The Washington times., 1922-07-29
DETECTIVES.
. HEtDFORRA|L
STRIKE KILLING
Baldwin-FsIts Theory Of SIay-
Ing Is Secuted by
jury
By A. CLOYD GILL,
fstaff Correspondent,)

RICHMOND, Va, July 29.--I
Sustaining, in effect, charges Of
striking railroad employees Of the
Norfolk and Western railway that
two citizens of Crewe station had
been "shot down like dogs" a
coroner's jury early yesterday
rendered a verdict that the
shooting of e. R. Widgins was
mot accidental"
VIII Ask Indictment.
The Baldwin Felts Detective
Agency, which handles detective
work for the Norfolk & Western.
claimed that the killing of widgins
and wounding Of George Marsh by
one OF their operatives was an acci-
dent; that w. II. Bell, the detective
In question. was cleaning his rifle
when It accidentally discharged.
Commonwealth Attorney Henry
Lee, of Nottoway county, will imne.
diateiy ask the grand jury to indict
Bell for murder.
Bell is now in the county jail In
this city, where he was brought fol.
lowing the killing. Feeling was run
ming high at the time and his removal
here was urged to remove any cause
for possible violence.
w. G. Baldwin, head Of the Norfolk
a NNlA
this writer in Roanoke, a few hours
after the killing. that the killing
was purely accidental"
Calls II Accident.
II was pointed out by Mr.. Baldwin
that Bell was at the Y. M. c. A. at the
time Of the shooting. The Y. NJ. c.
A. is 500 yards from where Widgins
was standing. The man had gone TO
meet the train along with about
seventy-five others, some Of them
strikers and some Of them private
citizens. Widgins planned to con.
tinue from the depot to his work.
Examination of all revolvers car
risd by Baldwin.Felts men showed
that none Of them had been dis
charged. Mr.. Baldwin said. Ten min.
utes after the shooting, the Baldwin
manager At Crewe, Richardson by
name. found Bell still at work on his
rife. Bell admitted that his rifle had
discharged. but said he knew nothing
about anyone being shot.
Mr.. Baldwin told this writer that
he had fifteen guards at Crewe. A
report from that point today states
there were forty-five guards on duty
At that time.
The report made to the Baldwin
agency was that the source of the
bullet had been traced after II was
found lodged in a box car. The re-
port was that 1t was a rifle bullet.
The coroner's jury reports that 1t
may have been a pistol bullet.
Jury's Verdict.
The verdict OF the jury follows:
An inquest taken at the dwelling
of E. r. Widgins. in the town Of
Crewe. Va, on the thirteenth day
Of July 1922, adjourned over from
time to time until the twenty
seventh day Of July, 1922, before
w. g. Kincheloe, a justice of the
peace. and as such, a coroner Of
the said county Of Nottaway, upon
viewing the body Of the said E. r.
Widgins, there lying dead:
Inc Jurors, sWoru 10 inquire
when. how and to what means the
said z. r. Widgins came to his
death. upon their oath do say:
THAT he was killed by w. II. Bell
on the night of Tuesday, July II,
and he was shot and killed by the
said Bell with a pistol or rifle, and
from a thorough investigation Of
the case and the examination OF
witnesses whose testimony Is here
with attached, we do not think the
shooting was accidental or that
the shot was fired from the spot
indicated by Bell"
The verdict is signed by w. s.
Kincheloe. c. F. Jenkins, A. II.
Klocke, r. II. Tunstall, F. w.
Sheffield, J. II. Young and ]. NJ.
Jones.