The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-12-13
Ritbnuan 9ispatrt.
TUESDAY n0RNiNtl. DEG. = isss.

AnymnHu 1spatty
TUESDAY MORNING.. DEG. .. Isss.
60 49,. ar the Richmond Dsspateh.
...s.s.s.v. a ~ Lsss Accident ~ Nevoss-
cs,easvss fssssst-- Doctors Dssasvss-fsvssce'- :
NoRYoLK. Dec. ~, 1854
s,s> r.aet intense exci,s1aent prevailed scre
ero1 rrtday Afternoon lxss until o'clocn $50
srdsy s.s~ns o % s Il sSs sss Leonard Esa
49, a. tee editors Of Tho Southern Argus, n nao
Hsen ION nd dead In room No. 81, Nanonaa n
I'll. which was then occupied ey .as snssns
s..,sn ne Hcuss from about o'clock having
rsne 70 visit The WinanR steamef VIZ. $500
tsdiss and rsturned between ana .sse's
AID discovered the body Of the Iaa iy,ns @tJ 70
tNs 6oor Of his room, with what appearea -
- deem and horrible looking messed wou uaA'a
a nis throat which had severed the winopiEe
and caused instant death. ..
Jury Of inquest was empShneleu :" 49,
O'Clock Saturday morning. and sw RI In over .,
TIA hsiy Of the deceased, which stiii occupied
rccm No. n. Lieut. Murphy was the hrst
witness sworn, who testified relative 10 s ns
visit to the steamer and MS return, a.'. &c
which he went to his room, for the pnr pose %
taking nap. and on pushing open .he ao .,.
a. he stopped upon the thresnola, nv 90 az, an
body Of Virxinius Leonard stretched gu. On
the floor. He then called MRS 1arIiso. wn wv
occupied the next room, and said to ner, 1000
SScd IIeonaryi,s bow Is dead ~ He then called
Purser Johnson. and while speaking OF the
matter 70 him. Mr. Leonard came up from MS
dinner, and passed by Lieut.. Marpnys room
into HE own. which was adjoining. Lieut.
MUMMY then broke the sad news to Mr..
leonard. who Immediately repaired to the
corpse OF his son, and requested mat medical
aid Be- called ia. Drs. Andrews ana Holmes
then came In. and pronounced the wound an
I'm Characterization.
Lieut. Murphy said his swords Were locked
up in his chest but there were TWO guns IN
the room, one Of which he had loaded, ana
did not know whether 1t was loaded OF no.
when returned Mr.. Leonard was the frst
one clearly inside the room. Nothing had
been disturbed.
At this juno ture 1t was proposed to exclude
all but the Jurors from the inquest-room, ana
the members of the press retired after protest.
tnG against such a proceeding. They Were
soon permitted to return to the room, and the
post sHortem examination took place. DIS An
drews and Holmes decided that the wound was
incised, aud pointed out to the jury mat me
Wiud pipe was severed as nicely as knife couid
have done 1t. The jury, being thoroughly con-
vinced that murder had been committed, We're
then ready and willing to spend week IN tne
Investigation of the matter, rather than the vie
assassin should not be brought TO punishment:
Dr. Gait however, young man, but one OF
the most promising physicians In this clty, ahc
brother TO Gait the sculptor, persisted ai'eI
B
examining farther. He then turned the body
on its face and made an incision on the back,
Just above the right shoulder-blade, ana Just
below the skin, found full charge ofNNoo
shot, together with paper wad and handful
Of lead .colored wadding from the over coat OF
the deceased This charge had passed through
the body, severed the wind-plpe, ana broken
the first And second ribs, near the column oil
the ver,ebrsn. The whole matter was at once
cleared up-the little fellow had gone in Lieut..
Murphy's room, and while playing with the
gun, had accidentally shot himself. The guns
were then examined, and one OF the barrels
found empty and bearing the appear ance of
having been recently discharged. One or two
other witnesses were then examined, who tes-
tilted to hearing noise like the explosion of
firearms about the time that the little fellow
verdict To the effect that "the deceased came
To his death by the acciden tai discharge of a
gun In his own hands,
This was great Ieiief to the friends of Mr..
Murphy, who is one of our most esteemed
naval officers, and who, in the eyes of many,
was placed in rather delicate position, from
the fact that ii had been supposed that the
cniid had been KILLED and placed in his room,
that he might be implicated in the deed. Ii
was Also great relief to the friends of Mr..
VIM. L. Walters, the proprietor of the Nations
al Hotel, who was in great distress at the idea
tina. 50 horrible crime as child murdenshould
b. committed in his house.
Alter The discovery of the cause of the childs
death, and the rendition of the verdict, the
excitement subsidized and gave place to grief,
not alone for the death of the innocent lit
tie victim, but for the sufferings of the be-
reaved father and step-mother, and the large
circle Of distressed relatives.
The funeral took place esterday from Christ
Church, aud was attended by numerous
throng.
The whole community are under such deep
obligations TO DIR. Gait, that it is the intention
OF the citizens TO present him with magnifi-
cent set of surgical instruments.
There is to be a meeting of the citizens at
the Court-House in response to a call from the
Mayor, Tomorrow evening, to take some steps
Tor the relief of the poor during the coming
cold weather.
The transactions in corn this season foot up
quite respectfully. We note the sale of two
hundred and fifty thousand bushels since new
corn commenced to come in, and quote yellow
at e2 cts, white and mixed at IS cts, and the
market firm. PERCUSSION