Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1854-05-04
THE TRIAL OF CHRISTIAN.

tue i1els Dg TINS course, than BY condensed sfatl
meat ofall the evidence upon the trial We pfeierre
TOO iogye theiestimony Of lie witnesses i ne ore
OF the several periods Of time at which tie Incident
occurred 80 far possible rather THAI as il was give
Ia al the trial Our design was 10 this 10 make
eonnected story Eof The events Of this sad drama
from lfs beginning until is fatalteShinasion in ID
Geath Of young blackburn.
The Physicians differed in their opinions a. to III
tine and position Of the parties, when the fata
wound was given. We have not epaee to give In
opinions ofall Of them, and therefore We prsfeTss
10 give none
We found il necessary also 70 condensss III tests
mony as 70 third pool Of blood. The iwisnesse
conficted in their statements, and we tags giver
briefly some q the evidence on each ,side-.i, .
C0risei for "A Commonwealth. = Asyid III Moore
Ss 20 Attorney assisted by Thpmas J
For ne PyisoHer-A u. II Stuart of Augusta
Charles L. Moshy of Is nchburg and, janis 81 Dor
man, Robert l. Doyle Samuel II. Leleher, and John
d. Sterrett OF Rockbridge,
J.Ig.-Moses LSdvSek, David fTitmere, John
a. Reynolds, John r. Brown, James F. Edmilton,
Joseph W. Kelso, William L. Ayres JOSEPH q. w
Bell VIM. W. Stnsrt Zach j. Mc1hesrev Alfred
Douglas, and James F. Bell f
On distract If Tie testimony upon The aFtdI of
Chas B.. Christian, indicted 1ior the murder
Of Ilhos Blackburn, on tie I5M ofiJqnua
ri, 1854, and tried at ne 1pfH Term Of
tie Roct5ria5e Circuit Ceuri.
Cadet BRUcE. Mr.. Blackburn LEFT .the In
stitute 10 or Is minutes before NEON Sunday
evening. On Saturday or Sunday rhorning
Blackburn Requested me to tell Miss lAnler-
son that he had taken some no6!eiof ,the az
fair. On Saturday, the 18th Of January, was
al Mr.. S. Ned. Moore'sf and whilst, there, Mr..
Blackburn came In. Mrs. Moore said that Miss
Anderson had received a letter from Cliistian,
Of q laughable character. Blackburn aud my
self tried to persuade Miss Anderson tt show
il to Us, but She refused. Mrs. Moore then
told her she did not think il would be wlsabg TO.
show il. and after little more persuasion, she
did show it. After the letter WIS produced
she handed il to Blackburn, who commenced
reading it, laughing at every other lind lie
read only the Latin. part aloud. \ shot time
after the letter was read and laid aside, Black
burn and myself left together After lei,ying
Blackburn remarked that in that hitter there
was pieceWhieh he ought to notice. liz tlsn
repeated to me hatportion ofthe letterdelouhc
ing him as calumfniator. i did not understand
ituntil he explained it more fully. He asked
sne what ne oughtto-do about il. Alter 4 lit
lie consultation, we concluded that he has bit
Ter see Christian. and tell him that be wak tie
man. sOn Sunday Blackburn aud ! walked up
part of the way 10 Church. On our way d
CHURCH remarked to Blackburn, in "A jogular
way, Il expect CAristth will challenge ssoa
yet, and If he does it'll have to be yofr secoha}1
Blackburn laughed, and'said there Nas no Gag-
ger of anything Of that sort coming ID pass. j
saw no more Of Blackburn until as lie STATED
IS Or 20 mihuies1 before VAS -FFsaay % lgs.
lie staid in NV room talking unttl we; Her.s
peady to 90. He then left by himself, and !
saw no more Of him Hntil after his death.
Cadet J. w. IIuMEs.-The first that know
concerning this matter is that the week betoIs
Mr. Blackburn's death, 1 understood M.
Christian had made an engagement with Mis-
Anderson to escort her TO Church 9ni Sunday
evening. Iwentto Blackburn sponlafer:h hear
ING this. and told him tina; Md heard cflhis
engagement, and that Mr.. Christiih's repglg
tation. SO far As Was acquainted With II, s%as
not such at least, that it would be 10 lbs Cou
in's credit ID 90 to Church with him, and
Since Regarded myself rs friend of both him,
and his Cousin, / thought lad better tel Of
The engagement. and If he wanted my ad:iae
sbout il, he had better go over and steli beg not
50 accompany him, / do NOT know what re-
bly, he made, but he went over. Abopt2
O'clock p. NJ, Eon tie / 4th of January, Homer
and myself were at dinner in the Mess liale
blackburn entered the side door at my bach
and made some remark heard by HoFner5 but
hot by me. Blackburn then adyaneed and
stood behind facing me with his hack 70 the
stove. He then told US Of the Letter as Mn
Horner has. He said, for delicious nonsense
he had never seen. It's equal. Het then saSl he
was poing 10 town, lor rather asked 5fhe onght
81 90 i REPLIED that did not thihkit was a
matter in which fight was to be feared, but.
however that might be, yet justief requires,
that Mr.. Christian If he desired it Should know
The name of the man who had dbne him an
injury. i said, from what had seea dfr Mr..
Christian. if he did not shut him ~ about ii
5r take some notice Of il, he would make the,
whole affair and bis Cousins nattiein corthex-;
Ion with it, the subject Of towB gossip, and hel
had better shut him (Christian) up abopt iti
blackburn replied II viii GO TO town imInedi-i
a,cly.s Mr.. Homer then told him not to act:
200 rashly. Itold him to wait and we would
10 with him. NV reason was thai il he hap
snened 10 speak to Mr.. Christian IN the prs
snce OF other persons he might not have diff
Guilty with him, but if be happened ainong
Chriktian's friends lie might need some help.
Blackburn waited until we were done dinner
and we started to town. concur with the
statement Of Hornef until the time We gotback
soNtD owelIs until Christian ai,lBlackburn
entered the passage, except thai donotremem-
Der whether Blackburn had his hand IL the boz
som Of his coat or not, but did not notice par-
sticulariy. 1didnothpproach the psssage door.
INF. Horner was about six feetfrom it | did not
;hear the remarks. Of which Horner spesEs. j
:only heard BIackburn's report Of the iateEriev.
blackburn said after coming from the passage,
3. informed Christian that had seen his note
TO Miss Andersen. the contents Of which you
know. told him that was. as be termed me,
ihis calumniator, and that had advised Miss
Anderson who IS my Cousin, not % acconi-
Iispanv him to Church, and that was responsible
shot6 for what she ana had done. Itold Mr.
:chfistian that knew nothing Of him personally
Isbut that | knew hislrepuiation was pot god IN
I.the community, and therefore advised my
! cousin. not to gos with him. To this Mr
/ Christian replied, you did il from those mo
Tvs i was noble act in you" Black
4 hmm ana i then left 10 Gallon some ladies, and
so.fsr e recollect, no further remark va
padeupon the subject ] did not hear the e
marx sjust As / expected, de- Of which M
! Homer hiss spoken | heard ar. Langhern'
/ sav that Christian sid thsk<tlsis would nes :.
I IL the last Of it. 3lF. Blackburn sad = h
,aom that night, a. tie next day, l4at # b
sslIeuSsd he would fight any one viii