Wilmington Morning News leath004.doc

Tuesday, June 14, 1904 10/20/98

Page 2

Special to "The Morning News."

Dover, Del., June 13. - Sheriff Riley Melvin went to Smyrna to-day with Edward Brown, the Clayton negro who is charged with the murder of James Lethrum, a farmer of near Dulaney’s, to be present at the coroner’s inquest. Coroner Abbott had secured a jury with Rev. Albert Chandler foreman, and Wilmer Porter secretary. The verdict was that Lethrum came to this death from a blow on the head with a pitch fork, in the hands of Edward Brown.

Brown, who since his arrest manifested the greatest concern lest he would be lynched by the white men of that vicinity, was still in terror until he was again placed in the jail this afternoon. After leaving Smyrna this afternoon, en route for Clayton, where it was necessary to change cars for Dover, Brown begged the sheriff to protect him in case there was a crowd at the Clayton station.

The prisoner was given a preliminary hearing before magistrate Cummins at Smyrna, and committed without bail for court.

The murder was the result of a quarrel between a number of men gathered in the yard of the Bingham House, at Clayton, on Saturday night. Lethrum joined the group of white and black men, and, according to Brown, used abusive language toward him. This Brown resented, and when, as he alleges, Lethrum approached him with a knife, Brown raised the pitchfork, with which he was throwing down hay, and struck the white man a blow on the head. He protests his intention of killing the man, but merely struck him in self-defense.

The murder has aroused considerable interest throughout this section because of the numerous similar crimes which have been committed.