The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-19
| FROM ouR SPECIAL REPORTER.
TRIAL FOR MURDER
ItpeE LUCAS p. THOMPSON, Presiding,
SECOND DAY-[CoSTINuED.l

d Lexington On Sunday evening, January
18th, about 10 inmates after clock, while
in the Presbyterian Church, his attention
was arrested by noise in the vestibule. On
gong out to see the cause, was informed by
some one that Cadet had been killed by
negro. Saw a crowd at Whites corner, and
upon going there saw the Cadet lying in rear
of Whites store, inside the inclosure and un-
der shed on u cellear cap. While there,
heard his (Jordan's) name called by Mr. Mas
sic in the street, who informed him that the
person who committed the murder had gone
into the Hotel. Mr.. Jordon then detailed the
visit 10 the Hotel exactly as Mr.. Massie did in
his testimony. Learned first from Mr.. M.
that Christian was the murderer, and was in
formed by some one on the steps that he de-
sired to give himselfup Went to his room
and entered. Witness continued Mr.. Chris
tian was at a washstand had been washing;
was using towel; he advanced towards me
and said, /" Mr. Jordan, this is bad scrape ]
| have gotten into; but could not help t.
| He remarked, think, q 1t was the only way
| in which could extricate myself He went
on TO make other remarks, which do not re-
member but was stopped, probably by Mr..
Letcher, who told him to say no more
Messrs. Letcher, Morris, Seaver and Schriver
were present. | told him to put on his clothes
and go with me- which he Immediately turned
! to do. Mr.. Schriver told him there was still
blood on his face, and he turned to the bowl
| to wash it. While there, he asked several
| times if Black burn was dead; said he hoped
| he would mt die he would mt have him to die
for the world.
The witness then related the circumstance
of his commitment prisoner did not want to
go to Jail wished to remain under guard in
the Hotel when told this could not be- said
ne could give security for his appearance
| Searched the prisoner 5 person, his room and
| his trunk, for the arms. in company with Col.
Smith and Mai. Preston found none, except
| bullets and bullet-moulds in his room Wit
ness examined Christian's clothes; found them
very bloody, and found great deal of mud
on the back of his coat did not remember
| whether there was a track of blood or not
| between the two pools at the scene of the
rencontre.
| S. LETCHER Houston called.-On the
night of the occurrence was at the Hotel; a
man came in for light, and said that some
one was badly stabbed went to the place
and found Cadet Black burn was the individ-
ual; he seemed to be dying. Some one said a
negro had stabbed him heard Mr. Massie
remark that the murderer had gone to the
Hotel, and soon after met MIR. Schriver, of
the Law School, who said that Christian had
stabbed Cadet Black burn and wanted to give
himself up. | then went up to Christian ;
room.
remarked to Christian that it was very
sad affair, and he was conscious Of his own
guilt or innocence, and if he was guilty he
had better take the back door. e.-he had
better fly. He replied, 'No could not help
it, ] asked him to explain, and he would
not do it told him it was a rascally act, and
he was no gentleman he then rushed upon
me, and / tried to keep him off with cane ;
he grappled with me, took the cane from me,
threw me down and choked me till l could
not halo drew the knife when was gasp.
ing, and cut him to make him let go.
When | went in c. was alone; noticed
traces of blood on his face and in his right
ear, though he seemed to have washed He
asked how Black burn was / said he was
dead, or dying. c. grew paler and said, God
forgive me / didnot intend to do it | would
change places with him " I asked him
what sort of a knife he used He answered,
Bowie knife, and that. he had thrown it in
the ravine near the pumps.
1t was five minutes after l got into the
room before Messrs. Jordan and Massie ar
rived. lie then made the remarks Mir. j.
has detailed. ! told him TO keep silent and
say nothing-not even to his best friend
When he said he cut Black burn, think he
said he cut his arms.
When i'll Jail Christian complained of his
throat, and | saw him spit blood. In comb
ing his head, before he left his room, the
comb and brush were both red with blood.
Question by the prosecution.-lieard no
one say anything about assisting him to es-
cape; and no remark about escaping, except
his own that if guilty he 'had better take
the bach door, The window of Christian s
room was only Is or 20 feet from the ground.
| Mr.. Jordan, who built the house, was then
called, and said it was only nlne feet from
the ground.
j. NJ. PETIGREw recognized a six barrel
revolver, shewn to him, as answering the de-
scription of one sold to the prisoner on the
l4th January, after dinner-about o'clock.
Prisoner had been looking at pistols at his
store several times for a month before.
Cadets TAYLOR and COUSINS were called,
and certified concerning the knife and stick,
which were found the night of the murder
the stick near the pool of blood where MIR.
Massie described the parties as lying when
the rayine near the pump. They were not
found by witnesses but by others, and given
to them, and they handed them to Mr. Bar
clay, to be given to a magistrate.
Cadet Buck was a roommate of Black.
burns; was quite certain B. had no arms
He had every opportunity of kAowing. Nei-
ther had trunk, nor any place to secrete
| weapons.
| JoHS COMPTON, lad, related a conversa-
ton in the room of law student, who board,
ed at his father house, where were Christian
| and other law students, on the Sunday of the
murder, about or O'Clock. G. said, re-
marking to his students, he could have ''seen
him" at church that morning, but Andrew
Moore wouldn't let him. Mr.. Voolfolk said
it was well he didn't, for the whole corps
would have jumped upon him. said, the
Cadets fight for one another. | knew they
were talking about Cadets, though no name
was mentioned. Told Christian then how
thirty Cadets once whipped COW driver ve-
ry badly, and ducked him in the river. Two,
it was said, scared the mans cattle, and the
man cursed them; they got scared and came
over the river after help--about thirty then
vent over and whipped the driver pretty
badly.
j. w. VOOLFOLK called-stated that he
was a law student; that he boarded at Mr.
Compton's 81 that Christian was at his room on
the afternoon of the 18th January; that he
told him of the interview between Black burn
and himself, in which Is. informed him that
he was the individual who set Miss Anderson
against him. On the occasion of the inter-