The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-18
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
RICHM0HD, VA,
TUESDAY MORNING. APRIL is. lssa.
lfRoM OUR SPECIAL REroRrER.l
TRIAL FOR MURDER
Trial in the Circuit Superior Court Of Rock
ia3J bridge County,

Trial in the Circuit Superior Court Of Rock
7a3J bridge County,
HELD IN LEXINGTON, VA.
JUDcE LUCAS P. THOMPSON, Presiding,
SECOND DAY. t
FRIDAY, April Ii, 1854.
The first witness called was Miss JULIA
JUNKIN, young and interesting person, who
testified that Mr.. Black burn accompanied
her, the night heswas killed, to the Presbyte.
rian Church There was nothing unusual in
his appearance there was no unnatural ex-
citement in his manner. We entered by the
right hand inner door. where Mr. Il. parted
with me. He had called at my fathers house
to go with me to church by previous arrange
ment l was well acquainted with Mr. b.,
and am well acquainted with Miss Anderson;
was satisfied that MS. B. was not suitor of
Miss AS. They were cousins. Miss AS
father and MIR. BIS mother were first cousins.
Miss A. did not reside in this place, but was
on visit to her uncle's, Mr.. s. Med. Moore
She came in December. At the Examining
Court gave the same testimony with this in
addition On our walk to church we spoke
of the subject of the sermon that morning,
which was predestination. AS MIR. Black burn
handed me into church he handed me my
book, and said, you know better how to use.
it than do E4s qtsu-s &
+ DIR. EDWARD GRAHAM called, and gave his
opinion as to the position of the deceased and
the prisoner at the time the wounds were in
fiicted. The wound in the head might have
been given when either up or down; but his
impression was that the wound in the back
and in the neck were given when the parties
were down. His impression was derived
partly from the nature ofthe wound and part
ly from the testimony of DR.. Massie.
+ Cadet ). b. HORNER called On Saturday,
the 18th January, Cadet Humes and myself
were sitting in the Mess Hall of the Institute
eating dinner, when Mr.. Blackburn entered
and remarked, "fellows, you are the very
ones l want to see." | asked him what was
the matter I! He said he had just read note
or letter written by Mr. Christian to his cou-
sin, Miss Anderson, which was the most
ridiculous thing he ever read One or two
remarks passed between Mr. Humes and Mr.
Black burn, which do not distinctly remem-.
Der; before or after which remarks Il do not
remember which, Mr.. Black burn said that he
was ''going to see Christian Immediately" /
remarked to him, "Blackbu do not be too
hasty, wait till we finish our dinner, and we
will go with you" He did wait, and when
we had finished our dinner we came by the
barracks on our way to Lexington. MIR. b.
there got an Overcoat which he threw over
HAo SuOuioCir aHO hCpL VI UOOJ ny DUltOu-
ing the cape. We then came to Lexington,
and went to McDowell's Hotel We inquired
If Christian was in his room in the Hotel A
servant was sent up to see, and returned, say
ing he was not in. l then proposed that we
should go up to Moore's Hotel, and probably
we would find him there. We did 70 to
Moere's, but Mr.. Christian was not there
returned to McDowelrs, and when with
in few PAGES of the front door leading to the
l.
the sill of the door in company with. Cadet
Langhorne. said to Blackburn, =" there is
Christian!" Sowell as can remember, Mr..
Black burn, as was habitual with him, had his
right hand in the breast of his coat at the
time. He withdrew his hand from the breast
of his coat, while approaching Mr.. Christian,
and then walked up to where he was standing
and said to him that he tcished to see hsm, or
something to that effect. / don't remember
what reply Christian made, but he descended
the steps and accompanied Black burn to the
passage Immediately abovethe door in which
he was standing. b., think, buttoned his
furlough coat the buttons had been unbut-
toned to insert his hand as he approached
the passage door. MIR. Christian observed,
had a stick either in his hand or under his
arm at the time. They went into the passage,
and a short conversation ensued, the last two
remarks of which l overheard they were
these " Sir, honor you for your noble prin-
ciples.', In whieh~remark l thought / re-
cognized the voice of Mr.. Christian Mr. B.
was standing near the sill of the outer door,
when he turned, l think, to Mr.. Christian and
said; Good evening, sir," or Good eve
ming, Mr. Christian" was standing about
six feet from the door of the passage, and in
D diagonal direction from the door when
overheard these remarks When Mr.. Black
burn came out of the passage, l asked him
what had been the result of his interview 3.
He remarked i'll an ordinary tone of voice,
"just as l expected; he (Christian) has not
courage enough to strike child" He made
no further comment on Mr. Christians cha
racter: but remarked that he was satisfied
and would take no further notice of the at
fair.
Black burn repeated the conversation that
he had had with Christian in the passage,
either before or after, Il do not remember
which, the two preceding remarks. He and
Mr.. Humes then crossed the street, and saw
no more of Black burn that evening. B.
said to me and H., before he crossed the
street, that ''he told Christian that he BLACK
burn) was the traducer or calumniator men,
toned in his Christians 81 note to his cousin,
and that it was he who advised his cousin not
to accompany him to church on the appoint
ed evening, and that he tB.) was responsi
bic for both his cousins conduct andhis own;
and if he co. wished to know the reason
why he advised his cousin to reject his COM
pany for church, on Sunday evening, he tB.)
would tell him. Christian asked him bis rea-
sons. He tB.1 told him, he understood that
he had not very good reputation in Lexing
ton, and that he did not wish to see his cou-
sin with any such man." Then Mr.. b. said
that Mr.. Christian remarked, in reply, that
the honored his (B.'s) noble principles. -
Then b. approached the door and remarked,
i'good evening, MIR. Christian"
/ think Mr.. b. was in my room on the day
after Sunday, and l heard nothing more
from him about this matter. am almost
confident that the words heard, II honor
your noble principles" were not In Black
burns voice. knew his voice well.
Blackburn manner was respectful when
be approached Christian. He had ON his
blue fnrlough coat, buttoned so tight that no
arms could have been carried in the breast.
without being easily seen. did not know
whether he had arms in bis coat pocket or
no. He was not in the habit of carrying
arms, and judging from his character, l
should not think that he carried arms about