Annie May Barnes Charged with Murder After Will Daniels Dies, Jan. 22,1924

Negress Arrested on Murder Charge. . . Annie May Barnes, Charged with the Murder of Will Daniels, Arrested Today; Shooting Occurred Early in December; Daniel Died in Local Hospital Last Week

Annie May Barnes, colored, was arrested by Officer Smiley and lodged in the jail this afternoon on a charge of murder.

Early in December Annie and Will Daniels, colored, had a fuss in her house on Young’s line, near Wilson. Annie shot Daniels in the knee with a shotgun. Daniels died in a local hospital last week from the effects of the wounds.

The local police investigated the shooting at the time it occurred, but Annie claimed it was accidental and the charge against her was dismissed at the time. Later a negress, whose name is unknown, contended the heard the quarrel and the shooting, and the police attempted to find Annie at the time, but she had disappeared.

The local police have kept a close lookout for her, and as soon as she returned to former home Officer Smiley placed her under arrest. An attempt is being made to locate the negress, who will be held as a material witness in the case. The date for the preliminary hearing has not yet been set.

From the front page of the Wilson Times, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 1924