Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1928-07-07

"
to town on a street car and went
went to work, l did not tell anybody
what | had done. | stopped work
at about II o'clock Saturday night.
"That night l rented room on
18th Street, where l spent the night.
The father of the man l worked for
that day, William H. Davis, Jr., lived
in the same house."
Medley then was asked if ne had
any motive for the shooting. His
story concerning this point follows:
Flashes Across Mind
81 don't know. 1t just flashed
across my mind to shoot when Mrs.
Haskins came downstairs. did not
hear them getting out of bed.
"The older folks were all the time
after me about something. ! could
never have any peace around them.
1t was first one thing and then an
other, and I just got tired Of it.. l
wanted to get work somewhere else'
and several times / left them.
Every time I left them they came
and got me and there was no
way Of getting away from them.
was only making SIS working for
them. What's SIS? That wasn't
enough, and / couldn't get away to
make more. I didn't know how to
get away; they wouldn't let me go"
Medley slept in servants quarters
ON the Haskins' place. The police said
that, usually, he was called by some
one at the house in the morning.
But Friday morning, he had gone to
the house before being called and
before members Of the household had
arisen. II
Medley was born at Monroe, N. c..
He came to Richmond with his
mother when he was years old and
has lived at the Mosby street ad-
dress since.
The police said Medley has been
arrested before on liquor charges. I
The man, whose name is not
known, who drove up to the house
as Medley was leaving, spread the
alarm of the shooting to the police.
After finding the wounded people. ne
drove to the Second Police Station,
and police soon followed him to the
scene.
With the aid of neighbors, the
wounded were taken to the hospital:
Samuel E. Grimmell, 16-year-old
John Marshall High School student,
died a short time after reaching
Johnston Willis hospital, where ne
was rushed after the fatal shooting.
His mother, Mrs. Nellie L. Haskins,
is in the hospital shot through the
stomach and expected to die. while
Henry H. Grimmell, 60, retired Rich
mond plumber, is in a serious con-
dition. ;, :,
Armed with riot guns and aided
by bloodhounds, police of Richmond
and Henrico county are searching
for the assailant, Sylvester Medley,
10, formerly of Mosby street. The
Negro. when last seen, was headed
for Richmond on a horse he had
taken from the Grimmell stable. He
had been employed for the past two
years by Grimmell.
Sheriffs of all adjoining counties,
the chiefs of police of all nearby cit
ties and towns. and railr"ad dNtec-
tives Of all surrounding lines have
been notified and are aiding in the
man hunt according to T. Wis n
Seay. sheriff # Fear;co.
Medley is described as beiN~ rA"v
black. 5 feet. s. inchas tai and weigh
ing about 40 pounds. He has -wo
front teeth r'issinr and was wear
ing blue shirt, light pants aid
blue cap.
Mr.. .Grimmell said: =
"Mrs. Haskins- went downstafrs to
open up the house at about a quarter
to 6. When, she went cut on the
porch. the Negre'-fired at her with, a.
double : barreled s h 0 tg u H., She
screamed and Samuel, the boystwho IS
her son, ran down to help her. The
Il but on my artificial leg to go
down to see what the trouble was.
ann a cripple. When reached the
head of the stairs to 60 down, L seen
him standing there with the gun
through the screen door. When !
started down the steps, he opened
the door and fired at me.
Gle hit me in the right side. l
fired at him. I don't know whether
/ hit him. / crawled up the steps
and got to my room. ] fired my pis-
toll out Of the window to get the
neighbors' attention. When they
came I asked them to telephone to
Richmond for the officers and the
ambulance. The police came prompt
ly.
"They took Mrs. Haskins and the
boy to the hospital in the ambu-
lance. I came after in car. The
Negroes name is Sylvester, about 1S
or Is years old. I can't give any
reason at all for what he did. No
words passed. he must have been
crazy.
BE seemed all right last night. He
must, have come in the house, got the
doubIe-barrel shotgun and . box OF
cartridges and laid in wait for US.
He Had been employed on the place
about two years" .,sg.. .
The Negro was calm after his AZ
rest and not reluctant to talk. Yet,
he told varying stories as to the