Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-06-24

CRIMINAL CouRrs- Yesterday, Thomas C. Kirk
ley, bsieklayer tried for assault and battery
upon slave apprentice named Charles H. Dant,
in his employ, with intent to kill him. u 81 sse
Hwss in evidence that Kirkleywas in the habit
Of beating Dant numerically, aud that on the oc.
casion referred TO above he had tied the unfort-
nate boy TO the floor and castigated him brutallv
with a cowhde, and Afterwards, tying his hands
behind him, placed a rope around HIS neck and
hung him up against the wall In such a posjtion
that his feet barely touched the floor 40 That The
moment he should become unable TO stand in an
upright position, ne would probably be strangled
to death hirkiey then went away, leaving the
boy locked up by himself, thus suspended with
no one In the house TO afford any relief TO him
lie was leit thus for several hours, and finally his
pains became so unbearable that he gave utterance
10 cries and groans, which alarmed the neighbors,
ana they breaking open the house, rushed In and
iound the boy so paralyzed from long standing in
MS constrained position, that his knees would not
bear his weight, and he was already beginning TO
support his body at the expense OF his breathing
powers The witnesses all say that In a shcrf
space OF time Dant would have been dead, had no
relief appeared. He was instantly cut down by
the excited crowd and fell helpless and almost
insensible into the arms Of those who performed
Tor MIN this act Of humanity Officers Were sent
for, who arrested Kirkley, whom the crowd were
disposed to lynch and took him before Justice
Williams; from whence he was committed to Jail
AT the time Of his arrest, Kirkley had a white
boy In MS employ, also an apprentice, and by
threats compelled him to go before the magistrate
and swear that he, 1.-THE boy) and not Kfrkley had
done this deed. This coerced periury was how
ever, entirely overthrown BY the officer who ar
rested kirkley, and who, seeing him Ia Ike the boy
| into an adjoining room, suspected his purpose,
| and, following him, overheard the conversation
In which kirkley, by use Of terrible threats CON-
PEELED the boy to go forward and perjure himself
| There was also another damnng proof against
Kirkley In respect to this point, which was that
the boy Dant was much larger and stronger than
| the white apprentice, showing that IL would have
| been impossible for him to have hung him M in
that position, or even to have inflicted the stripes
upon his back.
The jury thought proper to bring In verdict Of
assault and battery only.
Judge Crawford, in sentencing Kirkley. com
| mented upon his conduct at bis examination he
fore the committing magistrate, when, as was In
vice by dnt Of threats and terror to swear that he
(the boy) and not kirkley guilty Of the brutal
| treatment before alluded to, thereby suborninr
tue youth to commit perjury, Under the clrcuui'
| stances, the Judge sentenced the convicted mar
| 10 nI months Imprisonment in the county Jail
and to pay fine Of $40 and costs Of Court The
District Attorney prayed Kirkley in commitment
| until such time as the fine be paid
The jury In this case were: Caleb uckinuham
Francis Lamb, George Taylor Henry Warner
Samuel Duvall, John w. Ott, Daniel Lightfoot
n nnon,aS IN. II, Miles, James w Coombs, Sam1 T
John X skinner, VIM. II. skinner, John Cur
| ran, John Potter, VIM. Crown, James MEG ee
and Michael Heating were placed on trial for rio
| In the county, near Tenally town OH Palm SUNDAY
| The case was pending when the Court adjourned
| To-day, the Court having met, the above cas-.
was continued.the evidence being principally tt
the fact that the defendants were drunk on tn,
dayin question, and had got into fight and threw
| stones at each other, on the farm Of Mr. Collins
near TenallytOwn, in the county.
On the part Of the defendants, II was prov,d
that they always bore irreproachable characters al
to the time Of this charge
The case was given to the jury, who had not re
turned a verdict when our report closed
The case OF WIN. Parker, col d, was then taker
up, in which the defendant was charged witt
stealing one pair of shoes from Mr. Lewis PAYNE
In Georgetown. This case was pending when GU
/ reDOrt closed o -