The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-11
New Tangle Is Thrown
Into Lakeside Mystery
by Penrose Carter.
CORONER'S JURY
CAN'T GET TRUTH
Carter Intimates That Negro
Wingfcld Killed Boy, but
Dukes, Who Heard Shot, Saw
White Man Running Away
With Gun-Questioned
About Wounds.

Eight minutes after Edward Kelly
was mystcriously murdered on Tues
day IT the Bloomingdale Farm. near
Lakeside a negro, out OF breath and
highly excited. rushed Into the store
Of James Penrosc Carter. Jr., 900 yards
away, and sold a single barredel shot
gun. according to the testimony Of
Carter before coroner's jury at Hen
rico yesterday.
This statement, made under oath.
added new complications to a case
which has called forth every effort on
the part OF the county authorities TO
find the real slayer. While non
committal verdict was returned at the
inquest. the police, working on a new
clue. believe that 81 will not be diff
cult TO run down the murderer. al
though the Carter story is so far at
variance with the testimony OF Dennis
Dukes that they scarcely know how to
turn
Swears It Was White Man.
Dukes still swears that just before
the murder nc saw white man ap-
proach the place where young Kelly
was working with a shotgun on his
shoulder. He saw them scufTlinG. He
thought II was a playful encounter, but
moment or two later Dukes heard a
shot. lie saw the white man running
away and found the body in the door
way. Carter swcre that the negro who
sold him the gun was Meade Wing
field. who cannot lie found.
Carter was sharpl" questioned. At
first he denied that he had been at the
Bloomingdale Farm on Tuesday,
though subsequently he remembered
that he was there about 1880 o'clock
In the morning. He was asked TO ex-
plain wounds on his face and did so
by saying that he had fallen down at
Fourteenth and Broad Streets late
Saturday night.
Officers Tiller and Campbell testified
that when they saw Carter late Tues
day afternoon the wounds on his face.
though slight, were fresh. and that
around them were traces Of dry blood
y member of the jury made the same
statement.
Carter the Star Witness.
The shotgun story might not have
been brought out. except for Carter's
voluntary statement to the police that
he had bought the weapon from Wing
field under circumstances which he re-
Earded as suspicious. Dukes did not
budse from his statement that he saw
n white man escaping when his atten-
ton was attracted by the report Of
gun. There is nothing thus far to
prove that the gun in Carter's posses
sion was the gun with which the Kel-
ley boy was killed
When Carter took the stand he was
visibly nervous. but regained control
of himself quickly after answering the
preliminary questions. He stated that
he was twenty-five years old. and was
the proprietor OF a grocery store on
the Hermitage Road. At 1913 o'clock
he stated. Meade Wingheld. n colored
farm hand. hurriedly entered his store.
gun in hand. He offered the weapon
to the witness for s2.75 which price
was paid The negro was breathless.
and perspiration was streaming down
his face. After selling the gun. he in
quired if he had time 10 visit n colored
man about half n mile away and then
catch train leaving Richmond at
o'clock Carter looked at his watch.
and in this manner fixed the exact
time. Wingfeld. he stated left the
store and started In the direction of
the man about whom he inquired.
Went to Employ WinEfield.
Asked if lie had left the store on
Tuesday, Carter stated that he had
not. but afterwards corrected himself
and said that he had gone to bloom
ingdale Farm about 1880 o'clock in the
morning. he thought, for the purpose
of hiring Wingfield to do some work.
Wingfield was not there at the time.
and when he came to the store with
the gun. Carter offered him the posi-
ton. which he refused.
At that point. DR.. Bright switched
his lire of questioning and asked Car
ter about wounds on his face which
were covered with fresh adhesive
plaster.
II skinned my face Saturday night
at Fourteenth and Broad Streets. when
l fell out of store door," he stated.
The plaster, he admitted was put on
his cuts by n barber just n few hours
before. Two men. Burton and Wright,
were with him when he fell. lie stated.
He had been drinking at the time, and
had no clear idea of the circumstances.
Did Not Wear Cap.
Carter stated that he never wore n
cap and that on Tuesday, when he went
to the Bloomingdalo Farm, he had on
n green felt hat. tan shoes. dark trous-
ers and a blue coat. He admitted that
(Cnntinned On Sncnn1 pnnn