The Washington herald., 1918-08-13
ALEXANDRIA,
THE HERALD BUREAU,
A s. Douiphan.
~ ki-g Street

Alexandria, Va. Aug. IA commit
tee OF auenists which today Inquired
into the sanity Of James Davis. COL
ored. indicted for shooting and kill
ing j. G. Shelhorse, a state prohibi-
ton Inspector, which occurred June Is,
in the Corporation Court this after
noon reported Davis as being sane and
the accused will be placed on trial for
his life at 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
ing in the Corporation Court. Judge
L. c. Barley presiding.
The commission which inquired into
Davis sanity was composed of DR..
j. S. de Jarnette. Superintendent OF
the Western State Hospital. Staunton.
Va. and DR.. Walter a. Warfield, phy-
sician to the prisoners st the city jail.
who has had opportunity to observe
Davis since his Incarceration.
Among the witnesses 10 testify be-
fore the commission was DR.. John 4.
Lind. physician at St. Elizabeth's
Asylum. Washington. where Davis
WAS at one time patient
The accused was closely examined
by the commission also.
The commission brought in its
report at 4:3O O'Clock. Judge Louis
c. Barley directed that the sixteen
II OAA " AADAAA
a jury OF twelve will be selected,
report at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning.
Rev. J. Sidney Peters. State pro-
hibition commissioner. is here to
attend the trial and at the sugges-
tion Of Commonwealth's attorney,
s. @. Brent. Assistant Attorney
General J. d. Hank, jr., of Rich
IL 20 afRN sy, he
ecution of the case. The defense
will be conducted by Attorney
Robinson Moncure.
About fifteen witnesses have been
summoned. among whom are sew
eral non-residents. II is thought
that the case will occupy at least
two days.
1t is understood that self-defense
will be the plea of the accused man.
who will be placed on the witness
stand in his own defense.
The sixteen veniremen summoned
are as follows: Sllas Devers. Jo-
seph H. West. william Campbell.
Walter NJ Beach, Samuel NJ. Pull
man. James Smythe, Smith Will
liams. John D. Normoyle, Charles
T. Blunt. Arthur Herbert. r., Will
liam Hinken. Virgil T. Balm. Elmer
l. Alexander. Alexander X. Strait
ton, Charles E Dare. John d.
Brown.
Shelhorse was shot the night OF
June 2s while aboard a southbound
steam train. when he endeavored TO
assist in the arrest of Davis. whom
two other inspectors had just tackl-
ed. shelhorse died several hours
afterwards at the Alexandria Hos
pitaI.
Following the shooting Davis
jumped from the train and was cap
tured after a brief chase. When
taken in custody he had sl.2s4.72 in
his possession. He said he earned
this as a result OF working as a
laborer.
Profiteering in renting rooms and
also in renting houses in this city
which It is claimed has been worked
by many tenants and landlords on
employees of the plant OF the vir-
ginia Shipbuilding Corporation here.
may soon be brought to halt
through the efforts OF William II.
Rupp. OF the welfare department of
that concern. Mr.. Rupp has already
taken the matter up with the Emer-
gency Fleet Corporation and unless
rooms can be obtained at a reason
able rental they will be comman-
deered and taken over by the Ship
ping Board and rented at a reason
able rental for the period OF the
war. 1t is also proposed to COM
mandeer all such houses during the
period OF the war. Already they
have taken over the armory on
South Royal street and in a few
days they will take over several un-
occupied houses.
Mr.. Rupp says information has