Coroner’s Jury
Completes Investigation of Lynching of Walter Tyler Last Week. . . Solicitor
Norris Performs Duty Well. . . Jury Finds “That Walter Tyler Came to His Death
From Hanging and Gun Shot Wounds at the Hand of Parties Unknown to Them”
The Coroner’s Jury, which was empaneled on Thursday of last
week at the request of Solicitor Norris, which action a special Statute makes
compulsory upon the part of the Solicitor, came to an end Wednesday afternoon
when the jury returned a verdict “That Walter Tyler came to his death on Aug.
20, 1919, from hanging and gunshot wounds at the hands of parties unknown to
the jury.” This was the culmination of three days setting and the examination
of about 50 witnesses, which produced evidence to show that there was hardly
any doubt as to Tyler’s guilt. Among the large number of witnesses examined was
three colored witnesses whose evidence was notable. Joe and Sallie Harris gave
valuable assistance in ferreting out the criminal in giving freely and
voluntarily evidence they had in regard to the movements of Tyler and also
rendered other assistance to the family and friends of Mr. Medlin that showed
they wanted the law to take its course and the guilty party punished. Also the
evidence of Shook Tyler, an uncle of the dead negro, who stated that during the
conversation at Hagwood’s Store the evening Tyler was arrested he told Tyler
that he had been talked to enough and if he had taken the advice of himself and
his father he would not be where he was. He told him good-bye and was satisfied
that from what he had heard the evidence that Tyler was guilty and should be
punished. It was for that reason they did not want his body.
There was no evidence developed that tended to show any
responsibility on anyone and the jury had no trouble coming to a verdict.
The evidence showed that Officer King in the discharge of
his duty as he saw it to be best, started to Louisburg to place his prisoner in
jail for safe keeping. He deputized sufficient force to accomplish the
objective under the circumstances, but just as they were reaching their
destination they encountered a car across the road and had to stop when they
were held up by masked men at the point of pistols and guns with a demand of
hands up, lights out, give us the d—m negro. The next thing the officer knew
was when the guns fired and he was allowed to move off with lights cut off. He came
on to Louisburg and made reports of what had happened and what he thought was
the results. Later a crowd from town went to the scene and found that Tyler had
been lynched and shot. The body was removed to New Hope church yard that night
and rehanged where it was found the next afternoon by the Coroner and
Solicitor, who immediately began the investigation, according to (??).
The officers stated they could not recognize any one on
account of masks and darkness and there was no evidence as to threats at
Hagwood’s store nor no one seen following the officers car.
Solicitor Norris performed his duties well in conducting a
strict examination of all witnesses he could secure but no light could be
thrown on the guilty parties.
Where there is a general regret that the law was not allowed
to take its course it is pretty generally agreed by both white and black that
Tyler got no more than he deserved. The attitude of the better class of negroes
in the matter is to be commended, practically all of whom are free to say that
a person committing such a heinous crime should not expect anything more than
Tyler got.
The jury who assisted the Coroner and the Solicitor in the
investigation was composed of Messrs. E.M. Wheeler, R.B. Roberts, Joe J. Young,
O.C. Hill, P.J. Brown, and A.U. Ashley.
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