The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-02
LOCAL MATTERS.

the transaction of civil business, hpout nan
nae, 10 o'clock. the case of John p. Smoote'
Lob, R,owning and William James Thorpe,
charged with robbing stranger-name I'M
known-in Henrico county, on the 9th OF July
lss, of a sum of money not exceeding $54-
was called.
This case involves the " missing stranger"
whose mysterious disappearance has created
40 much excitement during the lest two or
three weeks, and whom, at one time, il was sup
posed was murdered for his money. Prior to
the examination Of Witnesses, Messrs. Crump
and August, counsel for Browning and Thorpe,
made a motion to examine the accused sepa-
rately, or Thorpe and Browning by themselves,
snd Smoote by himself, instead ofjointly. The
motion was overruled by the Court, however,
who decided to try them jointly.
Mrs. Susan Lawrence was first called to the
stand She deposed that she was 81 ting in
her yard at the dinner table, under an oak tree,
when she saw man pass and 60 on as far as
the well, when he stopped for some moments as
if he wanted 10 speak to the people Of the
house. She sent her son to the we'll with
pitcher, and to enquire what the man wanted.
He desired to come into the bar room. She
opened it, and he asked for rum, but having
none, he took a glass of whiskey. After he
had drank, he sat down upon a cask as If to
rest, and began to talk about the wet and dry
weather. She then happened to look out of
her front door, and saw Smoote coming across
the road. Browning followed with q stick,
and as the two came into the door, Thorpe also
came with them, but she did not see him be-
fore. Browning enquired for Mr.. Lawrence,
when she replied that he had gone to Rich.
mond. MRS. l.. lives about seven miles from
Richmond, on a main road.) Smoote then
asked the stranger where he was from. He re-.
piled, from Canada-was a miner, and had
worked in gold and coal mines. Browning
then came towards witness as If he wished to
speak to her, and she supposing that it was
about case in court that day, stepped out on
the front porch to converse.
Browning then went into the house some
steps through another door, and turning round
said to witness that that stranger was robber
that he had robbed the packet boat of $50 thai
morning, and that $25 reward was offered for
him. He also said that twelve men and the
captain of the boatwere looking for him, and
that their party had come to take him. Wit.
ness then went down stairs, and, at the request
Of the stranger, gave him some dinner. Alter
he got his dinner and paid for it, he went out
of the porch door of the bar room. Smoote
asked for some bed cord, but she had mt any
TO spare. Witness then came out and saw
Smoote have one hand in the strangers bo-
som and the other in his pocket, while Brown
ing had hold of one of the strangers arms and
was handling short leather string as if to tie
him. Thorpe stood near but said and did
nothing. Witness then said TO Smoote that he
had no right 10 put his hand in the pockets of
the stranger, and he and Browning then let go
of him. Smoote then took the coat off of the
strangers arm, and Browning searched the
pockets. The man appeared scared, and
asked witness il there was no law in the coun.
ry TO atop being attacked on the highway in
that manner. Witness told him there was,
and advised him to 60 with the men to ma
gistrate, and if they had treated him wrong and
he got clear. he could prosecute them. He
then said he would 60 with them, and Smoote
and Browning put their hands upon him, but
Thorpe did not. Smoote asked the stranger
how much money he had, and the reply was,
as much as he wanted at that time. All three
went off with the stranger.
Cross examined The stranger asked Smoote
what right he had to take him, and Snoots replied
that he was officer, and was authorized by a
mag sirate to take him wherever he could find him
This was said in the presencs of Thorpe and Brown
ing who did not contradict Smoote. The stranger
took drink by himself before he left finally. The
stranger denied stealing the $50 when questioned
by Smoote, snd said he had earned by hard work
what money he had. The men said they were
going to take the stranger to the men who sent
them after him. The stranger was of red com
pexion light hsir, blue eyes, and little freckled-
about 25 years of age. They were there nearly an
hour cams about O'Clock, P. NJ. Her house was
seven miles from Richmond.
Mosby Lawrence boy, son of Mrs. Lawrence,
was then examined. His testimony corroborated
the chief points in Mrs L q evidence. Mrs. L :, it
will be recollscted, after giving the stranger his
dinner, soon after came out and saw Smoote and
Browning having hold of the stranger, but did not
hear the commencement. Her son stated that
when he came out from dinner he took a drink,
and was going awsy, when Smoote stopped him
and charged him with robbing the packet boat the
night previous.
The stranger denied this when Smoote said he
must be the same man from the description; and
Browning and himself then seized hold of him In
the manner de scribed by Mrs. Lawrence Brown
iug took small leather cord out of his pocket as if
to tie the stranger, but it was too short and Smoote
asked for a bed cord. Smoote said they had follow
ed the man from Levenstein's. Thorpe said and
did nothing but went with Smoote, Browning and
the stranger This explanation of the son rendered
Mrs. LIS testimony very clear. Owing to the
length of the remainder of the testimony, We are
Obliged to defer full report, and present only q
simple sketch of it, Mrs. Eliza Ann Ford, testified
that while she waI conversing with Mr.. Blackburn
on the 9th of July, smoote, Browning and Thorpe
came up with the stranger. smoote told Blackburn
that the stranger had robbed the packet boat of $780,
and that they were about taking him to magistrate
TO have him examined. Blackburn advised him to
90 10 Glszebrook's, and Thorpe was willing. The
.o- ~,an,ad uitnass tn keen the moneu until ba