Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-03

shot wound inflicted on the Goth day
OF June. 1918. by his son. Russell
Walker. but from the evidence before
them they arc unable TO determine
whether the shooting done know
inGly and maliciously or was owing to
the sons MISLEADING his father for i
-obbcr.
WM II. TAYLOR, Coroner:
PAUL d. BEATTIE.
JAMES W. GIBBONS
DEANE CARTWRIGHT.
y. q. ANTHONY. JR..
HENRY AD1IONSKI, JR
j. Il. SHAFER
II Was not until after the Jurors had
deliherated at length and after n dead
lock between them had threatened that
the verdict vas finally brought in.
Jurors. Beattic, Cartwright and Am
,hony are said to have held TO the
murder theory. and to have desired
bringing in verdict to this effect.
while the coroner and the other three
members Of the jury held TO the theory
OF accidental killing.
DETECTIVES HOLD no
MURDER THEORY
The direct expression of the belief
that murder had been committed and
that IL had been planned some time in
advance of the actual killing. was made
for the first tirIe yesterday when De-
tectivcs Wiltshire and Bailey Informed
newspaper men who asked their opin-
ions. that this was their view They
based the belief on the circumstantial
evidence which they had secured in
connection with the actual shooting of
Walker the opinion OF negroes in the
ncighborhood OF the Walker home and
the evidence they have been able TO
secure dealing with the relations eX-
listing between son and father previous
TO the shooting. The belief of murder
among negroes living near the Walkers
has become so strong that n lawyer
has been retained by them TO assist in
the court proceedings.
Maggie l.. Walker. wife of the slain
man and mother OF the son who killed
him, was the first witness TO be called
AZ the inquest OF yesterday. She took
Up her narrative where she had left
of At tho previous session Of the in
quest and stressed her statements re-
Sarding the soberness of both fathe:
nj son on the night OF the shooting
BEVERLY TURNER PROVES
STAR WITNESS AT INQUEST
beverly Turner. old friend of Armis-
tead Walker. and the man who loa ned
him The pistol with which he was shot
was probably the most important Wit
ness 10 be called. He testified he left
;he pistol with Walker, who stood in
the front door Of his residence. scarce
~ two minutes before the fatal shot
was fired. Al that time Russell Walk
or is said to have been the only per-
son on the second floor of the house
Turner had not walked block when
he heard the shot. He testified that
Russell had endeavored to borrow the
pistol in the name of his father but
that Armistead Walker had told him
ne had not sent for the weapon He
asked TO keep ii for the night. though
and this was agreed to. The witness
testified that Russell had told him he
L.. Il Il. +
tho Christmas holidays, following
quarrel between them.
Polly Payne testified that Russell
Walker ran downstairs to his mother
after the shot had been fred. and told
her he had got him" This was taken
TO mean the burglar who was said TO
have been on the roof earlier in the
evening. and for whom the men had
searched She told of the three of
them proceeding to the second story
and the discovery TINT Armiste cad
Walker had been killed
son SAID HE WAS
"TIRED OF BEING JAWED AT"
Albert Tribbett said he had heard
the son state "he was going to kill y
man and leave town" William Jones
testified that the son had made SINH
lar remark to him, and several other
negroes few weeks ago while drink
ing. and that the son had added .Hc
W do u 'u VI pep?l" JaWinS al him abOut
not working"
Dorsey Bragg strengthened this line
OF evidence when he testified that
Armstcad Walker had complained tn !
him about two months ago of being
driven from home by the son. who was
armed with knife. The father told
Bragg at that time. it was testified.
that he had protested against his SONS
drinking and refusing TO work. and
had told Maggie Walker that either
Russell or himself must leave the house
unless the situation was improved
Maggie had retaliated by saying she
was owner of the house, and that the
father would he the one to leave If
either did. This testimony was denied
by Maggie Walker, who maintained she
had never heard of any such supposed
occurrence before.
CIRCUMSTANCES POINT TO
MURDER WILTSHIRE TIsSTIFIES /
Detective Wiltshire stated he had no
eyewitncsses to the killing, but that
the circumstances led him TO believe |
1T one of murder. The detective testi- |
fed that he had heard n woman say
the father and son had been fighting
during the earlier part OF the day on
which the shooting occurred. Hei
thought the statements of Russell and
VIRGINIA BEACH.
Two fast steel trains with Pullman