Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-11-05
SELECTIONS.
TRIAL OF 4 PARRlCIDE.

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created great interest in that city. The particulars
Of the murder, as they appeared from an cxami-
na'on oil The body Of the deceased, we gave AT the
time OF It's occurrence. The following Is the sub
stance OF the remarks Of Mr.. Richardson, one of the
states Attorneys IN the case, aud will show the
circumstances which cid upon TO fix the Grim,
upon the prisoner.
IL was n fact well known. that on the morning of
the 23nd oi June last, in the outskirts of the CITY,
the body III an individual was found who had bren
most cruelty murdered Nv hose head VAS so man
gcd that II could scarcely be identified that il was
evident 10 every one that II had been cut aud man
gled for the purpose Of preventing the body from be
my identified that any one OF the wounds inflicted
would have occaslon,d the death OF the indy dual
lhere WIS 4 pistol shot through the neck, cash
mado with Ratchet IN the face passing thlanp both
eyes, another on the right cheek. another through
the left eye, and one over the mouth. Any one OF
winch would have produced death. lie was also
stabbed IN the back aud other parts OF the body lie
said, there would be difference OF opinion between
himself and the learned Counsel ior the prisoner ms To
the character of offence; IT clearly. aud hey on
all doubt, wiltul deliberate, and prcmeditated mu,-
der.
So much tor the offence. The next question
was, Who Is the oaende,l Suspicion resting on the
individual now upon bis ual, he was arrested on the
Saturday following ON board the steamboat III which
he had Just returned llom The Eastern Shore Md and
carried thence To magistrates Office, where he was
examined lie was asked for ms papers, aud he then
drew from his pocket some insignificant papers and
SAID they were all he had. lie was asked for h,s
fathers will, and SAID he knew nothing about it
lis hat was searched and the will found and when
shown 10 him, he exclaimed good God, | did not
Know II was there He was further searched and
a paper was found containing balls and powder. lie
was asked where hls pistols were. lie SAID they
were al his uncle Thomas Stewards. They were
sent ion aud found in the place where he directed to
seiher with par oi bullet moulds one of them
was loaded and al hall cock, the other discharged
lp uuI led NM Gl,p Oh
been lately fired. The pistols were found on Sal.
urday, and he should contend that il had been dis
charged on Thursday night previous. Some curios-
ny beng excited az 10 the pistols, after the body had
been buried, It was dislnterred for the purpose
possible OF finding the ball with which the deceased
had been shot. Dr. Dutkcc was called upon to cx-
anime the body he did so, aud extracted the ball
which vas afterwards compared with the one in the
loaded pistol aud found to be OF The size. lie
SAID that the pistols what called screw barrel
ones, about which is this peculiarly In loading
them, no waddns is used the powder is placed il,
the chamber and the ball placed on il and the barrel
screwed on, and unless the ball fits precisely. the
powder will iun out when turned up ; and another
peculiarly rs, that they are the only kind ct ire
arms in which the interior of the barrels are not the
same Sic thrc"sn their whole lenctn pcine larger
AT the chamber place where the bah is deposited
and the barrel screwed on, than NJ the muzzle, so
that the ball when fred will be OF obonp shane aE
ter passing out nj the muZze, and a ball winch is
lie said that the ball extracted was OF oblong
shape, and could be put the discharged pistol
which was found! as before, stated and which lie
then held in his hand.
Another instrument Of death a Ratchet, which
lie produced and shaved to the Jury, and said tha,
il ha' been found within two three hundied yards
oC thc place where tie body was found, covered
with blood, A halchet similar in all respects had
been purch asen - the prisoner from Mathew Drake
who keeps store in LII ut s.'ee between 10 and IL
o'clock \ NJ, on Thursday morning, aud precisely
similar ones cannot be found in this city
When the prisoner purchased the hatchct, he
asked by Mr.. Drake il he would have it wrap.
ped up, and replied that he would not, and carried
the hatchet with him from the store not wrapped up.
Upon his arrest he asked by Mr.. DIake what
he had done with the halchet purchased from him.
He replied, that lie had left it al Mr.. Whitelys auc-
ton to be sold. lie further stated, that on
Friday morning, the day on which the body was
| found, between 6 and O'Clock A. NJ. one
whether the prisoner or not witness could not
say, purchased another halchet, IN all respects
similar to the found near the body. at Mr.
brakes store. When he came into the store, he
picked up the Ratchet, asked the price, which he Inn
mcdlately paid down, and as he about walking
ont Of the store, lac asked II lie would have il
wrapped up, and SAID that he would. 1t was accor-
dingly wrapped up, blade and all, in coarse wrap
ping paper-Between aud O'Clock on Friday
sdme) morning, the prisoner carried the store Of
Mr.. Whitley Ratchet which the counsel held in
his hand which similar in all respects TO the one
found the body, wrapped mp in paper aud Irvine
of the same kind that used by Mr.. Drake at
| that time.
lie further said, that the prisoner on the day of
the alleged murder dressed in a blue or black
close bodied coat, and blue panlaloons and that
evening between and O'Clock left the house of his
uncle Ihos Stewart IN company with his father. and
that on the morning, when he lief, his uncle's
house for the boat he had a black fiock Goa. and
white pantaoons, and took with HIM large bundle
but returned the day with a much smaller
one. The coat when he wore the day OF the
murder has been found heard since and he
refused to give any information respecting it, aud he
should contend that it had been made way with by
the prisoner.
On his return nothing was found in his bundle ex
cept pair OF blue pantaoons produced in
court, and upon his person was found an ounce phi
al OF spIs OF turpentine with which the pantaoons
had been literally washed, and when asked why he
had put the turpenne on them, said that ii was 10
take out paint which he had got them on board
the boat, which the counsel said h, would show
could not have been the fact, they having been tied
up IN the handkerchief which entirely covered them.
lie SAID he should contend that upon the pantaoons
we're spots OF blood and that the urpentine was us
ed take out these spots. 1t true, he SAID that
there are no spots of blood on the outside of the
panialoons but there are some on the inside of one
OF the pockets.
lie further said that, late on Thursday evening,
the deceased had IN his possession watch winch
he wore in his waistcoat pocket without guard
aud which was gone Friday morning. and that
upon the arrest OF the prisoner, he asked for the
watch and said he knew nothing of it. About Is or
90 minutes after the prisoner had passed up the
street from the steamboat wharf, the watch was seen
broker the hands OF a negro man, who had iust