Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1836-06-13
CRIMINAL TRIAL.
From the ". T. Star, june 3.
TRIAL OF RICHARD p. ROBINSON.

speculation, came on Yesterday, June md, before
Judge Edwards, in tho Cour, Of Oyer and Tcrmi-
nor, and the Court adjourned last evening nj half
past ninc having At the time only heard brief o.
pcning from Mr. Phenix, the Distric, Attorney,
and the testimony of Rosina Townsend, DR.. Ro-
gers, and one of the watchmcn.
Since April, when the murder was committed
the Press has tccmed with all the details 81 this
dire event, the arrest and examination of the accu-
sed, the evidence before the Coroncr's Jury, the
Police examination, &c. &c. &c, so that no part
OF the testimony thus far has developed any new
TACT, M gwen any new coloIing to the case. Ro-
sna Townsend, the keeper of the Thomas street
house, ~ al course, the principal witness. She j,
a ,hrcwd intelligent woman, apparently thirty wears
nj arc with clear full voice, un.mbarrasscd air
aud Il countcnancc agreeable without being hand
some. She was subjected ioa most close and rig
orous examination. The amoun, oi her testimony
briefly was, that Ellen Jcwc,, was a boarlrr in her
house, and that the Prisoner Robinson, gong I'M
der the assumed name of Frank Rivers was in the
habit ol visiting her, together with another person
named Bill Easy. That Frank Rivers being IA
vorl,c, Ellen Jemcu requested Mrs. Townsend moi
10 admit bill Easy that Saturday evening should he
call, but il Frank Rivers inquired for her To admit
him. About nine o'clock knock was heard nj
the door, and she demanded " who there" the
answer was " wish to sec Miss Jcwcit." She
repeated the demand and the same answer was
given. She satisfied that it was not Bin Ia
~ voice, but was not sure il was the voice OF
Frank Rivers. However she opened the door,
and the Itch, of the hall lamp fell upon the face of
the prisoner, who had II cloak and hat ON. She
swrars positively it was him. lie passed her and
mullled up his head with his cloak, and asccndcd
the stairs. She called Ellen Jcwcu out of the par
lonr, and told her that Frank Rivers had come.
Ellen came ont OF the room, and she heard her say
10 him, while ascending the staiss, My dca,
Frank, how glad am to see YOU" About eleven
O'Clock Ellen came To the head of the stairs, and
asked Mrs, Townsend for bottle of champagne
and waited To receive it. The champagne being
in basket IN the closet, she called to Ellen and
said, You are in your night clothes, will bring
it up and throwing open the room door, saw the
prisoner IN bed with candle on his pillow in a re-
clning posture reading paper. 4 glass lamp was
also burning table near The bed, which
were books. Ellen took the champagne, drew
the cork and invited Mr.. Townsend to take "A
glass, which she declined doing. This gave her
lime, rs She says, to notice the prisoner in partic
ular manner. About II o'clock she went to bed :;
and after her first nap, without being able to tell
the hour She heard some knock at her door,
saying, wish To be let out" she answered
your woman must let you out" She heard no
more, and went again to Sleep about O'Clock,
door--shc and lc, in the person, and on pas
sing the parlour, surprised to lamp burn
ing on the centre table but supposed some had
risen, as the back door open. She Matted for
some time, and called to know who was there, and
not receiving any answer, she barred the door,
took up the lamp and went up stars. Ono room
in which glass lamp belonged, she found locked !;
and on trying E.lcn's door i, opened and volumes
OF smoke issued. She gave The alarm-thc whole
house was rouscd--,lic watch called in--water pro-
cured and thrown on the bed, and IN examining the
same, found Helen Jcwct, dead will, cut in her
head-partly burnt and the whole OF the bed clothes
consumed The six dodgers, in the hurry and con-
fusion, made their escape.
DR.. David l.. Rodgers proved the nature and
described tho character of the wound, which he be-
lievcd was inflicted with heavy instrument, and
produced instantaneous death.
Richard Eldridge, "A waite man, who had finished
his tour Of duty came into the house, and was in
formed by Mrs Townsend of the murder. II was
dark and stormy and he took lamp to go into the
yard to look round and see what he could discov-
err but the wind blew it ont. He and the other
watchncn remained in the parlour until day break,
when Mis-. Townsend suggested that as il was now
light, they had better 90 into tic yard and what
they could discover. They both went, and on
climbing the fence looking into the ward Of the
Of the yard cloak found, and returning
within few inches & ON the fence in Mrs Town
send. yard, he picked up a Ratchet or small axe,
which he says had no blood on it, but was wet with
dew aud rust. The axe the Waterman kept posses
sion of for half an hour, examined il frequently and
finally locned IT up in room with the cloak to
hand il to the Coroner and on his arrival gave him
the key of the room to get the articles The
Waterman is positive that the axe or Ratchet while
in his possession had no piece Of string or Irvine
round it, vet when The Coroner Showed it TO him a.
gain, it had piece of Irvine around it, lilo also
sworc that no person could have escaped from the
yard in which the cloak was found, excepting by
going through the house fronting on Hubs N street.
This is the total Of the evidence given in at
the adjournment of the Court las; evening, and we
shall continue the abrdgcmcnt Of the facts in pre-
ference to the endless rcpctitions and reitcrations
of the testimony. One fact we had omitted. Ro-
sina Townsend admitted that two persons by the
name Of Frank Rivers were in the habit Of visiting
her house.
From the ". y. Comier, June I.
JUNE 3d.-The Court met at 10 o'clock, 10 re-
sumo the Trial of Richard Z. Robinson, for the
murder of Helen Jcwet,. For some before the
precise hour to meet, a largo concourse Of people
of all classes, rushed in filled the court room out
side the bar and crea'el tremendous noise and
Glamour, which continued with deafcning violence
until the arrival of the Court. As soon as the Jude
rs entered, they salutcd with loud shouts aud
Queries, and their presence nsulted by jargon of
confused cries of the multitude, who, assuming tho
character of IA numerously embodied mob rushed
upon the officers, resisted all their efforts to con-