Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-01-12
Smiths Statement.

JOHu5Obs NiShaiu
Eugene Dorsey of Completely
in The Murder of Schultz-Dis-
claims Participation Himself
Says He was "Sw Gated" by the
Police and Compelled to En-
dure Hunger Until He Repeat
ed Words Put in His Mouth by
Officers.
The time has come when the COM
munity should be relieved OF the sus-
pense which 1t has endnIed since last
Saturday when 1t became known tnss
Henry Smith, eolored, who hsd oeen
declared guilty Of murder 10 the bfs!
degree for participation 10 the killing oil
Walter L. Schultz, had made state
ment. The authorities, for reasons
which to them seemed best, refused 70
dIyulpe the nature of this statement,
and as the news concerning the story
spread all sorts of constructions were
placed upon 1t. While the disclosures
made by Smith are startling, they are,
in the main, the opposite from what
most people had supposed. 1t wss
naturally believed that be bad given
the details of the murder, bad
implicated Others, acknowledged the paIl
he played Ia the crime and cofroborsteo'
at least, most OF the assertions he made
on the stand In the Corporation Court 10
regard to the completely OF johnson,
Pines and Dorsey. But his statement
ful6lls none Of these expectations. He
absolutely exonerates the three men, es'
pscislly the 6rst.named, aud says he
happened to see johnson on the night Of
March 6 and after his arrest concluded
he would implicste him 10 the crime.
Smith in exculpatlng the Others pretends
that be had nothing to do with the kill
log of Schultz, and when asked why ne
made bis statement to the officers, In the
Police Court and subsequently, In the
O,rporatIon Court which resulted In the
sentencing to death OF the convicted men,
he laid the odium upon Chief G ods and
Oaicer Sampson, and charges them with
putting the words Ia his mouth In order
that they might establish record for
running dOwn murderers. He also Gays
he was cruelty "sweated' while confined
In the station house aud vas made to en-.
dure hunger until he made his s'atement.
As was indicated In the Gazette yesier-
day, Smiths statements are contradic'
tory In many places, and but few sre in
clined to take his latest story cum grano
salis
10 an interview yesterday With Mr.. B.
D. Brumbsck, one oil his counsel, be told
the latter that 10 one would become &C.
quainted with the true facts 10 counec'
ton With the Schulz murder until be
(5mitb) shall have been placed Ia the
electric chair.
Ia consideration of the facts given
above, Judge Barley sud Common
wealth's Attorney Brent early last night
communicated With Governor Swanson
by telephone, and, at their request, the
governor respited Johnson, Pines and
Dorsey, who we're to have been electro.
cuted next Friday, for sixty days.
Reference Is made above to The state
ment made by Smith to Mr.. B umbsck
yesterday. The following is the negro'S
story lie full:
81 desire to state that the confession
made by me In the three trials Of Calvin
Johnson, Richard Pines aud Eugene
Dorsey was false and untrue; that If they
had anything to do with the commission
OF the murder of Schultz know abso.
lutely nothipg aboutit. The reason wait
to make this statement Is do not want
innocent men to sufferer BY reason oil
any story told BY me. l had always In.
tended to deny this confession had |
been acquitted. That wss the reason |
wanted the judge to sentence me at once
so could tell the truth before johnson,
Pines and Dorsey were executed. l slso
want to say that this story was made by
Chief Goods, Officer Sampson and my
self. Chief Goods mentioned the names
Of Pines and Dorsey and suggested
Johnson's name. God knows | am in
uocent Of this crime. l know absolutely
nothing about this murder. Had | muir.
dered Schultz certainly would have
COTTON all his money aud gone away.
To show that l knew nothing about the
commission OF the crime, l told Chief
Goods ct the first trial l could not locate
the spot nor the position Of schultz's
body. l didn't know which direction his
head or bis feet were pointed, aud then
be told me he would put stick In the
ground while was 10 jail before the
trial came OF. He placed the stick so
that the big end would indicate the di.
rection OF the head and the small end the
feet. O1icer Sampson told me when We
we're again out on the ground 10 the
trial of johnson to watch the chief and
the way he goes over the fences. He nc.
tilted me while l Was In Jail that new
fence had been put in there, and | was
told by him to act when reached that
fence as though did not know 1t was
there, and wss also told by him ss be
walked by my side while going another
time to the spot to act as though l could
not locate the place and afterwsrds to
End 1t. Mr.. Sampson came to
the cell up stairs where l was
concealed while In the police
station and said there WAS very little
blood found on the ground where
SchGltE's body was found. Then | made
up lhe story about the rags having been
tied tightly around Schul!z's neck when
be was murdered, and Mr.. Sampson got
the rags aud put them there so tina! they
could be found. During all the trials
Chiei Goods sat behind me, and Mr..