The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-05-08
Brutal Murder at Burkeville
Causes Intense Ex-
element
NEGRO WOMAN is
SHOT In THE BACK
Rosa Knight Instantly Killed
by Floyd Eppes-Body
Found on Pubic High
way by Section Hand

After killing his sweetheart, Rosa
Knight lloyd Eppes, the supposed
murderer, rode WIKI Captain dudley
Rudd on the Southern Runway accom-
modaion train Saturday night from
Burkeviiie To. keyss lie. When the
man boarded the train at the station.
hts victim Tas gasplng in the last
throes of death on the public high
way not half mile away. Nothing
has been heard of the murderer since
he left the train at Keysvillc.
The Saturday night murder was one
of the most brutal in the history OF
Nottoway county and the citizens of
BurkeViAe. both white and coiored.
are highly incensed at the killing.
Rosa knight, colored girl. working
SIS a domestic In the home OF DIR.
AIspaugh. left the physicians home
Saturday night about 1850 o'clock
and started for the home of her
parents about two miles ia the coun-
seen just outside of the city with
Floyd Eppes walking on the road to-
wards the girls home.
About O'Clock a section hand on
the southern railway walking down
the highway noticed the BODY OF n
woman lying In the road. The negro
WAS terribly frightened and hastily re-
turned 10 the town and told the news.
\ number of people went out to the
place and upon examination the wo-
man Was found to he dead.
Body Warm When Found.
The girls body vas still warm, but
the heart had ceased to beat and the
supposition is that death was instan-
taneous. The authorities were mott
fed and the body turned over to
friends.
An inquest was held Sunday and II
WAS found the woman had been shot
in the back. the ball passing through
the lungs and touching the heart,
came out just above the left breast.
Apparently the man must have been
very close to. the girl as powder mari s
We're visible on her clothing.
The superstition Is that Eppes quar-
relied with his sweetheart and threat
ened her life and that she started to
run when he shot her down. the
woman falling upon her face, in which
condition she WAS found by the Sec
ton hand
Murderer IA Small Negro.
Eppes is said to be of rather a
bad reputation and comes from a
family OF quarreisome negroes. He La
known to have frequently quarreled
with the woman and to have threat.
ened her life on several occasions
Jealousy lis supposed to have been the
cause of the murder.
Rosa knight was about twenty Ave
years old and was regarded as ar
excellent servant and was held in high
esteem by the white people OF Ms
community.
Eppes is about thirty years old. OF
gingerbread color and weighs about
$50 pounds, He is five feet ten inches
tall.
After the shooting Eppes went tc
the Southern railway station ana
boarded the accomm odation train fol
keysville. Conductor Rudd says hs
remem beers the negro, who did not ap-
pear IL ne the feast bit excited o,
worried 1t Is possible that he wa;
not aware that he had killed his sweet
/ heart,
Evidence Points 10 Eppes
Eppes was seen with the murdered
| woman about four hundred yards from
where her dead body was found. A
pistol shot was heard in the direction
OF which the two were walking. TIL,
man had frequently threatened to xii
i the woman and his sudden disappear
! ance places him under suspicion with
the authorities
Nothing could be learned at Keys
/ willie about the negro. The accom-
mediation train only went as far a
keysville. The next train ont of tn
| towns was one for Danville. which lief
I after midnight. II Is the opinion tina
| the man Went TO North Carolina.