Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-04-24
ArroRsrp soR rHs atcHnosn WHO.
TRIAL OF CHARLES D. CHRISTIAN.
Monday, April 10Th. 1884
eixrH DAT.

Jury today behalf OF the prisoner being ndisposed
james pormsn, Esq, this morning opened the argu-
ment In favor OF the prisoner.
After referring to the deep obligation imposed upon the
Jury IN their position the prisoner and the high
sense Of duty devoivng upon tho prisoners counsel Ss
TO open the He then spoke of deer
eheuement produced In this community by tho tragic
scene and referred to the fegone conclusion at once
FORMED against the prisoner before he had had trial
ne esled upon the Jury and warned them In forcble
OF their duty In discardug from their minds al
outside Influences against the prisoner and to copBne
tneit minds 20 serious consideration the evidence and
ae circumstances proved in connection with the
ne tnen stated the grave charge against the Prisoner
snteu In the Indictment aud pointed the different
degrees OF murder according statute and
10 ne TACT that malice indispensable ingredient In
suen crime, and that the counsel for the
commended that there erprs malice in tho case He
mere read some authorities sustain his positions aud
snow tat malice s not be presumed but that Its alb
sehee Is 70 be presumed unless must be inferred ney-
ao'c rom the circumstances proved He agreed with
capt Aoores position in relation justaabe or cxcusa
oe oomicide-such q where tho person killing was in
danger OF losing his life OF great bodily harm
then stated proposition lst that the prisoner was
previously wronged by Mr. d. and end that Ia seeking
Tor his wrongs he has acted with great
ana mas acted throughout the defensive although no
mas been singulary unfortunate He then referred to IL
circumstances before the rencounter and Mr. CO havir
oeen sent to Lexington law student that he had AL
ways sustained the character Of gentleman and acted
gentleman, and he reasonably expected to be treated
as gentleman. He had strue some Of the ftiyoli,es
but was temperate in his habits was seceiy
Orc
moustache he treated with indifference and Was In
danger OF becoming subject for the SCOTS md f
the community He becomes acquainted with beautiful
and attractive young lady, who receives his attentions Win
APPRECIATION and encouragement aud actually reminding
u'm his engagement accompany her church. showed
that she for him high regard Thus
anu smiled upon by the lair he had To
Mr. Sayer his intention Of addressing Miss A. Mr. uumes
is then struck with Mr. Cs attentions TO Miss A. aud in
forms Mr. b., her distant cousin, that Mr. @. was not
proper person for her associate with and tina, bod
tell Miss OF this. then informs Miss of this anI
advises her to break of her engagement to accompany
to church. gives the advice, aud Miss sends Mr c
caru uecnnipg 70 go with him to church. lie still enter
aiung high respect for her. called Mr. Moore. to see
her. and learn the Of her treating him So She re-
fused to sec him, and his failure see her was publicly
talked Of at NJ Moores that night He then wrote h.
respecuu and complimentary note, which Mr. Is here
read to the jury This note, although written to Miss
III conhdeucs, aad having written its face sin conf
denee' was handed to Mr Is, and read by him. laughing
AZ he END oil eseh sentence in the presence OF Mr. Bruce
aud Mrs Moore and brought into the room az the
quest oil Mrs Moore, as being something rich" The
Latin Quotation meaning, farewell farewell most beauti
ui maiden last farewell" repeated in the room tn
Mr. Bruce, although letter contained REQUEST To
to give him the OF Cs calumuator or return the
note to MIN through box lOl aud close the sad dra
ma forever Was itrght that should be thus treated
sandered laughed at aud his request to know who did
It, treated with scornS Mr. was as much of gentle
man as any OF his caumniaors Mr Humes saws this.
ne was gentleman, but from rumor in the nitv
ABOUT num- and because some of the young ladies had
sighted him, be proper person TO ACCOMPANY
Miss to church. Me- b. in undertaking 10 no,ics nny
enS IN that letter, was acting ungentemsnly himself
let, De thought that be was acting honorably He
Vas mistaken in his Of duty when he noticed
written to Miss in coat fence aud which he had mo
right TO see. 30 doubt B brave and chyarous vet
tie had no right to Mr. and tell him that he
the calumniator. lie felt that he should be indiyna,t
That he stiled calumnator in confidential note by
Ar U, when Ar did know that was the person re
TERED to in the had looked for cadets uum.s
aud Horner. Two stawart fellows, accompany him to
Lexington, where Mr. could tell he is the calumnator
uorner expected fight aud that the only drawback fom
nens would Dc the difficulty Of convincing that he
oeen insuied. Ihus showing that slow TO anger
and would not fight without good reason Mr. ID her,
repeated the evidence aud the of the inter
view IN the passage OF the hotel and that had every
reason there 20 suppose that armed. lie insisted
that II was nrst principle auoug gentlemen nnd also
among Christians to do no any wu uroug and that
had departed from this principle not only in making him
mark for the finger Of scorn III afterwaris s,yn
that II was just as expected has courage enough
% strike a ehIl anu That tie took pity on him." Mr. e.
being enbaras ed and taken by surprise this
merely told Mr. that he would hun and in The
time, sulted with his friends Is went to a.
cadet Humes says, for the purpose OF secing him and
preventing him from making the affair with Mis- sub
eet oil town gossip They well knew tn was TOO much
OF gentleman TO be taking in that way about aiy
though she had mareated him. and confidence had hem
violated Mr. having remedy at law to stop the..
ISLANDERS against him. and the personal insults making him
the scorn and contempt Vi the community vas he the on
y male person OF his family who had only his ow na
uphold, but that OF his widowed mother and sisters
TO do nothing and suffer this thing go on Is il not b
man nature here TO resent such wrongsy that woud
not do it, has neither the of religion nor the dgn
OF honor Mr. Niche is here defend the character of
Mr. Is, showing the Importance Of defending
State Institution and the friends the have
united 10 employ counsel to defend the reputation of
Then think my first proposition has been establ sbed
and will pass TO the second had no relatives and
friends here but he went TO the two oldest and most re
able members OF the law class although he was more in
tmate with Others for advice lie makes no noise abop,
tue matter, but asks them if they id heard IT, and than
tells them OF tue Interview, and that he had no acquain
lance with b.
q. $ subsequent should be interpreted nv hi.
vous conduct and declarations which show great mode
ration. Being doubtful whether b. intended 10 h. resno,
soe ior the report sei or merely for telling to Miss
A. lie thought 1t necessary to demand an explanation
Being immediately responsible to the laws of the
country, IL he sent challenge and seeing that IL won
amount to nothing, as il was likely that b. would not
leave the Institute aud thinking that b. was armed AZ
the interview u armed himself to any contingency
that might arise. eN'
He contended that ca having the weapons were M,
conclusive presumption that he intended IN com,i, -
crime. lie read from Bowers Law Dictionary the mean
Ing OF the word pre1editation c. carried them IN he
prepared 10 protect himself from numbers that might COM
ONE against nun Being quite young, and having seen
b. as lie believed at the interview armed he was nm
der apprehensons for his personal safety and that he car
RED the weapons for self Defence aud never
ed the feeling OF revenge aud malice.
Alter revealing what he did, with such candor IN hi.
companions if he had concealed the secret nprnos ~
numbering B he cannot be youth of Is, out Devil
ncarnate lie must merely have intended to demand of
b. personal explanation and intended to use the arms
only IN ezfreis lie referred the Cadets
aud ducked droyer and that this had been told Mr.
showing that o. might expect a combination apaips,
him. e
He insisted that G. intended to begin the conac.
that he intended merely demand an expapat on and
u u was not gveh he intended tell b. what no thought
OF hm-that hehad acted uugeutemaDly-a then act on
the defensive. "
Mr. insisted that the Jury we're to Judge of this CASE
according TO the rules Of crcumstana evidence and re-
fered that there had not been any proof OF the Sd pool
OF blood until tra-thR seemed not TO be known a the
preliminary trials ana In the midst OF the ca.e without
any notice to the Prisoners counsel this mine suddenly
sprung upon them. He insisted that If the 81 pool Of
blood was there, IL must have come from some other
source and not from b. but that there was still doub,
whether that pool was there IIe here read some
authorities on the subject Of positive and negative evil
ience lie insisted that every witness who testified IN
the existence Of this third pool biased and prendced
against o. from the occurrence down to this time
Mr.. ID. here read the Rules Of Law in nv
dencc, showing that TO justify the Jury in finding yer
dict, their minds must have brough, TO moral Ger
ainty Of the gull, Of the pi'oner-that the testimony
must actually exclude from the mind every other
sis but the guilt Of tho prisoner.
lie then related tho circumstances proved in relation 10
The rencounte aud the pools and the blood on tho mar
es-and that the proof OF the Sd pool throws the whole
matter at sea- aud destroys every theory that has bean
set up aud throws doubt at once over the usnsao
ton.
lie Insisted that all OF the pools of blood rnps, Ia o., $3.50