The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-11-25
LOCAL MATTER6.


Batter on Sunday afternoon last at the boarding
house of Mrs sheppard's, corner of Franklin ard
| Governor streets. came up before the Mayor yes
| terday morning. The examination was com.
| meuced with the testimony of Lafayette Butler
| He deposed substantially az follows:
| On Sunday evening last, about 3 o'clock, gen.
| teman named Williams, called at the house where
| board, Mrs sheppsrds, and aeked me to 60 up to
room which he had formerly occupied, and
where were some clothes which he wish ID to take
| to the Columbian Hotel He then fixed up a bum
die which he said he would call in ths evening and
obtain, he did not wish to carry it in the day
B,vin was lying bed in ths room intoxicated.
| He had been out Sa urday evening drinking, and
| came home Sunday morning under the influence
| of liquor. Belvin said something to Williams
about his going of, and told WillSms who asked
| me what the matter, that it was not worth
| while to mind Bevn as he was tight. Belvn
heard me, suppose for he got up, to the door
and said to before l came down stairs, 81 will
| see you out in that" replied, that l would talk
| to him when he was sober and that we could set
tie the affair then if necessary He then went back
into his room, and went down stairs. was talk
ing the landing at the second pair of stairs be-
low with Mr. Williams and Mr. Reed, when saw
| 2elvin coming down stairs towards me. He had
| pistol ia his lett hand, pointed at me, and bowie
knife in his right hand. | up the steps "a ois-
lance described to be about ten feet caught hold
OF the pistol and threw it up. Just as / threw it
| up it went of, and was knocked back, and fell
half way down the stairs before stopped myself
| Was partly stunned. | then went into the psrlor
| and Belvin went back xp stairs again.
| he bold NJ MA t,l
he had his finger on the trigger. Do not knsY whe
ter the discharge eas occasionally BeIetns pulling
the trigger or by my knoshing up has arm and the
pistol. There was smile or grin upon his coun-
! tensnee when he held the pistol towards ne He
| said nothing at all. do not think reserved any
stab. ihisk the wound on my arm was occasion
| ed BY tao bali. Should judge it the ball that
cut my arm, from the position of the pistol and of
| the wound and also Of the hole in the floor, made
| by the bullet. Ny arm was appraised that received
| the wound did not see Belvn use tbs knife H
| might have used the knife without my seeing him.
There is ouly rent in my coat about taree in
! chss in length. Saturday MS ht Be!vin had been
| drinking; aud ne went out about IL O'Clock, and
did not return until Sunday morning about eleven
| o'clock | had run up the pair Of steps about one
third of their length, when grabbed the pistol
There is no sign OF SINCE upon the coat, if
| burnt with powder The pistol was in both OF our
| hands when it went of. | had hold of the pistol
| with my lett hand and Belvin had hold of the butt
| end. Do not know whether the struggle occasion.
ed it to so off or not. When fell had the pistol
| in my hand. Ran up because l have been taught
from infancy always to face danger and not run
| from it.
| Tly lai and
| is clean cut with knife. The coat was torn but
not burnt. Ii would be impossible for pistol to
| be placed thus near to mans shoulder and fired
| OF, and not burn the coat scorch it. | think
| the hole in the coat torn by the hit of the
knife. The knite thrust forward with sufficient
force in direction to have made this wound by the
pressure Of the guard upon the coat. There was
not a psrtice OF waddng in the wound.
| Cross Examiaed.-The tear in the coat mis- hit
| have been produced by bullet, but the wound on
| the arm is certainly knife cut 1t was slight
| wound, two inches long and aboxt half an inch
| deep; made SIS if the arm had been in an upliited
| position when given. The hole in the coat is
| right over the wound.
| Officer Tyler stated that officer Trueheart and
himself on hearing OF the difficulty, proceeded to
arrest Belvin. lie Cryler} found Bevin locked up
IN his room, and the case OF the bowie knife lying
| on the bed near him. Mr.. T. proceeded: asked
Bevin where the knife was he said he knew moth.
| ing about it. He appeared to be very much ex-
! cited and trelnb!ed al over | asked him what he
| had been doing. He replied that he had not shot
Butler, that he fred the pistol over Buffers shout
der, and that he then stabbed Butler | told him as
| he lad said 50 much he had better get the knife
and ne then went TO his chest and get the knife out
Belvln further said that he had bee1 urged do it.
He apologize for having such weapons. and said
that he would not have been seen with these if he
had not purchased them expressly for this man
Butler The point of the knife looked az if it had
| been used and washed CIT Consider that the
wound was knife cut
| The Mayor here enquired OF DR.. Little, what
was ihe particular character of the wound, and Dr.
Little replied it was acut.
| Lafayette Butler recalled
Bavin had stopped whsn ran up to him, ar
was leaning forward with pistol in his left hand,
pointed at me. could have ran along the passage,
or into the parIor, if had chosen. Would not do
| it. Have never had any personal difficulty with
| this man before. He had difficulty with another
man, and believed / had something to do with it,
which made him distant for some tune Last
| Easter Monday he came to me and requested tha.
the matter should drop. Have spoken to him tive
or three times since, when necessity required it, at
the table. Otherwise, he has not said any thing to
me, gscssn;
| John Z. Reed deposed-I was in the psrlor the
| afternoon of the difficulty, when Mr.. Butler and
Mr.. Williams came in out Of Belvn's room, and
| spoke of BIS being in his room somewhat tight |
| heard Belvn coming down stairs and saw Butler
| run up towards him. Heard the discharge of the
pistol, but did not see the weapo ne used
Officer Trueheart corrobora,ed Mr.. Tylers state
ment concerning the arrest. Mr.. Williams, the
other witness for the commonwealth was absent
but will be examined on Saturday.
The Mayor committed Be!vin TO Jail to await ex-
animation bafore called Court of Hastings, to be