The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-05-06

| pr,a,.,x-Tbe Jewelry store of Mr.. Hammitt
i. p..,.e nm Main. near 18th street, was entered
betweeu and o'clock yesterday morning, and
| several gold rings taken therefrom Four negroes,
sl.vss named Jehn and Cornelius Sims, slaves to
William Mayo, Jasper, slave to jeremiah Porter,
| and Nelson. slave to George Smihers, were arres
ted on suspicion of committing the burglary. The
testimony before the Mayor yesterday, relative to
the robbery, was as follows:
Waterman Boze was first called to the stand
He stated that about az o'clock yesterday morn.
ing, while Mr.. Pearce's store he saw light In
it, and en- knocking at the door and enquring If
Mr. Pearce was there, the light was Immediately
exringuished Mr.. B then stepped up an alley next
to the store and whilst there small sized ne
gro in his shirt sleeves and dark pants, ran out
OF side door of the store opening on the alley
and then up the alley to the rear. Boze pur.
sued, but stumbled against box, and before he
could recover himself and catch hold of the
negro, he had entered a small tenement in the rear
of Mr. Pearces store and closed the door after him.
Boze then gave the distress rap and stood guard at
the door of the alley until Captain Wilkinson and
Waterman Meredith came up. They then entered
the house. into which the fugitive went in the rear
VI M CdkCc ., anu lOuuO JOuu SINS, Small slZ9Q
negro, in room with two free negro women named
Maria Ann Horton and Ann Eliza Ellis. In Johns
pockets were two gold rings. Cornelius Sims and
Nelson were in John Sims room, (John being in
Cornelius'.) Nothing was found upon them. In a
bssem ent room of this house, underneath the room
where the negroes slept, several keys were found
in a sock leg. One of these keys fitted Mr. Pearces
back door and could open it. Witness could not
whs it was that ran out of the store. Found
a candle in the alley as if it had been dropped by
the fugitive. Waterman Meredith found Jasper
secreted in a cellar underneath the store In the
corner of this cellar was found pocket book con.
-.c- lat the book belonged to the negro. In
Jssper's trunk they found gold bresstpin These
rings and breastpin were exhibited in court These
negroes worked in tobacco factories Capt. VIII
kinson and Waterman Meredith corroborated
Waterman Boxes statement
Mr. H. A. Pearce stated, that about o'clock yes.
terday morning, his young man came to him and
told him the store had been broken open. Witness
dressed and went to the store Immediately. Found
one or two gold rings misplaced and others taken
out of box. Kept regular account of the rings
Mr. Pearce here examined the three rings, and
identified them as belonging to him by private
| marks made upon them. These marks, he said,
were scratched out when the rings were sold. The
breastpin left at the store to be repaired
Witness further stated that onehalf of the house in
the rear tenanted by these negroes, in tis pos
session. and the other half under the control of Mrs
Charter. He did not know how all these negroes
| came there. He hired his half to Nelson. Jasper
| had been there for some two or three weeks. The
| overseers of some one or two of these negroes
called there to see him (Mr P.) about the negroes
occasionally. The small negro, John Sims, had
| been watching about the store at night for some
| time. He did not know who had been in the habit
of paying the rent of the in which these ne
groes resided Part of them lived in Mrs Charters
quarters.
| Edwin F. POWELL young man in Pearce's EN-.
ploy, testified to being In bed up stairs over the
store, at about half past o'cock-heard noise in
the street. He get up and on going to the door,
was informed OF the stores having been broken
open. Informed Mr. Pearce of the fact. Saw three
rings lying on glass CASE The case was open.
Had locked it the night before and placed the key
in drawer. Found the drawer open and the key
in the Case There was a paddock to the side door
| of the store, which witness found unlocked and
laying upon the floor. (The watchmen found a
| similar paddock and key in Johns room, where
john Sims was with the two girls.) The key of the
side door, witness, after locking the door. had
| placed in desk in the entry. The desk was not
locked. This key was out of the desk. The door
was unlocked when he went into the store.
man named George was sick in this rear house
These negroes, with the exception of Jasper, had
been living in the rear house for two years. Had
seen Jasper only during the last three weeks Oh
served him at night moving suspiciously about the
| store.
The examination here closed-and the Mayor
stated that he should remand the four negroes to
JAIL for trial before the Hastings Court during next
week. He could not but think, that this was one
of the fruits of giving slaves board money and
| extra pay. These negroes had been permitted to
| hire rooms for themselves, and no one knew how
they paid for them, for other expenses unless il
was by their board and extra pay. He had right
to order each of these negroes 80 lashes for being
at this house without passes-as not enc of them
had pass to be there, but should for the present
await the action of the Hastings Court in regard
| to them.
The two free negresses, Ann Eliza Ellis and
| Maria Ann Horton, found in John Sims room and
taken to the cage suspicious persons being with
| out registers, were then examined. Ann Eliza
stated that she had been staying with John Sims
| for the last three weeks, and that she saw Corne.
| Illus Sims in the room all night until he was taken
| away by the watch. (The watchmen stated that
Cornelius Sims was found in another room, it will
be recoilected, from that in which these women
i were) The Mayor then committed Ann Eliza to
| jail for want of register.
Maria Ann Horton was discharged on proving
her freedom. She simply stated that she was in
the room with Ann Eliza, on Wednesday night
The watchmen suppose from the position of things,
| that John Sims must have committed the robbery.
and Jasper been on the watch to inform him of the
approach of any one.
US. DISTRICT CouRT-Bfore Judge Halybur.
ton-On yesterday, after due examination of wit.
nesses, the Grand Jury brought In true bill agans,
Alfred J. Goldman, for the murder of William
Weldon, musician in Fortress Monroe, ON the
goth February last. Having no farther business