Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-06-05
CHEROKEE AGgScY. May 10, 1888.
COMMONWEALTH rs MARKS.

Al the Superior Court cf Prince George, which adj
ourapd last evening, Judge john Y Mason pFesldtng
Thomas J.. Marks tried upon two indictments tor
murder the one for the murder Of Lucrea 2. Lsdhct.
ter which first tried. the other for The murder o Ed
ward Ledbettrr her husband In the first tine jury
found verdict for murder IN the second degree against
the prisoner and ascer;anPd the term Of his mprison
Elen in the PentenlIaIy 10 be fifteen years In ie Sc.
cund, there a verdict of not guilty.
As this has cxcilcd considerable curiosity and IN
etest we have endcavored TO ascertain the facts from
those who were present at The trial. or tie satisfaction
Of our readers.
1t appeared from the witnesses examined on the part
of the Common wealth that Friday. the 27h Of pri,
Leobeter and wife, Ia the house o the prisoner,
who had intprmarricd with daughter of Ledbetter by
former marriage That Ledhctier left the house.
aud into adjoining field Of his own, which vas
under culliva,ion that his wife enaned behind that in
consequence of hearing NJ and his wife quarreng, he
returned Directly and when lie approached within or
10 steps Of Marks door, the latter into the houso,
seized his rifle which hung the door, and fired
when bulh IedUellcr and his wife fell and the prisoner
then ran of the house and gave MIS- edGeiter
blows head. with the butt cad OF his rifle. Ii is pro-
Uer 10 state that these facts established by the
dence of Ledbeliers son. who was pIoughIEg IN field
a hundred more yards from the hoQse; from which,
however he had opportunity, according to the testi
mOnv of respectable gentleman, OF seeing distinctly
what took place at the house.
It appeared also in evidence. from number of the
most respectable Witnesses that LeGbetter found
living dead near The house and his wife about light
ten fret behind end nearly in line with hn; that lie
WINS killed by rifle bali, which entered nearly opposite
the LEFT ear ,aking away small part OF the ear she
by blow winch fractured her scuIl; she was lksw Use
snot in the abdomen little above the left hip There
were q number Of shot found sticking in her clothes
and skim but only ut large size had penetrated
and that, in the opinion OF the witnesses, not through
The Hesh-and that b!uud issued from the gun shot
wnunds; from which aad other Appearances some OF the
witnesses were of opinion they were inflicted after death
and when the blood had ceased 10 circulate Ii also
peared that the body examined By Gisn!rreStcd
and egen witness who arrived at the place about
hour after they killed aud he did mol then discover
any indications Of gun shot wounds notwithstanding the
paIl d. the body, on which they afterwards found
was fully exposed to his view 1t also in evidence,
that The prisoner denied to this and another witness that
he had perperatsd the act; and II observed by
of the witnesses that nothing could the perperaor
of The act from the calows unless he could show that
both the man and were killed by fire. These
witnesses had not left the prisoners house than
ousrer Of mile before they heard the port of rife
in the direction Of the house. These circumstances
were relied upon TO show that he had shot the woman
after death for The purpose OF setting up The grounds Of
defence suggested by The remarks OF the witness
The mother and sister of the prisoner were examined
~ witnesses in his behalf who stated that Mrs Ledhe
ter commenced n quarrel with the prisoner aflel
her husband left the house; that she gave him
blows with garden rake, after her husband came up
when he called him. threw him block near The door
ortbe house choked him until he black in the face
and almos, expiring that by dnt of his e1ertion.
he escaped from Ledbe,er into the house. took dowr
his rife fred and both Ledbetter and his wife fell Il
the ground dead and never moved afterwards and tha
when the prisoner fred, Ledbctter had rake in hi:
hand and swore he would kill him and his wife also
These witnesses did any blows inflicted upon the
woman, with the rifle or any other instrument. 1he
s,aeme n,s were unsatisfactory, contradictory and in The
opinion of many intelligent persons who heard them
no, entitled TO the leas, credit.-Petsr,burg Int