Evening star., 1920-05-25
SLAYER SPEEDED
| TOWARD RICHMOND
William H. Turner Escapes
Wou|d-Be Lynchers Visiting
Fort Myer Heights Jail.

W0uId-Be LyncherS Visiting
Fort Myer Heights Jail.
William H. Turner. colored. known
| to his companions as Capt" Turner.
confessed slayer of Thomas Morgan
Moore and assailant of Miss Pearl
Clarke on the road a short distance
! from the south end of Highway bridge
late Saturday night. this afternoon is
said to be speeding to Richmond in
an automobile in custody of officers.
He left Leesburg. Va, where he spent
the night in jail for safekeeping.
about II o'clock this morning. Mayor
Lowenbach of Leesburg and Sheriff
T. w Edwards of Loudoun county and
a deputy accompanied the prisoner
on today's journey.
Orfy his absence from the county
jail at Fort Myer Heights last night
prevented his lynching. it being ad-
mitted by county officials that his
have meant coroner's inquest and
burial. possibly in the Jail yard. to-
day. Two bands of would-be lynch
ers visited the Jail last night. only to
learn that the quarry had been spir-
tied away.
Removal Decided Upon.
Fearing an attempt would be made
to take the prisoner from jail last
night Commonwealth Attorney Frank
Ball Sheriff A. c. Clements and other
county officials held a conference in
the courthouse shortly before 2
o'clock and decided to ask his removal
to another county. An attempt to
take him direct to Richmond was be-
lleved dangerous. it being feared that
he would be attacked on train in
Alexandria, and 1t was decided to
take him to Leesburg.
Sheriff Clements. Deputy Sheriff
George Marcy and Special oncer
burg in an automobile. while Com
monwealth Attorney Ball and County
Engineer Garrett went to the scene
OF the crime to determine IL the MUIR
der and assault were committed on
federal or state territory. 1t required
county engineer to determine both
crimes were committed on federal
territory, which meant that the
prisoner would be tried in a federal
court.
1t was on a document bearing the
signature of Judge Samuel G. Brent
OF the circuit court of Alexandra
county that Turner was taken to the
prison in Leesburg for the night. Tur-
ner's arrival in Leesburg was unan-
nounced, and it was not until after
he was taken away in an automobile
this morning that residents of the
Loudoun county town knew he had
been there.
Mob Members Not Identified.
So far as county authorities have
been advised, 1t is stated. identity
of the members Of the two mobs that
appeared at the Jail last night has not
been established. Only two Of the
2. o. Kines thinks many persons In
the crowd were simply those who had
followed the motorists to have their
curiosity satisfied.
Less than ffty men made up the
nrst party: They. appeared at the
made a demand for the prisoner. and
were not willing to believe the jailer's
statement that Turner was not In the
prison.
: 1--WE are from Missouri and have to
be shown" a member Of the party IL
said to have remarked.
Jailer Kines deemed it advisable to
permit the would-be lynchers an op-
portunity to examine the structure
and see for themselves Six man and
two woman prisoners watched the
movements Of those who entered.
due to the excitement. might result.
but the prisoners were not molested.
AS a, precautionary matter, It 10
stated. a member OF tho party sew
cred the telephone wire leading to
the jailer's house. the callers prob
sent to Fort Myer would bring SOL
dfers in time to foil their attempt to
get the slayer. Satisfied that the
prisoner had been spirited away. the
men rode away. going in the direction
Of Alexandria, from where, 1t Is be-
lieved. many Of them had come. One
of them repaired the damaged tele-
nhppa yvtrQ hofNpA wing
Not moro than thirty minutes
after the disappearance from the
county Jail Of the party of motorists a
second party appeared, and Jailer
Kines once more had to 60 through
the formality Of satisfying his callers
wanted to take. was not there.
Hiram Smith. United States attor-
ney for the eastern district Of Vir-
ginia, resident of Richmond. today
formally took charge Of the case. 1t
is probable that he will call the case
jury in Alexandria about July / and
will ask Judge Edmund Waddill to
set 1t for trial as early in the July
term as practicable. Only two ses.
sions Of the court are held each year,
and court onhcials say they can imag-
be tried at the approaching term.
Turner Now at Winchester.
WINCHESTER, Va. May 25.-wil-
liam H. Turner. the negro who is
charged with having killed Thomas
Morgan Moore of Alexandria. Va.
and attempting to assault Miss Pearl
Clark. Mr.. Moore's f1ancee, near WASH
ington last Saturday night, was
brought here today for safekeeping.
The negro was in charge Of Sheriff
Edwards of Loudoun county, who re-
popfad that rpnh foryp od ot
last night to lynch the prisoner after
he had been taken there from Alexan.
dria.