Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-09-16
KNOW LEADERS
Gainesville Lynch Probe Get
New Information.
SEVERAL SURPRISES SPRUNG
II is Believed at West Chester
That Witnesses Have Told
the Names of Three of the
Mob Leaders.
SEVERAL SURPRISES SPRUNG

West Chester, Pa, Sept. 15.-It was
reported, following the adjournment
Of the grand jury probing the lynch
ing of Zach Walker, at Coatesville,
that several surprises had been sprung
before the probers, and that the iden-
tity Of three of the ringleaders of the
mob had been disclosed.
The district attorney stated that an
additional lot of Coatesville residents
had been subpoenaed by state troop
ers. The witnesses called were
Thomas Gill and wife, j. b. Penne-
gar, borough treasurer; Herbert Ford,
an undertaken; John Coleman, color
ed; Samuel Ruth, colored, and Charles
Gross.
The rumor of a coming sensation
gained credibility from the manner IN
which several witnesses were repeat
eddy recalled to the jury room and
questioned by the district attorney,
Robert s. Gawthrop.
According to the report, the three
names divulged were of the men who
thrust the colored man upon the fire
and afterward showed him back in the
burning hay when, with frantic strug-
giles, he had gotten free and climbed
fence.
Charles Gross, an employe Of the
Beaver Dam Paper mills, of Coates
vile, was one witness, it is said, who
was either forced to give one of the
names or else was confronted by Ber-
tina Middleton, colored, who declared
l. \ 41Il - n xft,
leaders.
Gross was called into the jury room
three times. Subsequently Bertha Mid
dleton was summoned before the prob
ers. Rumor had it that Bertha told of
a conversation which she had with
Gross in which he said that Chester
Stanley, an employee of the Worth Iron
mills, had told him that he (Stanley)
had pushed Walker back into the fire
with fence rail.
When Gross was recalled it was said
that he denied the alleged converse
ton. Bertha was called in again and
confronted the man. When Gross
emerged the last time he WAS shaking
and frightened.
In an extremely nervous manner he
walked through the corridor or sat
restlessly on a bench, his face pale
and his hands picking at his coat.
Two other names, 1t is said, were
divulged by John Pennington, col
ored preacher. II is claimed that the
two named by him were among those
who showed Walker back on the blaz-
ing fire.
Faith in the jury's ability TO accom-
plish any great results is now losing
ground, although the residents aof the
county have a wholesome respect for
the iprowess of the state. A feeling is
gaining ground that the county and
state authorities will hang on ito the
last and never give up until the point
is reached where every bit of avail
able testimony has been introduced.
The leading residents of Coatesville
were called. not in the hope that they
could give any inkling of the perpetra-
tors of the atrocity, but rather an the
hope that they could recommend
some plans of procedure which the
grand jury might adopt
"One suggestion made to as was
that the grand jury be dismissed and
that the county commissioners offer a
substantial reward for the apprehen-
sion and conviction of the ringlead-
ers," the district attorney declared.
THE plan was not thought feasible at
the present time by the grand jury. 1t
might have been accomplished at the
start, but at that the chances are that
it would have failed, they thought. 4
have subpoenaed number of new wit
nesses for this week, probably sixty
or seventy in all, and we will go ahead
and examine them"