The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-08-29
WAS KILLED when
he BUTT into ROW
NEGRO HUSBAND BEATING HIS
WIFE SLUGS ALBERT WEST
WHO INTERPRETED.

PETERSBURG, VA Special Ar
raigned in Police Court Monday
TO answer Il charge of murder placed
against him by the coroner's jury. Ma
pOleon Washington, cOlOred, had his
case continued until next TUESDAY.
washington is charged with stabbing
10 Geath on Pocahontas bridge, short
~ before midnight Saturday, a col
ored man named Albert West
According to the evidence of Toe
Dickinson and Virgie Carroll, colored
residents of the Pocahontas section.
VINO were examined by the coroner's
jury at the inquest yesterday after
noon, Albert West came upon Wash
lngton Quarreling with and beating
ms wife Saturday night. West went
TO the couple and told Washington
he ought not beat his wife-she had
1eellnSs as well as he. Washington.
asking West what business it was of
MIS- turned upon West and stabbed
him several times. West fell to his
knees and Washington plunged the
Knife into Vests breast West fell.
washington went down on top of the
lallen negro and jabbed him again.
Then when Washington got up from
him he kicked West, turning him over
with his foot Washington then ran
up and down the bridge n couple of
times. declaring Hes not dead"
Dickinson said he called for help and
that he tried TO pull Washington off
OF West In doing this, he said. he
got blood on his shirt.
Nirgie Carroll declared she saw the
men tussling. but she didn't see n
knife. She thought the men were
using their fists until she found West
was dead.
The verdict of the coroner's Jury
was that Albert West came to his
death from stab wound i'm the heart
received at the hands of NaDoleon
WaShinSton. The jury was made up
OF Justice G. G. Peasants, w. G.. Mar
TN, y. w. Bragg, J. IL. Bailey, Jr..
J. i. Charles, and II. II Lanier.
DIR. II. G. Leigh, the coroner. held
an autopsy on the body of West at a
local negro undertaking establishment
earlier in the day. This showed West
had been stabbed seven times. The
wound in the heart had caused al
most instant death. In one of Vests
pants pockets was found knife. the
smaller blade of which was half
opened. There was blood on the end
of the knife handle. as there could
nave been on n knife stuck deep into
the body. There was no evidence to
snow Washington had touched Vests
body with his hands in any way after
West was dead. The only contact of
Washington with Vests body after
death, shown bv the testimony. was
with the foot when Washington turn
ed the body over.
After Washington was caught sun
day morning at his home in Pocahot
after he had been i'm hiding all night
ne told Police Chief Ragland and
Iollceman Hubbard, who made the ar
rest, That he had come to give himself
up. that he intended to go to Police
Headquarters and surrender as soon as
he mad gone home. Washington will
plead Self-defense, that he killed West
with VESTS own knife, which he had
wrenched from West in the struggle
Washington, 1t is said, has not salts
factorily explained what he did with
re knife otter the cutting. There is
nothinS 10 show that he put the
weapon, .half-closed, in Vests pocket
after the killing.
Coroner Leigh is of the belief the
knife found in Vests pocket was not
the one with which the stabbing was
done. He thinks the blood on the knife
came there through Vests clothing
which was saturated with his blood.
The wound in the heart caused instant
death. West, had he been using n
knife, too, in an attempt to cut Wash
lngton, could not have placed the knife
in his own pocket after he had received
the wound in the heart
Joe Dickinson, the negro who Wit
messed the fight. told the coroner he
thought the knife Washington used
was bone-handled knife and that the
knife produced at the inquest was the
one he used. Dickinson did not know
the knife had been found in Vests
pocket.
Rev. f. w. Moore perached yesterday
in his pulpit at the Second Baptist
months He has just returned from
visit TO Europe, Egypt and the Holy
Land. lie was greeted by large con-
grcgations.
Mr.. oMores first work on his return
to Petersburg was officiating Saturday
evening at o'clock at the funeral of
MRS. Ellen j. Williams. Rev. w. II. A.
Haynes, pastor of the Wesley Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, assisted. In