Richmond planet., 1928-08-04
Pleaded GljItv---T Throws Self on Mercy Of Court
JUDGE Julien Gum No Motive Shown for the Crime
7rad Trial

l arrested Sylvester at the corner
shortly afterwards. He said Mrs.
Haskins had fused with him about
meat and about his not paying bill
and ne thought of it that night and
something told him, kill her. He got
the gun that morning and when she
came down he shot her.
Shot Boy, Too.
Then when the boy came down
he shot him. He looked up and saw
Mr.. Grimmell at the top of the steps
and he shot at him. He then went
into the house, got his clothes, got
on a horse, rode away, tied the horse
in the woods, got on street car and
came to Richmond"
Mrs. Groves testified that she went
to the house and found everything
pulled to pieces. She told about the
paper in the furnace room and about
the matches, which under a cross-eX-
animation by Attorney Moss, she ad-
mitted to be safety matches, which
would not light without the box.
Officers Testify.
Dewey Lambert testified, also OF
ticer T. P. Bowis, He-went to the
Grimmell home. Mr.. Blankenshlp
said that Sylvester Medley would not
talk. He said that he had made a
statement to Mr.. Cousins. He
couldn't tell why he did it. County
Officer J. w. Shepherd testified
Gray Yancey was getting ready to
90 to work, when he heard the shoot
inc. At this point, the Common
wealth rested, but shortly afterwards
resumed to put Mr.. Phillips, proba-
ton officer of the Richmond Juvenile
Court, on the stand. He had Syl-
vester Medley in charge at the time
of the murder.
, On Probation.
Sylvester was out on probation, IN
the employ of Mr.. Henry F. Grim
nell and Mrs. Haskins. He had been
turned over to his department as a
delinquent and an incorrigible. lie
was received April 20, 1924, and his
age then was stated to be thirteen
years. He was beyond control and
had stolen an automobile. He was
turned over to the Virginia Manual
Training School, May 5, 1927. On
June IA, 1927, he was charged by
D. W. Duling as delinquent in that
he stored liquor at 112 N. Seven
teenth Street. Charge July IL,
1927, continued until July 19, 1927:
Paroled to be placed in the home OF
Mrs. Haskins, at Dumbarton. Va, be-
ing placed there by Mr.. Boiling,
He was entered up as being born
September 12, 1911, ward OF the
Manual Labor School, examined June
22, 1927, Children's Memorial Clinic,
sixteen years of age and with the
mind of child ten years and two
months of age. He was rated at %,
in the border line group. Queen
Watkins, mother of Sylvester Wat
kins, took the stand and produced
the family Bible. 1t showed that
Sylvester was born March 20, 1911 l..
There were some erasures, which she
swore were made at the time she
wrote the date of birth in the Bible.
Cross-examination by the Common
wealth's Attorney and Judge Julien
Gum did not materially shake her
statement.
Loved Women.
She left Monroe in 1912. Her
husbands name was Walter Medley.
He did not leave her. She left him.
When closely questioned she said she
left him because he loved other
women too well. She told of her
troubles with her son, due to the
fact that people she paid to look
after him failed to do so. She told
between sobs of her labor in service
places in order to get food for her
self and child. She broke down COM
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