Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1928-06-09

Especial by John Mitchell, Jr.l
Eddie Wright was in the Police
Court, Thursday, May 31st, 1928,
charged with unlawfully and felon-
iously shooting with a shotgun
James Valentine and Phyllis
Roberts. The witnesses were c. E.
Parker, |. G.. Cousins, B. c. Leber,
F. H. Kemmerer, C. C. Addiction,
William Schools, Edward Dennis,
PHYLLIS Roberts and James Valen-
tine. Later this charge was changed
to first degree murder, after the
death of James Valentine. The
following will explain itself:
Testimony Before conorner.
On last Wednesday visit was
made to the city Jail. Eddie Wright
came to the barred enclosure and
made the following statement: l
bought a pint of whiskey from a
boy named Whit, who was selling
for Jake Robinson. / told him l
would pay him Thursday, that day
being Wednesday. He went and
got Jake Robinson. Jake came back
and told me to pay him S1.00 for
the pint. l told him / would pay
him Thursday. He took me out
and under a pistol, which ne held,
ne had the boy beat me.
Got a Gun. '.-.
I went home and got gun and
came back. Jake and his wife were
sitting on the porch. She said,
yonder he comes. He pulled out a
pistol. She jumped up and I fired,
some of the load striking her. Jake
went through the front door and
came out the back way with pistol
in his hand. / shot at him again.
AS shot, the boy came out from
behind the house behind him and
being taller than Jake, he caught
the load right in his neck.
Wife and Children.
| have a wife and two children
and am employed by Mr.. E. o. LEM
at the club. This ended the inter-
view. Wright is entered up as be-
ing 35 years of age. The boy shot
had nothing whatever to do with
the affair.
Coroner James NJ. Whitfield held
an inquest June End, in the City
Hall, over the body of James
Valentine.
Jake Roberts said, 81 live at 902
N. Thirty-frst Street, in this city.
James Valentine was shot by Eddie
Wright on May 80, 1928, about 5
P. NJ, at 9O2 N. Thirty-tirst Street.
He was shot with a shotgun. Eddie
Wright came to my house and asked
change for dollar. gave him
two so cent pieces, and ne jumped
in his automobile and drove away
without giving me the dollar bill he
had in his hand. Later on in the
afternoon ] saw him with four of
his friends at Thirty-second and =
Streets. | asked him for my money
and he refused and said he would
not give me anything.
81 hit him and he threw the
money toward me and said, There
Is Lne money, dS AC ASli' <AS AS
was getting up, he put his right
hand under his coat. l thought he
was going to draw a pistol and his
four friends started toward me. l
pulled out my pistol. His friends
went back to the automobile and
Wright got up, did not pull out his
pistol and went to the automobile.
"He said, Never mind, viii get
YOU, and the friends said, That's
damn right, We'll get YOU They
drove away. Wright and his friends
and l went home. Whit Tersy,
James Valentine, Phyllis (my wife)
and T were sitting on the front
porch, ] went back into the kitchen
and while in there heard shot.
heard my wife scream and run next
door to my mothers house, and
heard second shot. When ! came
out of her house, Eddie Wright shot
at me. My wife was shot and told
me that Health" shot her. This
is Eddie Wright's nickname. May
Roberts told me that they had shot
James Valentine"
Whit Terry said, II live at 1919
North Thirty-frst Street. Health