Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-28
TRIAL FOR MURDER.

| 1hlAL FOh MURDER.
CRIMINAL CouRf ION Wednesday only steven juror
were selected for the case of DoDDRIDGE LEE for
though great number of taesmen brought in dur
ing the afternoon, the Court adjourned without bein
able to obtain twelfth considerable number of tales
men were similarly called yesterday when at length tn
twelfth juror was found in Mr.. VIM. E. Myers.
At halfpast IL o'clock Mr.. BRADLEY made his openn.
address to the jury for the prosecution He briefly
what he took to be the law of the case and defined thu
malice contemplated by the Law in such terms b,
thought would not be contested by the other side
rounded as the subject admittedly is with difficulty
difference Of opinion. He passed in review reel
tai of the facts in the unfortunate in hand
which he took the ground that if it shall be proved that
the defendant who is not in the habit of carrying pis
toll prepared himself on that particular morning with
such an instrument in expectation of meeting Mr. Hume
whom he had the evening before provokingy accused
an lgnomnleus crime and that, without giving notice to
the other party OF such preparation he took his e the
case would show generalization and would amount to
murder.
Mr.. Chiffon followed in address of much cogency
He followed Mr. Bradeys order first speaking the
and then to the facts Relying upon the law as laid down
by this Court in prior trials he considered the case clear
one for acqutta If Lee at the time he shot Hume beey-
ed himself to be In serious danger Of bodily injury he
Justlhed under the law. Even had the hellsh malice
rlbued to him dwelt in his heart still if he did
act and Hume put himself in his way and passed be-
yond the line of right putting Lee in jeopardy of life
or limb Lee justified in Staying him. So much for
the case on the theory of the prosecution But the de-
fence look upon the matter differently They deem both
parties to have been entire strangers each other and
not till the evening of the 9th February have known
Of each others existence That the levee at the Pre-
sdents house Lee was robbed of his pocketbook and
honestly believed Hume to have been the robber Lee
seized hi and called for officer showing all the signs
of sincere conviction that he had the right man. As for
Potters testimony in reference his informing Lee who
Hume really was Mr.. Chiffon did not know what it
Int is 10 Laos
that Potter as little known Lee as was Hume him
Self There was an exchange of cards, and Hume
slapped Lee In the face telling him at parting will
see you, sir, again IN the morning, if it is in hell The
prisoner denies the story that he sought to borrow p
tol the morning of the 18th the pistol he used was
his own and will be proved such by competent testimo
n.y. He spoke of Humes ability to have satisfied Lee of
his responsibility by appealing not parties unknown
to Lee, but to gentlemen then in the Pension Office
as Messrs Hooe and Peyton. He also alluded to state
ment that had been made that Mr. Heaton had in con-
versaton with Lee held early in the morning of the 28h
corroborated Lees opinion to Humes being the party
who took his pocket-book, and of his looking like
guilty Mr. Chiffon touched several other points
and read the instructions of the Court in the Herbert
case and also in the Sims case show that under them
his client is entitled to aequittal.
DR.. s. A. SToRRow was then put the stand and ex-
amined in reference to the of the wound by which
Mr.. Hume was killed.
Mr.. S. G. HEAToN a clerk at the Pension Office was
next examined. His testimony substantially that
given at the Coroners inquest and published by us at
the time, with few additional points. He described
Humes amazement at the charge made against him by
Lee at the doorway Of the room of the Presidents
and heard him say to Lee, Come sir you must go with
me- and will have this matter settled Next morn
ing Mr. Hume and Mr. Walker called at Lees room in
the Pension Office, when deponent was there and the
conversation ensued out Of which grew the homicide
Lee referred to deponent testimony of the fact of
Humes rebbing him, but deponent Immediately, in Lees
and Humes presence, dsclamed all personal knowledge
of such fact and said all he knew was that Lee had made
he assertion DpnOnpnt not hear tn
Lee when in the Pension Office that he (Hume) had told
Lee the night before he would meet him again if in
hell" When Lee said the office place for diff
Guilty Hume said he had with purpose of making
Hume did not strike Lee with his cane till after
the answer of deponen denying any personal knowledge
of the alleged theft of the pocket-book.
When this witness under cross-examinaton by
Mr. Chiffon he asked what he said to Lee early in
the morning in confederation of Lees belief that Hume
guilty, to which question objection being made by
Mr. BRADLEY, the Court decided the question nadmiss
BILE, at least at this stage of the trial.
Mr.. 81. C. POTTER, of Philadelphia, was next examined
He is student at the Alexandria Theological Seminary
and present the atercatioat the Presidents the
9th Of February Did not kno at all but had seen
Mr. Hume before, though not intimate with him. On the
occasion in question deponen asked if this Mr.
Hume, of Alexandria, to which Mr.. H. replied yes
when deponent remarked to Mr. Lee, g Sir, you have
made grievous blunder in this charge; this is Mr.
Hume, a merchant of Alexandria Some gentlemen
then nerposed and proposed that the parties exchange
cards. which they did The next thing deponent heard
Hume asking Lee if he still charged him with taking
his pocket-book. Lee answered he still did, whereupon
Hume slapped him two three times in the face Per-
sons then up, and the parties separated.
DR.. BERRY examined corroborated the testimony of
DR.. Storrow.
Mr.. LAFAYETTE BROWN, also clerk, testified substan
TALLY like Mr.. Heaton, and followed by Mr. ROBERT
GEDDEs employed in the Office. His testimony
in nearly every important point confrmatoy of the pre-
vious witness. He saw the pistol in Lees hand and
identified that produced in court as the one.
At about haf-past four the Court adjourned
SECOND DAY.
The first witness yesterday morning was Mr.. THos. j.
MILLER, whose testimony mainly corroboratye of
the previous witnesses He said additionally that he
thought he heard Hume the expression to Lee that