The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-20
e FROM orr SPECIAL REPoRrER.1
TRIAL FOR MURDER.
JUDcE LUCAS P. THOMPSON, Presiding.
FOURTH DAY.

in testimony reported we shall continue or,r Mar
dicated Saturday of presenting the remaining eyi.
aence IN a condemned form, preserving only the
RUTHERFORD FIGGArr called. He tesfi6ed m
having seen on the day after the murder fhree
pools of blood on the ground of the rencountre He
visited them about II o'clock in the day. First
saw the pool the side OF the street near the
curb stone then that near the hay scales and Iasv
tie to the west of the outer line Of the hay scales
ana about teen feet from the pool Ia front of the
scales. This last was smaller than either of the
| others-was five or six inches in diameter nearly
| round and little spattered-was certain Il was
blood No one else looking at 1t at that time There
| we're few people in town most Of them had gone
70 the Institute where the inquest was in session
Questions By Defence-Was summoned Satur-
| day. Did not know at whose suggestion Under.
| stood from DIR. Lindsay Saturday that he had tes.
tned as to the three pools of blood and remark ed
that he witness supposed that by the time the trial
was over his notions of the fray would come out
Had frequently remarked that he believed Chris.
| tian stabbed Blackburn In the neck Immediately
after the fray commenced and his reason for beey.
ing this was the third spot of blood which he had
cen Had remarked that the murder was a hor.
RID one-might have said it was q ablack crimen
Had no acquaintance with Christian and no preiu.
dices against him.
WIN BRosIUs called and testified that ON the Sum-
Day morning of the murder-Christian entered Nc
Doweirs Hotel bar,room, and playfully exhibited
bowie knife which he said did net belong is him
out which he was carrying for another gan Wit.
rying 1t to attack any one
j. STRIHLING, a law student, testified concerning
conversation ne had with Christian in his.
lwilhesss room Saturday evening the l4th Jan.
uary-the DAY before the murder. In this con.
versation the prisoner detailed to witness the
same account OF the interview with Blackburn he
mad given to others whose testimony has been
| Ieported.-He expressed the same apprehension
that D. wos armed and that the cadets would double
upon him. Witness advised him not to challenge
b. he {. being certain whether B. meant to be re.
sponsible for the sauder or only for the communi
cation OF to Miss Anderson said to witness that he
would seek an explanation from B. and if he refused
ne would tell him what he thought of his conduct
Prisoner had twoO pistols which he said he had
gotten because be was satisfied E. was armed but
he would only use them in selfdefence About that
| time Winn and Morris came in and the converse
ton about the bowieknife occurred which is fully
detailed in Winns testimony.
Witness also detailed the scenes and remarks in
the hotel the night of the murder after it occurred
corroborating the statements of Winn and Others
relative to the expressions of regret by prisoner-
| his statement of the manner of the fight-his mo-
| tives, &c.
SAM'L CAMPBELL called, and deposed that he ex-
amined the ground of the rencontre about O'Clock
| the morning after the murder, and found three
pools OF blood He described their location pretty
much as Figgatt had done. The pool not seen BY
most of the witnesses which he found in line with
the outer edge OF the scales and south of them
smaller than either of the others, and was splashed
| as though it had been spilled suddenly from cup
| MARTIN PHILLIPS was called, and deposed that
| he saw only two pools of blood on the night of the
murder but he visited the place the next day, in
| the morning, and he saw three He described their
relative position pretty much the others did diff
fering from all as all did from each other to some
degree as to the dimensions of the pools but agree
ing with them that the pool south OF the scales wa.
| the smallest of all.
| SAMUEL CAMPBELL re-called.-Had examined
the ground with Mr.. Lindsay about the time of the
| called court. The spots had all materially changed
| being blacker. He showed Mr. Lindsay the third
spot which he {L) said he had never seen before
dug up some of the earth from this pool and one
| of the others, and Mr.. l.. was convinced from the
| comparison, that was blood.
ALFRED e. STRAYER. a law student, called.-His
| testimony was general confederation of Winn's
Morris's and others. He detailed Christians's ac
count of the interview with Blackburn. According
| to witness version, when B. made the communica
tion to Christian, he co. replied All right for the
present, will see you again." To which he thinks
| c. informed him, b. said Every good, cir" This
was on the evening of the 18th January in Seevei.'
room, and the conversation has been detailed by g.
In this conversation, according to witness, C. made
| display OF his weapons-a revolver a single bar.
rel pistol and bowie knife. Witness told him it
was useless and foolish for him to be going about
| armed, and that he liable to Indictment: to
which he replied about his privilege under the Code
| to arm himself when he had reasonable cause to
believe that be would be attacked. The single bar
rel pistol he said he wouldn't for anything in
the world for he were to shoot at any body with it,
| he knew he would be goner." He had put FIVE
balls with it in the space of dollar. Witness re-
peated that it foolish for Christian to be carry
ing weapons. Told him he had no doubt he and
Blackburn could settle their difficulties amicably-
Asked him if he did not desire such termination
of them. He replied, certainly but that his charac-
ter had been assailed and if witness did not consi
der that sufficient for him to notice did not know
| what he would consider sufficient
| Witness then stated as others have done, C.s
plan of applying to Blackburn for explanation.
His declaration that he would not use his weapons
except in selfdefence-that he only armed because
Blackburn be believed was armed and because he
| was afraid the Cadets would double on him. C..
was in witness room Sunday evening; briefly re-
ferred to the matter of asking B. for explana-
| must 60, and departed. The next thing was the
murder, and the occurrences in the hotel with re-
gard to which the witness corroborated the state
| ment Of other Witnesses
| Questions By the Defcncc.-Ch Christian on one oc-
casion told witness that he meant to address Miss
| A and would marry her if she would have him.
| c. made an attempt TO see Miss A. the Thursday
before the murder. Witness went to Mr.. Moores
(where Miss a. staid) the night of the same day
that Christian called for this purpose II was un-
derstood in the company that C. had been there,
and Miss A. had denied herself ten him. Mrs.
Moore said that Christian was very pleasant and
fluent gentleman, and she would be happy for him
to continue bis visits to her house adding witness
thinks whether Miss Ella Miss Anderson) would
or not. Witness told C. Of this on his RETURN
Thinks c. wrote his note to Miss A. afterwards
see the legitimacy OF this course of testimony II
Mrs. or Mr. Moore were there and they were called
on to testify these matters, that would be quite
different. Surely it a great license to intro
duce in this way the chit chat OF the town, and they
could not see the propriety Of it.
The Defence replied that the reputation of the
prisoner had been assailed, and 1t qeite Iegiti-
mate and just to him to find out the opinion enter
| tained of him in respectable society
The judge interposed with the remark that the
question had been answered, and there was no oc-
| casion for further debate aboutit.
The Court took a recess ?
In the aft1aoon, WIN. CHARLTON was called and
testified to three pools of blood. He esaw three the
night of the murder and he saw them the next NOR
ming. The first he saw at the scales l2 inches in
diameter--the next between the engine house and
the scales or inches, with q stream broad ~
his finger taperng off into drops In the direction OF
another pool the eastern side of the street. about
the same In size with the last mentioned that near
| the scales being the largest. Witness had never
told any one about his seeing three pools. There
was nobody looking at the pools at night or IN tne
morning when be was there. He WAS sammenoa
at the instance OF Mr. Bumpass who had heard y ron
somebody he had not told, that he had seen tnfee