Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-10-28
From tie Spin, nj .le!.rson.l
rnI Al r. f'NN'Ft L. ~

COL. JAMES CASILEMAS.
The following statement understood have been drawn
up by Counsel since the trial has been placed BY the friends
of tbs gentleman in hands for publication We SUBJ
nit i as authoritative statement OF the case before the
ry and which, will be they acquitted him in
the most marked and triumphant and with the full
appreciation o. the Court.
l. remains be seen. whether those Editors and Others
shc CRAFTY seir vindcyc feelings or 10 pandc 10
he Iepraye excitement Of The times in the Northern States
nave manufactured or rropagated the caiunous rumOr 10
which the OCCASION gave birth, will now do justice 10 the
gentleman in question:
At the Circuit Sunero Conrt OF Clarke county comnen
cling the 18Th of October Judge SAMuELs presiding JAMES
CAsTLEMAS and his STEPHES ID. CAsrLEhAS were in.
dcec jointly for murder Of Lelri the property of
the BY advice Of their counsel the parties elected 10
be tried separately and the Attorney for the Commonwealth
directed that James Casenen should be tried ti:,t.
II was proved this trial that Tor many months previous
to the the money drawer Of the tavern Kept ey
Stephen u. Ca>tlenan and tho liquors Kept in large quaint.
ties in his cellar had been Piiaged from time to li;ne un
hcts had ttaEcd 10 considerable aG"La Suspicion
had from various causes, been directed Ia Lewis and
another negro named uean tiIcksnit th2 property oI
James Casilcnan by the aid Of oi tn" house
they had ended hTGsf ias ii fiyE'Gfuvon ., :, rlstc-
accidentally discovered clue, by n which, and
through u the house servants Implicated, h"
bied folly III" deprcda;os lain tie
ner which the lhcfis had been co:nme. He nnnc4i-
atcy for his father. who lived him, and after
muniatng what hc had discovered determined that
the offenders shoui b" punished once, and before they
should know ot tie discovery that had been made.
Lewis punished first, ami in a manner, fully
shown /, preclude all rsquc OF iun;y 10 his person, b.
stripes viii, broad ieaierT strap He punished sc
yrrcy bot extent by nenns dpropoTtl"nae I" his
offence pretended quarter thai his punish
mcnt implicated either his life health lie concssc! ihc
offence and admitted that ii h.d been effected by false keys
furnished oy the blacksmith, Reuben.
The latter punished Immediately afterwards.
II believed that he the principal offender, and IL
found TO be nburac AMI conrnacous than Lew
had kao in reference IL ic offence Thus we5 proved,
hv the prosecution and the Gc!cnce that lie was nlsh
eG with greater severity than his accDmpce II resulted in
his ra:t and c produced the false key
fashioned BY himself By which The tAetts had occn ei
rci.d.
1t was further shown the trial that Lewis was whip
rcd in The upper OF warehouse, connected with Ste
plrn CRscnan's store nnd the public road where he
vas al work the tire; that after he had been tJ@gcd 10
secure his person, whilst they went after @Gbcn he was
:onined b. chain a'un his nck %!ch was attached I"
,,st ahgyc bis head. The lrng o hs chain, tie breadth
and thickness nt the oi, It's .ht iT"n tic floor and IL.
circ,c; vi Chain the nc accurately measurad; AMI
il thus shown that tie Chain Hn"ccu?icd by the circ
and the 1i,, iIv: ard hall longer than the space
be seen the siua.cs uI the and The o!st above. Or
that extent tie IL ~ huns !''Se above hl'ni that Ii.
c;rct; (w..ii fastened prevent iia cunLraGJG)
resd the shouGt;5 "nd 3cat H." chain being sufficient
IL ,apn ualy prevent bin" slipped over his ca" an
tin; there wns ohcr place il. the which ie c0ut
be- s tened cSccp; once! tnc Joss abc'c Ills hams
lied in f'nG;a whit" man. wac ;i'i been III WORK WIN
Lewis during The day, a with han bj the sa.s Cas-
ilctrnu the a"c; IL caatc bis Getea"n Wills. ic: were
ahsn after Reuben II frose: - !E!S iilhn iwo was
w,nc5s ior the proscGrnn hat l@",- ASKED or box Ia
s,rd un rr r,T ,lv.siina h. cJG .Mp OF .71; a 81
ter NJ Casica!:s had ri i he ;Sls ti w!en
The, caIr back h. "0uI b. PIP aGain az! sai il Ge
hadl Hae and cnui g. h;n lo9s:, he woa!d cut hs
h- ty > ,at freely III whatever direction he
wsE.. and thar he made complaint of The io.c Of 'c
confinement Iui- stated Tia: lie tcnl!ncd Win Lewis
,hou half an hour imd thcr let there 80 home.
Aif 9JnisiEg Reuben tie Ga i;eGans returned to the
wareioIsa riaia him with them; their ooec: being 10
cor TT the men, the hope t!at y further cEag'nn-
lions them viny, all e accJmpccs might be Ge'ect-
| ed. w
| The, were no, absen: more ;!an haG an hour When
they ehcrcd the room above, Lewis oand hanging b.
the ncd hi; feet th:cwn behind him. his .ncis few nches
from III. J1T mis- head thrown ior%auihc Docy warm
and suic {,r relaxed ) bat life was extinct:
Ii w4 moved BY tie ":!o maze post moTten
cyaiat!un before lc COr0ncrs inquest, Thai The death was
cauact l sangaGu by hanging; and oticr eminent sur
oeons rcrc examined show icu lie appearance o The
brain md is bleed vessels after dea lus exhibited al t posi-
morteo cya.naoa) that the succ could not have tainted
! bciOrastranguiltun.
AfG the evidence was nshtd hon sides the jury from
their fDy and III Their motion, without ~oru from
o,as.i on either side informed the Court that they had
arre.l uron their verdict The counsel assanted Ia Us be-
! t thus received, and verdict o. mot GUILTY, was
Immediately rendered The attorney for the Common.
VIZ then informed the Court that all tic evidence Tor the
psccution had been laid before e Jury and as no new evl-
dice could bc offered the trial o! Stephen ~ Cascha
hs ubnitiei the Court the pruprev oil e6tChS Eoe
pSegui. The Judge replied, that the case had been iu
All fairly laid before the Jury upon the evidence; that 'e
C,r was not only satisfied with The verdict but any 9TH
enud been rendered il must have been SCI aside and tnat
ito further evidence be aGluctd on the al vi Ste
MIN the Attorney 70. the Commonwealth would exercise
ppsr discretion in entering no pro5cfui rs 10 hin and
thCou would approve its being done. A 1oie pr1s'gut
WI entered accordingly und Aoi gentlemen dischag d.
.mnv be added days consumed n exhibit
iuihc evidence and that the trial By jury OF Clarke
cp,y Both The parties had been bail from the time OF
the arrest and continued ball. whilst the tr!al was
dending.