The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-09-22
LOCAL MATTERS.

j
VI De,'berase Murasr--7a Murderer IN Custody
We nave TO record this morning the foulest
d ana most deliberate attempt at murder that
mas ever occurred in our city, within our re-
.oiieeIion On Tuesday night last, about half
| past y O'Clock, n man named JogN II MEL
TON, mailing from Louisiana and soiourninr
| ior the time at the Exchange Hotel. appeared
at the clerks Office and demanded TO know
S,a,,, S,y ne couia not De waited upon. Mr.. p. o.
siAaS, SiaS, one OF the clerks in attendance. asked
MN what was the matter-to W. hich Molton
fepiied that he had ordered his dinner IN be
tho. ssnt s 70 his room bnt could not get it; and
been furnished. He then asked for his h;tr
SAYING he would leave the hotel and when II
Sinma, Tas furnished faa him. he threw it irto Mr..
OF the clerks. saw that Melton was yerv r,neh
e1clted, and said that there were threa cor
oTsaS onHss In, anen waiting upon him, and that an
oTder had been sent to the dining-rocro for b;s
supper to be furnished in No Sc, ~, ~. ra nIs
then occupied by him. Notwitbstan5in, .ha
insulting abuse by Melton. Mr.. Sjnmse nv nc
70 hi seo Ms ms temper, and invited him to 30
70 MS room, telling him that his sumner vyor7d
ne ne sent mp. Melton continued his abuse mil
ar. Simms told him he would have to naii
IN me police and have him and his baggage
! put into the street if he did not eonduct 5i,,
self better This remark seer,ed ~ ;noraal
| Meifon's excitement, and he responded tbo+
| no one would put him or his hagran-e out Of
..e nolel. mf; hopkins then directed a SER
eant 70 nring the baggage in No. osf to the Of
| ice, but the order was not obeyed Melt,n
| alter continuing his abuse for some time wen,
| lowing note: ~ t
" Dear Sir: You have said Won would ba xa
mi Dag age put on the street because { called
70 hhoW WI mi bell was not ansered / am
| now 10 Sc about it Done | shall wait mill
i'e hihhIts After you receive this.
| j. II. MELTON"
IN ABOUT ten minutes after Melton left the
once, his bell rang violently, and Mr.. Simms
sent Il servant up to answer it, When the SER
| want returned he handed Mr. s the ahova
hote' ana sad other servants We're there 10 at
| laid it down. --' "''e'
very soon after the nero handed Mr. g tba
hoIe, melton appeared in the office. and re-
nv nv Gu ms ohensive remarks. Mr.. Simms then
.ono iiiln tn'tt ne would have him put into the
| street, at which Melton struck s in Ihe face
! with MS hat, and S. smacked Melton,s iawc
| melton at once stepped back from the counter
hr. oiinns being on the inner side and ran
MS mana IN his pocket, as if to get a Weanon =
MI Sihms seeing this movement said to him
uoh shoot me, at the same time picking up
d slhaii piece OF iron used to turn off the gas
| a~hu ~ coping from behind the counter As he
| ulu So, melton drew 4 Derreuper DistoI ond
urea upon him, the bali taking effect about An
inch ana q halt above, and TO the right Of the
MAYER, passing through the abdominal cavity
ana 10 lodging III the kidney or bladder
ihe moment the pistol was fired Melton ran
10 MS room, locked himself in. threw the dis
chafged weapon into the street and pot into
| ped soon alter two of the watchmen arrived
|
rested nm. When he saw that he was in cus
! tody, he called the attention of the officers to
the iact that his pistol was loaded, and that he
could not have shot any one. The emnty MS
| toi, however, was found, and Melton taken to
! the station house.
Mr. S!mms, finding himself dangerously
| Wonnaed, made the fact known, and Doctors
| Conway and Peachey We're called IN TO see
| nm, but found that his wound was exceeding
ly dangerous, and in all probability would
| prove fatal.
AT an early hour yesterday morning, the
ONCE OF the Exchange Hotel, and the sidewalks
| between that and the Ballard House were
| completely thronged with citizens all anxious
| ly enduring the condition OF the wounded
| man. Mr. SlmmS is well known to all classes
| IN our community, and is universally be-
! loNed, that every seemed to feel us if Il
| dear friend had fallen by an assasSin's hand.
Drlng IN the prime OF life, and of an iron con-
! situtlon, some few hoped that he might
| Vlve the wound, until they heard that he had
| desraired OF recovery, and under the impress
| SION that he was then upon the very verge OF
| the grave. had sent for Alderman Caskie and
| TO him made his dying declaration
| About halt-past O'Clock, while many per-
| sons were near the Exchange Hotel, the Off
| GERS on their way to Court passed by, having
| Melton in charge. As he got opposite the
| crowd, with a heinous smile upon his counte-
| nance he waved his hand TO them-as il the
| blood OF an unofehding fellow being was not
| upon if-and by so doing came nigh bringing
| down upon himself that fearful vengeance
| which is occasionally visited upon criminals
| by an enraged popuiace. Scores of young
| men sad "let US hang him at once and hun
| dreds OF others would have readily Joined in
| the summary execution had but a single dar-
| ing spirit lead on the friends of the poor suf-
| terer who was then almost III the agonies OF
| death.
| Arriving at Court, MELTON was placed in
| the criminal dock ana seemed To be feaTfuliy
| agitated at the excited throng around him
| lie appears to be about torty-1iY years of age
| and his face indicates vindictiveness unfor-
| riVpnpSS "a G ia ha . ,,lan
| er IN Louisiana, and man of means. He ar
| rived here about six weeks since and intended
| purchasing anumber of servants for his own
| use. After remaining Il short time he
visited the mountains of Virginia, and while
| a. the White Sulphur insulted a gentleman,
| who knocked HIM down. He has been on Il
| drinking frolic ever since he came TO Rich
| mond. and there seems TO be no doubt that he
| was intoxicated at the time he shot Mr..
| Simms, though he had sense enough after
| having the first controversy in the office, to go
! 10 his room and load his pistols and after the
| shooting to throw away the enlpty one, and
| endeayor TO make the police believe that he
| had not fired on any one Learning that Mr..
| Sllnms was III a dying condition, the Mayor
remanded the prisoner 10 Jail until to-mor-
| row.
| AT n late hour in the afternoon, Mr. Simms
| was IN very critical condition, and scarcely
| hope was entertained of his recovery. Du-
| ring the day he bore his su1ierings with great
| fortitude. and occasionally slept sOundiy.-
| From the moment he was shot, he seemed to
| feel that there were no hopes Of his recovery,
| and in his conversations with his friends, who
| gathered around his bedside, weeping bitter
| tears at his sad tate, he told them he must die,
| and took leave of them. During most of the
| forenoon, Revs. Messrs. Boggs and Duncan at
| tended him. conyerscd with him about his fu-
| ture hopes, and prayed with him and for him.
| About O'Clock he made Il profession of reli-
| gion. and professed Il willingness to die The
| scene is said to have been most affecting one,
| and to have caused a flow of tears from
| unused to weeping. After his conversion, he
| fell off into quiet slumber, and slept as
peacefully as an infant.
| As there We're but two witnesses to the
| shooting. and fears We're entertained thar they
| might no recognize the prisoner, il was deemed
| advisable that Mr.. Simms should see him.
| This fact being made known 10 Deputy Ser
| geants Bray and Hall. they took Melton from
| the Jail and conveyed him 10 the Exchange
| Hotel. When conducted to the bedside OF the
| wounded man, Mr. Simms looked upon him
| and then said 'On my dying bed. swear that
| the prisoner is the man who shot me-" Melton
| was immediately taken out OF the room and
| guarded back to his prison.
| Mr.. Simms is but tWenty-seven years of age.
| He has been a clerk at the Exchange Hotel for
! several years. and is beloved by all who know
| him. He is a Mason and a Knight Templar,
| and is universally popular with the members
Of those institutions.
Hsary RaiHs.-Our city was visited last
Tuesday night by the heaviest fail of rain that
bars ha