York, Pa., Mayor Surrenders on Murder Charges
Y O R K, Pa., May 17 -- Mayor Charlie Robertson surrendered today oncharges of murder in the 1969 shooting death of a black womanduring race riots.
An affidavit quotes a co-defendant as sayingRobertson gave him the ammunition used to shoot at her and told him tokill blacks.
Reporters and photographers swarmed around Robertson as hearrived at the office of District Justice Barbara Nixon for hisarraignment.
The arraignment proceeding was brief, and Nixon set May 25 as atentative date for Robertson's preliminary hearing. He was taken tothe York County Courthouse for an expected bail hearing.
‘Gave Ammunition, Told Them to Kill’
An affidavit was filed in conjunction with the mayor'sarraignment. In it, Rick Lynn Knouse, one of five other men chargedin the case, told a grand jury that Robertson, a city policeman atthe time, gave him ammunition for his 30.06 hunting rifle andinstructed him to "kill as many niggers as you can."
Knouse said he used the ammunition that Robertson provided tofire on the car in which the black victim, Lillie Belle Allen, wasriding when she was killed, according to the affidavit.
Robertson, accompanied by his lawyer Richard Oare and cityPolice Commissioner Herbert Groscsik, said as he arrived at Nixon'soffice that he "absolutely" maintains his innocence. He hasadmitted in the past only that he said "white power" during theriots.
Robertson Had Just Won Primary
Just Tuesday, the two-term mayor defeated City Councilman RayCrenshaw, the first black to run for mayor in city history, in aclose Democratic primary.
Prosecutor Tom Kelley had declined to comment Wednesday onRobertson's statement that he expected to be charged, citing a gagorder. Robertson's attorney has said the mayor is being politicallytargeted.
Robertson has faced speculation about his involvement in theJuly 21, 1969, shooting death of Allen since the first of fiveother defendants in the case were arrested last month.
Allen was one of two people killed during the riots. No chargeshad been filed in either case until last month.
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