Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1910-03-03
COMMITS MURDER
AT STATE FARM
J. A. linden, in the tuberculosis
Ward, Kills Fellow Convict
by Stabbing-Blade Made
in Blacksmith shop
on Farm.

berculosis ward OF the penitentiary
farm twenty-seven miles west OF
Richmond. Saturday morning staooso
James Meyers. another inmate with
"A stiletto-like blade. causing the man
death in twenty minutes. The ngnt
took place in the room adjoining the
sleeping quarters OF the sick men. ana
WIS Witnessed by several conVicts
IL was after Myers had attacked
me after he had made repeated
threats that he would get me. that 1
against the man which resulted IA
my killing him. said J. A. linden. an
inmate OF the tuberculosis ward Of the
State farm. yesterday.
I linden Is a man OF small build. del
7 icste looking pale and wan. lie has
/ been at the farm about three weeks.
F and Is not a bad-lOoking man He
talked about the tragedy freely. and
I would be about the last man in the
place 20 be picked out as murderer.
linden wears shackles. but ne Is
not. and has not been chained 10 the
floor. He was found in the lounging
room OF the sick men yesterday after
noon. talking with lot OF compan-
ions. and apparently had been re-
hearsing the case with those who had
Witnessed the AFFAIR
Sccrctcd knives.
The knife with which the killing
{ was done is one that was made by
, the men in the blacksmith shop. and
; in some way Il had been secreteo IN
the room IN which the tragedy oc-
Cured As a matter OF fnc.. there
were two knives. and after linden had
inflicted the death wound he Walkea
TO the fence and threw the Nnire int
the field. He then got the seeona
knife and turned that over - tho
l. guard declaring that "a was ths Wea-
pom with which he had esmufttsd the
y crime
= when asked yesterday b. csptaIn
, Davis why ne had tried 10 soostituts
j. one knife FOR another. Tindeo explain
r ed that ne was so excited thai he I'D
not know what ne wGs doing. He be-
came confused. and the more ne eI-
planned the more ne became Involved.
Little Excuse for the Killing.
The time OF the killing was about
6.46 o'clock. while the men were az
\ breakfast IN the room ~ a safe. in
n which are kept dishes and other
y things. This stands about eight or
ten feet from where the man was
killed. linden said yesterday that ne
X was seated some six feet from Myers
when the latter arose and attackeo
him with a heavy poker. aRd that al
ter ne had been struck ne graobea
the knife from the safe and defendea
himself.
ls shaped affair. OF steel. and sharp az
10 the point. The knife which was given
pa 90 the guards Is something along the
r same order. except that it was sharp
az on only one edge. just how % was
o. gotten 10 the men Is hard 10 under
Sc stand.
ps Discussing the klune yesterday
ae Captain Davis. the farm manager. e.
Ae pressed the opinion that there was ne
occasion FOR o.. He said that Cuaru
c- armed with shotgun and heaN,
revolver was orly some nifty fee
nd away. and that the guard could. anf
q would have gotten o. The place ln
ue minute But the killing was timed. o'
ite happened. just as the guards We're be
.ur changed.
esq Mycrs Was Unpopular.
lia Myers had been CO the farm 70
.0- some eighteen months. Tie was sen
.ht from clifton Forge to serve e-sh
wears for highway robbery. For SOM
.r- weeks he had been placed Boa chars
nd of the louns.nE room. ANA il WIS hl
.UI l.tr 90 see that the men kept Trims
ly u good shapc--vcrc compelled @
o. do their part iu keeping the moor
.er cleaned. 90 attend Go what was aec
ess-ry lor the sick men. and senerali
go to report ans dc-eucuon on the pai
.he of The men,
1rs Dr. th.s wly. said Captain Davis. th
oW dead man had Incurred the enmity
ops some az tne inmates. ~ was lI
-s- old story ot the man who attende
: So 90 his busiucss-the man VINO ~,
placed over the others-becomlnE ui
iuc popular with his fellows Myers W'
ru nclG responsible for the place, ar
are he Was therefore kept busy DO loohir
to after the place
uId and these men. these TRUSTEES
T.
fhe. gardel with disf4Nor oy the other D
mates They have contempt az
v-r-| hatred FOR the man who forces the
-fnr 20 live up Co prison rules
try VIII BE Tried in Doochland.
ows linden. native Of North Car
Eyes lima. Durham. he said, was sent
luld the prison 20 serve eight years I
OF burglary. He was convicted IN Z
felt Corporation Court OF this city, al
q Of has served some three years ca
tain Davis said that a coroneris ~
1use had Investigated the case on Frios
r. ln and that the verdict was that the IA
sing came 10 his death by a stab wou
one inflicted by linden. The jury {
rea- not 10 further into the case than
m Is determine the cause or death 4
accused man will be tried in the 9
we'll cult Court OF GOOchland. By Juc
George :. Shackelford. who succeed
Whip the late Judge Daniel A GFimsl
mink and will probably be the arst mur'
nate case in which the new Judge will
,tfor The knife with which the kill
putt n.s done was found after linden,
law rejection. had made a second sta
and ment- lie told the oihcers mat
had done the killing. that he
whip thrown the knife over the fence.
don't officers took several OF the COnvicts
A. made "a search and the knife
ne found where IL mad been thrown al
them the staOolns nao DSeu uolS'
lpped Puzzling Question
show The question that is puZzing the
can hcials is Where did the man get
Toned knIves-by whom were they ma
laC0 There were two OF them Myers
-. said 10 have been a dOmineerlng
roni6 dictatOrial citizen. He was lar
thou man than Ilnutn. WIN the oV'
scare OF linden in the place there appe
lasnt from fragmentary accounts given
,oon. the men, 20 have been an enn
me-. mas from the beginning between Tin