The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-17

Il
ana snirt and seemed to have been washing. III
seemed excited. embarrassed and concerned. Fl,
exclaimed: We'll Mr.. Jordan this is an ugly
| scraPe INTO which ! have gotten; but could no
not do il, and told him he was no rentlensn ~
Mr. ]. then said put your ciote es Mr. Christisr
end go with me-" To which he promptly renlied
| certainly sir then LETT and went 70 Church.
Inc next day examined the ground where the
| rencontre took place. There was no blood at the
point where the scutfie commenced-not a drop.-
| At the point where the parties were lying as be
fore described 90 feet from the place Of Commence
| msnt, the ground was saturated with blood There
| were no splashes; but distinctly defined outline
OF an elpical lorna 1s by 12 inches. saw another
blood stain at the place whe-e found the deceased
lying. There was not more blood suppose than al
| the other spot; but there was more upon the sur.
face, and 1t was irregular in form. The wagons
had pressed the earth hard and had not absorbed
| the blood; and much was clotted on the surface.
The three points mentioned would make tri
anele-D feet from the point where first heard the
scufiie to that where saw the two lying down
from thence to the place where found deceased,
10 or Is feet and from thence to the beginning 25 or
80 feet. L saw no blood from the point where the
scuf1e began to that where the parties were living
together-from that point to the spot where found
deceased did not examine so particularly. Not
more than half minute elapsed from the beginning
of the scuf1e till saw the parties on the ground
and not more than Is or 20 seconds from that time
till saw them rise and one push the other In
two minutes more at farthest, Blackburn was laid
on the scales, and in four five more left him ON
the cellar cap, as1 supposed, dead.
1.-The deponent here recurred to the rencontre
and described the sounds of the strokes--they were
like whip or cowhide, and sounded through the
air like a cowhide. He described the position OF
the parties when down. They lay with their heads
towards him, and when they rose, the back Of one
and the face of the other were towards him He
was of opinion that they up as they were lay
ing down-the bottom one, who was the uniniured
k,A2 ka~ IL. IL
being farthest- They might, however have
changed their positions in rising He thought the
person who showed the other used his right hand
He knew both parties. Blackburn was the largest
g. The former weighed, he supposed, l6O, the lat
ter 140. The former was the strongest though not
great deal stronger. Blackburn was larger and
fatter, but did not seem to have much action as
Christian. He seemed to be physically softer.
The witness was here cross examined at much
length by the counsel for the defence Their ques
tons related to the sounds heard after the first scu
fle, (Which had been compared to those of a COW
hide,) and to the position of the combatants when
lying down. The question by Mr. Mosby relative
to the sounds, were, in substance, whether they
might not have been made by stick used rapidly
In perrying Oft an attack by person advancing
against the cadets buttonsg The reply in sub.
stance was that If the stick struck at Weld
ing object it might possibly make the noise but it
couldn't be better described to his mind than by
comparison VIII tue sOunQ Oh q COW0lQG. A stick
had been found where the rencontre took place
but witness did not it there He could not saw
that no cowhide or whip was found He knew
nothing as to these matters With regard to the
position of the parties, the deponent adhered to his
opinion that they rose as they had laid--the bot
tom one being the same who had his back to him
when he rose up, and that was the prisoner They
might, however, have changed their places-he
could not say. With regard to the confession to
the Mayor Christian said no more than he had
stated He rpntlv doft of
by the Mayor. rs-s-;re.
In reply further to the defence, witness stated that
the time the parties were up was short He did
not see them when they rose a blow might have
been struck after they were up but he did not see
it. The person who showed the other seemed to
have had hold of him and showed without relin.
gushing the hold-and this was done, he thought,
with the right hand, from the direction in which
the deceased fell.
In answer to question by the prosecution the
deponent re-afrmed his opinion as to the sounds
they were as of whip or cowhide-a stick striking
blow could not have made such sounds-and they
were too rapid for a stick.
The Court here took recess. In the afternoon
the first witness called was
THos BURTON TAYLOR who deposed-on Sun.
day night, the 18th January, about quarter past
o'clock, as was going to church with lady pass.
ing along the street leading from McCleand's to
Main street, and when little more than half way
down the street, stopped for Mr. Massie who was
Is or 20 PAGES behind me. When turned to look
for Mr.. NJ saw the opposite side of the street,
rather diagonally opposite from where was, two
persons rise up and one shove the other violently
from him, and he fell. The person who showed the
other jumped to the sidewalk, ran towards me and
stopped within two feet of me. He turned and
looked towards the fallen man, and saw his face
in the light and recognised him to be Christian
His face or side face which saw, was covered
with blood from chin to brow. then went to the
vestbule OF the church, and returned after a while
to the scales, where found the body of Blackburn
| drawn up on them. Witness assisted in procur-
ing light and taking the body to Whites.l saw no
| blows given by either party. and heard no scufh.
ing. The push was given Immediately the parties
| rose. He saw no weapons in Christian's hands.
JAMES KIRKPArRIcK called. On the night of
| the murder he was crossing the street from the
Presbyterian church to Whites corner, aud heard
noise of some striking another with stick or
swtch-looked up the cross street, saw two persons
near the wayscales, did not see the one fall; soon
after saw one standing alone and saw him soon al
| at the corner. Firstperson he saw whom he knew
was Mr.. Massie, who said some one was killed; went
| for physcian, and when he returned found Cadet
Blackburn laid on the scales-
DR.. PATRICK Fl. CHRISTIAN called, and deposed
On Sunday night the 18th January, was called to
Mr.. Blackburn, and found him lying on the way
| scales; he was breathing slowly and heavily, and
blood was DOSING from mouth and nostris; it was
clearly case OF great urgency, and | requested
that stimulans be brought, and that another physi
clan and instruments should be sent for; requested
that he should be taken to my room; but at the
suggestion of other gentlemen, he was taken to Mr.
Whites, where he was placed on the cellar door,
As coon he was laid down and light was brought
| saw wound on his neck, on the left side immedi.
ately below the ear, and directly in the course OF
the carotid artery. saw that Mr.. r. was dying,
and believed that his death proceeded from cutting
the carotid artery. requested that the physician
with instruments be sent for not that thought they
would be of service. but that thought itproper.
did not examine the body particularly, nor did