Robert Jones
Robert Jones was convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed in the electric chair at the State penitentiary, in Richmond, for the murder of policeman Meredith A. Thomas on April 12, 1917.
On the night of April 12, 1917, policeman Thomas had been detailed by Charlottesville Chief-of-Police Z. L. Damron to watch the warehouse following a rash of thefts from the area.[1] The killing of Mr. Thomas was the final of a series of thefts which had been going on in the wholesale section for many weeks, the warehouse of W. J. Parr & Co. having been heavy losers of provisions from this cause.[2]
According to local newspaper accounts, Officer Thomas confronted a man whom he caught stealing hams from a warehouse. A struggled ensued, during which the second suspect struck Thomas in the head with a brick from behind. The second suspect then took Policeman Thomas' revolver and shot him in the abdomen.[3] Both men were apprehended a short time later and charged with his murder. Robert Jones and Hamilton Cosby were both convicted, sentenced to death, and subsequently executed in the electric chair in the early morning of June 20, 1917 at the State penitentiary, in Richmond.[4]
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References
- ↑ https://www.odmp.org/officer/20397-extra-policeman-meredith-a-thomas
- ↑ Print: Sub Policeman is Murdered, Staff Reports, Daily Progress, Lindsay family April 13, 1917, Page 1.
- ↑ https://search.lib.virginia.edu/catalog/uva-lib:2109833/view#openLayer/uva-lib:2109834/5321/1346.5/3/1/0
- ↑ https://search.lib.virginia.edu/catalog/uva-lib:2110265/view#openLayer/uva-lib:2110266/5287/5258.5/3/1/0