Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-07-24
SLAYER of Meredith
Surrenders at
Gainesville, Va.
Feared Mob Violence-Was Half Starved-rrlsoher
Brought Here and Later Taken to hicnmohd
To Be Tried In October at Manassas

Alvin W. Harris, colored, twenty
two wears old. wanted for the murder
Of Thomas S. Meredith, a justice OF
the peace of Gainesville, Prince Wll-
liam county, Va, which occurred on
Tuesday afternoon surrendered az an
early hour yesterday morning 70 Com
monwealth's Attorney Thomas II.
Lion. of Manassas, Prince William
county. and was brought to the Alex
andria city jail at 5 o'clock yesterday
morning and at 9:12 o'clock left Tor
Richmond in charge of Deputy Sheriff
.John ]. Kerlin. The negro Will De
! tried at the October term of the Prince
| William court.
According to Harris, who has heen
sought bv a posse ever since the muir
der. said he had been hiding IN the
woods around Gainesville ever since
the murder and on one occasion some
of his pursuers came upon hlm ana
asked him his name. Realizing they
failed to recognize him he gave the
name of Brooks and they passed him
up.
He determined that escape was next
20 impossible and he feared being torn
to pieces by mob and he was almost
starved out and he said he was anx-
ious to give up rather than be VIC
tim of mob violence. Consequently
he designated a colored man named
Norris to wait on Mr.. Lion and get
assurances from his that if ne gave
up he would not be molested by
mob. Mr.. Lion gave his promise and
later went alone to an orchard al
the place. The negro was the hrst
to emerge and he assured Mr.. Lion
he was unarmed and was ready TO be
arrested. Mr. Lion placed him IN an
automobile and several hours after
wards he was behind the bars.
The only statement the prisoner
made to Mr.. Lion was that he regret
ted he had not killed his wife and
father, according to Mr.. Lion. The
prisoner also asked that Mr.. Lion get
Thornton Davies, an attorney at Ma
nassas, to represent him.
q Harris was wringing wet and looked
like a man that had been overheard.
He also was about half starved and
as soon as he got into Alexandria he
was given a good feed at lunchroom
by Mr.. Lion and Mr.. Lion also allowed
him to change his trousers here, MIR.
Lion having secured pair belonging
to the prisoner at the latter's home sew
eral days ago.
Harris freely admitted the shooting
and said he fired three bullets at Mere
dith. Meredith he said came to the
home of his wife at Gainesville to
arrest him on complaint Of his wife.
He told Meredith he says that he was
unarmed and Meredith commanded
him to throw up his hands and in re-
ply he whipped out his pistol and fired
three times and fled. He said he
thought that Meredith was going to
kill him.
Only once did he receive a square
meal since the murder, and that was
at the home of an uncle at Gainesville,
he said. He had slept in the woods
ever since the shooting and lived in
fear of mob violence. Had not he
given up when he did he undoubtedly
would have been captured by mob
yesterday according to reports re-
ceived from Manassas. The authori-
ties report that at 2 o'clock yesterday
morning posse of more than 500 men
had planned to make search of the
surrounding county for the fugitive.
According to reports from Manassas
a number of relatives of Harris left
Gainesville for Washington because
Of the strong sentiment prevailing
against Harris Harris lives at Bris-
tow, six miles from Gainesville, and
has wife and one child.