The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-12-23
METTS ACQUITTED
OF MURDER
RAILROAD DETECTIVE CLEARED ON THE
CHARGE OF KILLING DOFFLEMYER, OF
LURAY, VA.

Jerry II. Metts, Baidwin-Felts rail
road detective, was acquitted Tues
4 day afternoon when tried before oui
/ Court. on a charge OF killing on Oeto
/ Der IL William Dolllemyer, a Luray
4 tVa.) youth who was shot To death In
the yards OF the Norfolk and Western
Railroad near Hagerstown.
Judges Moss and Forsythe, who sal
without jury brought in the verdict
lwitnin few minutes after both sides
had submitted their cases without a.,
sument the trial began at 10 O'Clock
this morning and was conducted az
expeditiously as possible
me case was removed here for trial
after a demonstration az sitting q
the coroner's jury at Hagerstown aey-
cral detectives were scattered
through the crowd OF 250 persons who
attended the trial. but there we're
no signs Of disorder Judge Moss
before giving the verdict, warned
against any demonstration in connec-
ton with II.
In rendering the decision Judge
Moss called attention 10 the hazards
connected with police work and said
that certain amount Of discretion
must be allowed 60 the oiiicer as to
wnen his own life Is endangered by
those whom he seeks to arrest White
expressing regret Tor the tragedy, he
said he could not but feel that there
must nave becn something more be
hind the occurrence than had been
toid bY the companions Of young Dot.
fiemyer. otherwise he said. they GER
tainly wouid have gone 10 some nf the
many friends they said they had iu
iIagerstown and told them Of thr
shooting
The States case received q body
blow when William a. schaoncr !.
fiagman. called by the prose sutton
testified that Mctts had told him b.
had seen three men lurking IN the
yard and would signal 10 him 10 alop
the outgoing freight train IN the even,
that the treHpussers tried TO board 1t
walter Ramey and Julian Level. iNc
victims companions, had previously
testified that they hHd not left then
place OF cCnceniment IN the field near
by until the train had started 90 pui.
out Of the yard. The youths testified
that theY had lett Luray 10 30 20 the
flageTstown Fair. admitting that they
had stolen ride on q freight car - dI
SO and had planned to return the Same
way They said they had hidden In the
icornfeld awaiting the departure Of q
southbound freight Not until the
freight was under way, they said. bad
they gone on the railroad right oi
way.
I Metts testified that he had seen The
youths walking around line ol
freight cars loaded With mcrch indSg
and had watched them for some time
to see II they intended trying 10 opeu
any Of the cars lie said DE then az.
ranged his signal with the hagmau
and AS the freight pulled out boarded
+ II. believing the youths were trying q
do the same, When the car ON which
he was riding came opposite the tri'
Metts said he jumped on and asked
them what they were doing
MetbI asserted. however. that when
+ Is, accvstoG th boys tho did EUi au
swer him. but one OF them aimed q
blow at him which he lodged Thl-
. dr. ADlloA tAAt tAA nNAAH " 8hA NN tAHAf
and an admonition hv one OF tht
Z youths to XIII him before he could
get his gun shot followed he said
which wounded Metts IN the left hand
whereupon. he said. he drew his owl
weapon and fired, though he vas moi
able TO aim because one of the grouI
had seized his wrist
Testimony was adduced 10 prove
that Dofflemyer could have run from
the scene Of the alleged scuffle 10 ia,
point where be dropped despite 81,
fact that he had a bullet through his
heart.
The youths also admitted havln.
been secretive as to the entire occur
renee until they had reached hemc
saying they feared arrest 1hy DE-
MED however, that any OF the trit
had a pistol
II was brought out that Metts wa
formerly employed as a raiding agen
by the Federal Government and dur
ing his service had been wounded
number OF times. He admitted that b.
was under indictment at present il
Virginia for having given away liquo
which had been taken by the Govern
ment.
Hiram Doitlemyer father Of the viz
tim Of the shooting, broke down twice
sobbing loudly MS the court ytewe'
the clothes the youth had worn whel
shot.
The defense was represented b
Henry s. Keedy, Of Hagerstowp; !
Neal Parke, Of Westminster. and VII
, liam Y. Keyser OF Luray, Va; State
ATTORNEY d. Angle Wolfinger OF Wash
lngton county and Theodore Brown, o
: Carroll county, conducted the prose
eution,
SOME HOG go POT NDS
On December a. a butchering too