The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-03-21
the CITY AND ITS VICINITY.
II. L. vARNEY FOUND WITH HEAD
SPLIT OPEN.
Considerable Mystery Surrounds
Events Leading to Injury of
Young Man


Events Leading to Injury of
Young Man.
R. L. Varney, who was brought to
the Bluefield Sanitarium from Eek
man, suffering. from fractured
skull, died last night about o'clock
His remains will be taken to Will
hanson, his home, today for burial
says the Bluefield Telegraph.
There is considerable mystery sur
rounding the events leading up to
the injuries which caused Varney's
death. There is little doubt that he
was murderously assaulted, but as
far as could be learned up to late
this morning, no clue to the men who
committed the foul deed has been
ney never recovered consciousness
after he was found in cab at Eek
man yard it is almost impossible at
this time to say how his death was
brought about. Circumstantial evil
dence points to dastardly crime
which must have occurred between 2
and 3 o'clock yesterday morning.
Who the men or women were who
planned the mans death has not yet
been found and inquiries last night
failed to elicit information leading to
the discovery Of the identity Of un-
known persons who must have seen
him during the previous night, or
at least visited him on Eckman yard.
The first discovery of the awful
deed was made when Conductor c.
w. Meade went to the cab, which
was lying detached on the Eckman
yard, to awaken Varney SO he could
art on his run. Capt Meade found
the man could not be awakened and
after the usual methods of arousing
sleeping man had been resorted to
twas found he was suffering from
deep cash in the head, which appar-
emily had been by sharp instru-
ment, probably a Ratchet. The rail-
road authorities were notified and
Varney was placed aboard train No.
4 and brought to Bluefield where he
was carried to- the Bluefield SANTA
rum, where he lay without regaining
consciousness, and where it was
founl his skull had been cut through
with some sharp tool or weapon
The theory which it is believed
will eventually solve the mystery is
that Varney was carried to the cab
after he had been assaulted and left
for dead. After this was done, it is
believed the men who are guilty Of
the crime, and who undoubtedly
possessed cab key. went into the
cupola of the cab and kicked out the
cupola window to make it appear
that someone had broken in on the
man while he was asleep. This fact
is made more evident by the dis
covery that the window glass was
broken from the inside, rather than
from the outside, as was first believ-
ed, by those who thought that Var
ney had crawled into the cab through
the cupola and then fell to the floor,
where he was found, instead of on
bunk.
The cab was locked when Conduct
or Meade opened the door and did
not show, so far as he noticed, any
signs of any visitors during the even
ing, showing that Varney must have
been carried in, left on the floor, and
the cupola window kicked out, after
which the murderers left for parts
unknown. Whether they were white
or colored is not known, but 1t is
likely that white men know more
about it than the cnlored people
Varney is survived by wife and
two children. His widow was here
last night, accompanied by J. J.
Gearhart, her brother. They received
a teleeram at Bluestone Junction
conveying the information that Mr..
Varney had died at o'clock, less
than fifteen hours after he was found
with his head split open.
Mr.. Varney was reared in this
section and was well known His
friends here will be pained to know
of his sad death. His funeral took
place here on Sunday last and was
largely attended by friends and fam
lily. Mr. K L. varney, a brother.
of Cincinnati, was here to pay his
last respects to his dead brother. The
sad occurrence still remains a myste-
ry and nothing yet has been brought
to light which would lead to the an
prehension Of the guilty parties. To
the family of the deceased and to his
relatives. we extend our deepest
sympathies.
q