Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-03-02
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

in the case Of the United States ps. Dodd rid %
C. Lee, charged with the killing of David
Hume, in W sshington city, Feb. n, 1857. tool
place before Justices Samuel Drury and John
d. Clsrk-Messrs- s. 8. Baxter, Of this citv.
and Arthur Taylor, Of Alexandria, represent
ing the eoveInnens, and w. d. Davidge,
James Q. Walker, sworn.-I was nr...n,
when the shooting occurred; knew Hume. bu,
not tho accused; went to the Pension Ofics
with Hume this morning, and into the room
Of the chief clerk, 0t was about o. cIock !
and enquired for Mr.. Lee, and wa, shown
by Mr.. Cole into the room Of the accused:
Hume Immediately asked Lee If he was not
yet satisfied that he (Hume) was not the per.
son VINO bad taken his pocket book; Lee re.
Piled that he was not. At that particular
point Hume undertook al explain alton of the
relative positions Of himself and the accused,
as they met or passed each other last night at
the Presidents q, and endeavored to satisfy Lee
that II he had even been an expert pickpocket
1t would have been impossible for him TO pick
the pocket Of Lee under the circumstances:
Lee still persisted in asserting that be saw the
hand Of Hume come from his Gee's) pocket
but afterwards modified the remark BY ssyins
he saw the hand Of Hume come from the di.
rection Of bis pocket; Hume then remarked to
Lee that he (Hume) gave away and threw
away more money every year than he Iee)
was worth, or words to that effect; Lee re piled
that he had no doubt of that, as he Lee) was
poor man l believe it was at that point that
Hume adyerted to bis age, stating it to be As:
that he had been In business nearly 30 years of
that time, and his character FOR honesty and
veracity had never been impeached, or words
substantially the same; Hume then appealed
to witness in reference to his character, age,
the length Of time he had been In business,
and his general standing; witness said that be
- -.
matters referred to; Afterwards he (Hume)
again asked Lee If he still persisted in assert
ing that he (Hume) had picked his pocket or
taken his pocket book Lee replied that he
did, aud that instant Hume Misunderstanding
and striking Lee over the head ut the same
moment" You damned rascal, do you say
sole your pocket book ?" (cane shown to wit.
ness thinks i was the cane used by Hume;
does not know whether the sentence above re-
ferred to was completed before the blow was
struck; cannot say that Hume struck Lee
more than once; in almost an instant lit could
not have been fifteen seconds) after the blow
was struck / heard the report Of a pistol; I
did not see the pistol at the time, nor at any
time until now that it is shown me on this ex-
animation; Hume Immediately fell on his back
II the southwest corner Of the room; I was
taken 30 much by surprise that / did not get
to Hume until other gentlemen had reached
him; as he was falling looked to see where
Lee was, and found him three, four or FIVE
steps from Hume; as Hume fell he said, "My
God, I'm dead man. and these were the
only words which heard him utter; his bod y
was turned round near to the door after he
fell; Hume lived shout ten minutes after being
shot.
Question by Mr.. Lee-Did you bring me or
furnish me any evidence of your character or
standing by which could know vhether I
could rely on your statements, We being utter
strangers to each othsr' Answer. did NOT:
did not understand Hume as taking me to
the Pension Ohce or anywhere else in search
OF Lee tor the purpose of my substantiating
his (Humes character.
Question by Mr.. Lee-In what position did
stand in relation 10 Mr. Hume at the time
Of being struck? Answer. Immediately In
front of him
Q Was in q menacing attitude A. did
not so regard it During the conversation
which preceded the striking Lee did lean his
back against the desk part of the time, but
at the moment the blow was struck he was not
leaning against the desk.
2 What was my position at the moment
you heard the report Of the pistol? A. was
standing near the door in the southeast corner
OF the room, leaning on o desk; Hume stood,
all the time Of the interview with Lee, to nv
right; after the blow was struck the parties
advanced, / suppose, two or three steps from
had done 80 heard the report of The pistol
the FIRST saw Of Lee after the report of the
pistol be was rather nearer the north side of
the room than the south.
Y Did / not retreat and did not Hume ad =
vance on me? A. did not 50 regard il; I
did not regard Lee as retresting, but as yield
ing to the influence Of the blow, which he had
received
q When you heard the report of the pistol
was not IL an almost PROSTATE position in
the southwest corner Of the room? A. said
awhile ago, and now repeat, that I did not
observe and do not recollect the exact position
OF the parties at the time the pistol was fred
or heard its report
Thomas Crogan sworn "a pistol was shown
20 "ltnessl Does not know that he ever saw
tne pistol before; never saw II before.
La fayette J. Brown, sworn-I was present
when the shooting occurred; about 81 o'clock
thlS morning, Mr.. Cole came to my room door,
and the same in which Lee is engaged, and
asked If Lee was in; Lee replied Yes" Mr..
Coie said that there were two gentlemen at
the door who wanted to see him; Lee ad :
vaneed towards the door and met the gentle
men, tney were Hume and Mr. Walker; both
Ynusmen came into the room; Hume asked
Lee If be still persisted in the charge, or word,
10 that effect, Of his having taken his pocket
ooOki Lee replied that he was the man he
thought; Hume then went on to sneak Of his
character and standing, the length of time he
had been IN business, and that his friends and
scquaintances would all testify to his GOOD
character, Do, that he was forty-fye years
OK age and had never had his character i'm
lmIesched before; Lee then remarked tina,
ne Zee was ten years bis senior; Hume tn en-
asked Lee if he still persisted in the charges
70 which be replied that he did; Hume then
asked what lead him to believe il; Lee re.
pied that he saw his (Hume's) hand pass M
under his coat after having felt hand in his
pocket, and thst turning round be saw the
nsnd OF Hume passing up under his coat
between ms coat and vest; at this point Hume
caea Lee a damned scoundrel, or infamous
tco1ndrel, do not remember which. and 7
think was about to raise a cane when Lee "a.
m.fked tnat ne did not want any difficulty
mere; Hume remarked that be did not come
Tor that purpose, or words 10 that effect: some
furtner conversation occurred betue.n a..
Psrues; Hume then asked Lee If he still per
sisted in the charge; Lee replied that be still
saoasnt tnat ne could not be mistsken-that
he Hal the man. Hume than ,o:..S -,