A Colored Woman Murdered
April 27, 1907
Summary
A series of small groups of white people in Virginia have attacked black people at night. Ellen Elliot was killed and the killers were identified by a witness.
Transcription
A Colored Woman Murdered
A Square Deal For The Races
The Bloody Knife and the Deadly Pistol
Danville, Va., April 21, ‘07
Ellen Elliot, a colored woman, apparently about 28 or 30 years of age, was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked murder last night about 9:30 o’clock in Dundee, a suburb of the city on the Northside, and at an early hour this morning, Tom Walker, John Tolbar, Temple Young, Joe Baugh, Derby Weathford and Oscar Neatherly, young white boys, residing on Union Hill, near the scene of the crime and ranging in ages from 14 to 21 years, were lodged in jail as being suspected of having committed the murder. Besides these, four colored men were also locked up and held as witnesses in the case.
Story of the Crime
The killing of the Elliot woman is the culmination of a series of assaults of which the police have been trying to apprehend for some time. The section is a most disorderly one and is considered by the police as being a dangerous portion of the town for a pedestrian to pass through after dark. According to the statement of Tom Michael, a colored man, who was with the Elliot woman, when a crowd of six white boys attacked them, he together with the unfortunate colored woman was passing down the road leading from the Southern Railway roundhouse towards the Fall Creek Bridge.
Upon reaching a point about one hundred yards from the railroad, they were accosted by the white boys who began to curse and throw stones at them. Finally one of the six drew a revolver from his pocket and began shooting at the couple. The colored man turned and ran back towards the railroad with the woman following him. The boys started in pursuit.
They soon overtook the woman and one of them struck her a terrific blow across the right side of the head with a beer bottle felling her into the ground. They then jumped upon her and began to stamp and beat her. As a finale to their fiendish and brutal work, one of the gang drew from his pocket a long, keen knife with a blade several inches in length and plunged this twice into the woman's back. The gang then turned and ran towards Union Hill.
Police On The Case.
Chief of Police Morris was immediately notified and arrived on the scene just as the woman breathed her last. Sergeant Bell and Plainclothesman Hall, Officers Jeffress and Edwards were soon on the scene and immediately an investigation was begun. At first absolutely no clue could be found as to who had perpetrated the outrage. All of those who had seen it being colored and evidently afraid of the consequents should they give the names of guilty parties, denied positively, knowing the identity of the six white boys.
Three of the colored men who seemed to know most about the affair were arrested, and under the charge of Officer Edwards were brought to Jail. The officers suspected that they knew who had committed the crime and finally secured a clue that their suspicions were correct. Officers Brooks and Prescott were summoned to the assistance of the detail and a search of Union Hill was made. The result was that the six parties named above were found at their homes and taken into custody.
There was found at the home of one of the boys a revolver from which four shots had been fired, (this is the number said to have been fired by the gang) also a wicked-looking knife, corresponding to the description of the one used in the woman's murder.
Blood Upon Knife Blade.
The knife had blood upon the blade. The boys were closely questioned, and statements secured from them which the police officers believe make it nearly certain that they have the right parties.
Soon after the woman’s body was found, Justice of the Peace, W. A. Baugh, acting coroner, was summoned to the scene. City Physician Julian M. Robinson examined the body and declared that besides the blow upon the head there was one stab wound which would have produced death. This was where the woman in the lung.
The following coroner’s jury was empaneled: W. M. Nash, foreman: T. H. Cook, J. C. Womack, W. S. Pigg, W. G. Burnett, R. D. Rodenhizer. They viewed the remains, after which an adjournment was taken until 9 o’clock Monday morning. The remains were then removed to Holbrook and Cunningham’s undertaking establishment.
The work of the police department in this case deserves special commendation. Chief of Police Morris directed the efforts of his men along intelligent methods, which were most likely to bring results. He was ably assisted in Sergeant Hell and Plain clothesman Hall. The other officers connected with the case also discharged their duties well. In a word the case was admirably handled.
A Square Deal For The Races
The Bloody Knife and the Deadly Pistol
Danville, Va., April 21, ‘07
Ellen Elliot, a colored woman, apparently about 28 or 30 years of age, was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked murder last night about 9:30 o’clock in Dundee, a suburb of the city on the Northside, and at an early hour this morning, Tom Walker, John Tolbar, Temple Young, Joe Baugh, Derby Weathford and Oscar Neatherly, young white boys, residing on Union Hill, near the scene of the crime and ranging in ages from 14 to 21 years, were lodged in jail as being suspected of having committed the murder. Besides these, four colored men were also locked up and held as witnesses in the case.
Story of the Crime
The killing of the Elliot woman is the culmination of a series of assaults of which the police have been trying to apprehend for some time. The section is a most disorderly one and is considered by the police as being a dangerous portion of the town for a pedestrian to pass through after dark. According to the statement of Tom Michael, a colored man, who was with the Elliot woman, when a crowd of six white boys attacked them, he together with the unfortunate colored woman was passing down the road leading from the Southern Railway roundhouse towards the Fall Creek Bridge.
Upon reaching a point about one hundred yards from the railroad, they were accosted by the white boys who began to curse and throw stones at them. Finally one of the six drew a revolver from his pocket and began shooting at the couple. The colored man turned and ran back towards the railroad with the woman following him. The boys started in pursuit.
They soon overtook the woman and one of them struck her a terrific blow across the right side of the head with a beer bottle felling her into the ground. They then jumped upon her and began to stamp and beat her. As a finale to their fiendish and brutal work, one of the gang drew from his pocket a long, keen knife with a blade several inches in length and plunged this twice into the woman's back. The gang then turned and ran towards Union Hill.
Police On The Case.
Chief of Police Morris was immediately notified and arrived on the scene just as the woman breathed her last. Sergeant Bell and Plainclothesman Hall, Officers Jeffress and Edwards were soon on the scene and immediately an investigation was begun. At first absolutely no clue could be found as to who had perpetrated the outrage. All of those who had seen it being colored and evidently afraid of the consequents should they give the names of guilty parties, denied positively, knowing the identity of the six white boys.
Three of the colored men who seemed to know most about the affair were arrested, and under the charge of Officer Edwards were brought to Jail. The officers suspected that they knew who had committed the crime and finally secured a clue that their suspicions were correct. Officers Brooks and Prescott were summoned to the assistance of the detail and a search of Union Hill was made. The result was that the six parties named above were found at their homes and taken into custody.
There was found at the home of one of the boys a revolver from which four shots had been fired, (this is the number said to have been fired by the gang) also a wicked-looking knife, corresponding to the description of the one used in the woman's murder.
Blood Upon Knife Blade.
The knife had blood upon the blade. The boys were closely questioned, and statements secured from them which the police officers believe make it nearly certain that they have the right parties.
Soon after the woman’s body was found, Justice of the Peace, W. A. Baugh, acting coroner, was summoned to the scene. City Physician Julian M. Robinson examined the body and declared that besides the blow upon the head there was one stab wound which would have produced death. This was where the woman in the lung.
The following coroner’s jury was empaneled: W. M. Nash, foreman: T. H. Cook, J. C. Womack, W. S. Pigg, W. G. Burnett, R. D. Rodenhizer. They viewed the remains, after which an adjournment was taken until 9 o’clock Monday morning. The remains were then removed to Holbrook and Cunningham’s undertaking establishment.
The work of the police department in this case deserves special commendation. Chief of Police Morris directed the efforts of his men along intelligent methods, which were most likely to bring results. He was ably assisted in Sergeant Hell and Plain clothesman Hall. The other officers connected with the case also discharged their duties well. In a word the case was admirably handled.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Benton Camper
Citation
“A Colored Woman Murdered,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed December 7, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/486.