The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-05-11
FOUND NEGRO
BADLY WOUNDED
Believed to be the Man Upon
Whom Southern Detectives
Fired in the Dark a Few
Nights Ago-Wounds
Tell Tale.
RIG MoNDV -snecial

G II NJ o n ID, V A-Special.-
Hidden in a little room near the Lo-
connective Works and i'll with a raging
fever, the result Of a hundred tiny
shot wounds which covered his right
shoulder and side. Ernest Norris. one
OF the most desperate negroes in
Richmond, and believed to be the man
who last month stole several wagon
loads of cigarettes from the Southern
freight depot. was discovered after a
long search 10y Detective Sergeant Wi
ley Saturday evening The detective
Immediately notified Special Agent ).
{. SCagle, Of the railway COMPANY and
this morning the negro was arrested
He will be unable TO stand trial for
sometime, however. as he is still in
a critical condition. and. in fact, may
not recover.
Several days ago another negro, sam
l'roWn, was arrested for taking the
cigarettes. hut managed to establish
an alihi. Two detectives employed lay
the railway had crawled under the
depot Monday night and shot at "A ne
gro who had appeared with basket
into which he was placing "A number
Of cigarettes stolen 10y him and hid
den under the depot floor.
Agent Seaglc and Detective Wiley
are practically positive that Morris
was the man seen by the detectives.
and as the negro bears shotgun
wounds, the officers are strengthened
in their belief that they have found
their man.
Ate Soap To Gain Freedom.
Several years ago Morris was inn
plicated in cigarette theft; he plead
ed guilty, but the court suspended SEN
tenCe in order that the man might
testify against other prisoners impli-
Gated in the same case. Morris was
kept in Jail and managed TO get hold
of and eat quantity of soap. Within
a few weeks after his Incarceration ne
became SO emaciated from the inju-
rtous self-imposed diet that the doc
tors at the Jail recommended that he
be pardoned. fearing that he had only
a few months TO live.
Morris was implicated in the famous
Mosby-Duke case. which created a
considera bile sensation in the latter
part of 1908. Following the theft of
quantities of cigarettes and several
cases of whiskey from various rail-
way depots in this city the police ar
rested Ashby Duge. an ex-magistrate;
Joseph Mosby, clerk employed at
the Southern depot; Jerry Morano, a
and Ernest Morris.
The negro made a fun confession.
RE testified that Mostly and Duke
planned the thefts. and teiephOned to
him every day or two where to get
the stolen boxes. lie would find these
boxes. he said. pushed under Il pile
hind the door. He would drive up
in wagon. put in the stolen goods
and drive away.
Duke, who also confessed to the Of
ficers, then disposed of the goods
lie sold many thousand cigarettes to
errv Morano. When arrested Duke
was baiied. He Immediately jumped
his bond, and has not been heard
from since. Morano was tried, but
pleaded that he was an innocent
party 70 the transactions. as he did
not know that any of the goods had
been stolen. He was acquitted.
Mosby Proved False Arrest.
Mosby was tried on two counts. on
one he managed to prove an alibi. on
the other he was acquitted. He i'm
mediately brought suit against the
southern Railway Company for SO
200, charging false arrest and injury |
20 his reputation. The case was
prosecuted in the Law and Equity |
Court, and Mosby was awarded a YER |
iict for $4,000. Attorneys for the |
'ailway appealed to the Supreme |
'ourt, where the verdict of the lower |
curt was set aside. a rehearing OF |
he case may be asked for by Mosby's |
counsel.
When Morris was discovered by De-
ective Wiley the negro was suffering
Intensely. Two doctors OF the ambu-
ance corps were called In by the Of