Richmond planet., 1928-07-07
Sylvester Medley Faces Electric chair-Reieved Crazy
Plea Will Be the Description Of the Tr

Especial by John Mitchell, Jr.)
The following statement published
in the Richmond, Va, Times-Dispatch
of July 2, 1928, attracted my at
tention and caused me to seek an
interview with the we'll known fish
merchant, William H. Davis, Jr., who
is now doing business under the name
of the American Fish Company:
After thirty hours search by Hen
rico County and city police, aided by
an armed force of several hundred
citizens, Sylvester Medley, 17-year-
old Negro killer of one and assailant
of three others here Saturday, was
captured yesterday in the 34OO block
East Marshall Street, by Sergeant
l. G. Cousins of the Detective Bu-
reau.
The Negro confessed, police said,
to killing Samuel E. Grimmell, l6,
h Iohn Marshall High School student,
and shooting the boys mother, Mrs.
Nellie l.. Haskins; his adaptive
father, Henry H. Grimmell go, and
firing at Miss Evelyn Haskins, rs.
Arrest Is Spectacular
The arrest was spectacular. Ser
geant Cousins was sitting on the
front porch of his home, at 3417 East
Marshall Street, with his wife. About
1890 an automobile occupied by two
Negro men turned into Marshall st.
from 34th st. The officer immedi-
ately recognized Medley. The officer
had arrested the Negro before on a
liquor charge.
Stepping from the porch, the off,
Ger stood on the sidewalk and as the
car drove up, leveled his pistol, or
dering the occupants to stop the car.
They complied. At first Medley de-
MED ne was the man wanted. Then
he admitted ne was the one who had
shot his employer and members OF
the Haskins family, at their home
on the Bethlehem Road, Henrico
County, shortly after 6 o'clock Sat-
urday morning.
Another Negro Released
Sergeant Cousins took the Negro
to Police Headquarters. Meanwhile,
the other occupant of the machine
who was said to be William H. Davis,
Negro, was allowed to go.
At Police Headquarters, it was
learned from the Negro that ne had
worked all day on Seventeenth St.
between Franklin and Grace Sts.
Just under the shadow Of First Po-
lice Station. Several times, the Ne
gro told his captOr, police officers
walked past him.
Did Not Know Name
found VIM. H. Davis, Jr,, We'd
nesday morning in his private office
and made known to him my mission
did YOU know Sylvester Medley
asked. II knew him, but not by mis-
name. He had worked for me about
two years ago as an extra hep
cleaning fish and helping arounc
here. On Saturday morning at about
II o'clock, ne came in here and salo
to me, I see you have changed the
name on the window to the Amerl'
can Fish Co. My business had beer
the Virginia Fish Co. He said that
ne wanted some work to do. l t0lc
him I had nothing for him to do. He
asked me to loan him couple OF dol
lars. told him l did not have any
money to lend him.
Must Have Work
"Then he said he had to have some
work. He finally insisted that lei
him work and pay him anything
saw fit. He would work for a dollar
So put him to work cleaning tisf
and helping around. Saturday night
/ paid him. He came back and said
that he was bound to have some
money. He had to have a room.
told him ne could get room for the
night anywhere for so cents. F!
nally | sent him up to ia n. lftf
Street to get a room. | had palc
off the other boy here and he tried tc
borrow some money from him. he
did not succeed in doing so. Their
he wanted the boy to go with hlm
but he would not do so. He, spent
the night in this house owned by my
father, but rented out for a restau'
rant and a lodging house. On Sun
day morning, he came over to m!
place. l had seen the report IN the
Times-Dispatch Sunday morning witt
a description of the man who hac
done the killing.
(Continued on page 4)