning without food.
The police thought they could get
They told me about the murder, and
said first that / was accused OF 1lay-
Ing murdered Chicago man
Net Drawn About Him.
II was glad. for / knew ] had never
But I had told people I learned the
trade from a Chicago firm,
50 they would not know ] had learned
it in the ~penitentiary. So they after
"The police told me that a mob was
coming to lynch me. All Saturday and
Sunday night l was In fear Of my life.
Sunday was offered food, but re-
eating ii the mob was going to kill
me.
THE police first suggested to me
that Pines and Dorsey had something
10 Win LIE IluIucI. l. ASy EIOlQ& Mo
they. we're sure these men We're guilty.
THE net was closing in on me. /!
that II l was to save myself
from the chain of circumstantial evil
dence / must say that Fines and Dor-
sey had been guilty.
Later I brought Johnson into the
crime to still further strengthen the
I knew nothing about john
son, except that he sold cocaine.s
Say Police Gave Him Hope.
Mr. NTaclra,,I acEad Smith ~ tho rn.sI
,urned states evidence. Smith replied
that he had been told:
You reed not fear It you tell every,
Thing you know about what Pines and
and Johnson did,"
Smith said that the police had taught
him how to tell the story OF the crime
by letting fall bits of informatton
he made S OF In giving his ac-l
counL or Inc murder.
A similar confession, which Smith,
made to the Alexandra police within
the last few days, and which has not
been made public before, was given out
his morning.
In his confession he accuses Chief
OF the police force. and Police-
man John Il. Sampson of assisting him.
md said that the first story which con-I
yicted the men was made by Chief
Goods, Policeman Sampson and himself.
II am innocent OF the crime" he said.
Il was FORCED to say what I have, and
perJured myself SO that Gh1ef GOODS
might make a record in discovering the
criminals"
AS a result OF this second confessional
the three negroes convicted of the mur-j
der and sentenced to be electrocuted]
t'rlday next will not meet death on
day. GOVERNOR Swanson has res
spilled them for sixty days.
Confession Made to POLICE.
smith said in his confession to the
police:s
II desire to state that The confessionI
made by me at the three trials of Cal-|
Dorsey was false and untrue. II they
had anything to do with the murderl
OF Schultz l know absolutely nothing
about It.
II had always intended to deny this
confession had I been acquitted. This
was the reason I wanted tho Judge tol
me at once, so T could tell the|
truth berOre .1Ohn son. Pines and IOOrSeyI