Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-09-18
CITY AND STATE NEWS.

Sllolli S4hN' ~ W AAo
kew, was brought before the Mayor yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock. He was accompanied
bv his brothers and several other friends. and
nv his counsel Messrs. Morson and August.
The Mayor inquired Of DR.. 0. Crenshaw as to
the condition of :Askew, to which the Doctor
rcplicd that he was in rs favorable a condition
IS could be expected under the circumstances
there was Il reasonable probability that the
man would recover, but there was danger OF
his life as long as the wound remained unclOSed
and there was Il discharge fronl it.
After a discussion of some hours duration
between counsel and the Mayor, The Mayor de
clincd to hear tho evidence OF the witnesses
present, and continued the case To Tuesday
next. Thcrcupon Mr.. Crcnshaw had the fol
loving petition laid before Judge Lyons:
10 the Hon. WV. II. Lyons, Judge Of the
Hastings Cont:
Your petitioner represents that he is now
confined in the Jail Of the city Of Richmond,
and that his detention is illegal. That on
Tuesday, the 18th oil tins month, your pct!
toner had a personal difficulty with one John
q Askew. in the course of which your rcti'
tioner shot the said :ASkew III the leg, but M
der circumstances which, to say the least Of
thea, did not amount to felony. That on The
same day year petitioner surrendered hlmse;
To L.. NJ. Burton, L Justice OF the city, WHO
declined TO take any action IN the matter, a.
there was 10 charge against him. That alter
this, an officer who hd1 heard of the ,ransac
ton, made oath before the Mayor Of the city
that vour petitioner had felon!urisly shot As
kew. and upon this oath uiDEc Ec WIS committed
10 mil. without an examination of any witness
to the transaction and that upon the next
day he was brought before the Mayor of Tie
CITY, and all the evc-witlcsscS, five or six in
number. being present except ASkc", your
petitioner asked thai his CASE might be heard
but the Mayor declined To hear 1t, and also dc.
clincd to hear tie ease 10 ascertain If vcIr pc.
~tit;uncr Was hot entitled to be bai!ed, but adj
iourncd it over until Friday, the l4ta instant,
and again Oh that day refused 10 hear ANY teS-
timuny in the c.Ise, but rclnand.d your IcII-
toner until Tuesday next, the 18th inst.
Your petitioner is advised that such Il pro-
cecding is in utter violation of every law which
guards aud protects the libv!tr q! the citizen
and is most unjust and oppressive; he, there.
fore, prayS that the writ ol h"bedS corpus at
s9bjicnnium may be awarded and that he
may be admitted to bill for his appearance 10
such tim. rs he has been rrmandcd. And your
petitioner will ever pray, &c, NC.
JusErn II. CRrSs!Aw.
Uu the presentation of this petition, Judge
Lyons awarded Il wit Of ilabcaS corpus, and
set town ! T.. ". for the hearing.
The CASE CT Jo>rrn II. CgENsuAw, BEFORE
JUDGE Lyons. ball RErrsED.-ln our issue
Of Saturday We published the petition Of Joseph
II. Crenshaw, addressed To Judge Lyons, and
lski!!g that u writ Of hab,aS corpus may he
him with the view Of his being admit
ted to bail. The Mayor had declined TO
near the witnesses in consequence OF the ali
:cncc of :Askew, (aIl cl them being present eN-
.eui said Askew.j or to hear the case, Ia aScci-
if the accused was not entitled ~ bail, and
having accordingly rcmandri the accused TO
all until Tuesday, Tomorrow
The writ WAS awarded, and 1T > o'clock OF
Friday evening the accused appeared before
he Judge.
The case was commenced by Colonel August
maintaining that there was no pretcXt lor de-
aiming mr.. Crcns!iaw, except the evidence ol
,ilicer Morris, vii" did not see the occurrence,
md only had licar-say information.
Mr.. farewell objected To ornl proof being
to set aside the decision of II sworn
,flicer under seal, (ttc decision of the Mayor
The Court having resolved to hear the evil
lcncc, Mr.. Mayo was examined rs TO what &C.
.urred in Nr. Crcnshaw's office, and gave SOME
letail of his own action in his own Court.
Officer Morris was next examined and tcsti-
iel that he arrested Mr. CrciiSlaw before he
aw the wounded man, and thut the first per-
OIL he got information from was Samuel Ro-
,ertSon.
DR.. Crcnshaw was next examined. Was no
clatlnn Of the accused, WAS in Attendance on
Inc wounded man, the wound in tlic chest
ould not have been inflicted by 4 man firing
or horizontally at another, the injury on
he face Wa. in his opinion, Fl ON powder and the
lead bring turned to the right. the burn on the
ace and the wound in the chest could bc from
he same explosion; the mans condition was rs
rs could be expected under the Cir
unstanccs; the mark on the face was down
Yards and in the direction o. the wound in the
hest; the nan himself said his head was turn
j to the right at the time Of the blow; there
vas greater chance OF the mans dying than IL
ing.
Drs. Pollard and Bolton gave nearly similar
rstimony.
DR.. Gibson Was next examined, and after
laying described the wound and that the burn OH
he cheek and wound in the chest were in 4
inc, he said that there was no brulSc on the
ace, for he had looked carefully for it, that he
tie wound ~ the check and chest
vcrc caused by the same explosion and that
lc shouldn't be at all surprised If the man got
veil.
DR.. Crcnshaw recalled Said he saw 10 brnisc
bout the head.
The next witnesses examined were the cap
ain, (Wcskclt,) Jacob Kline, Il hand on board,
md Mr.. Fay, a ship:joincr, who has II shop
opposite TO where the vessel lay. The
.aplain testified that Askcw was agent for Miss
sarv Owen, owner Of the vessel, but that lc
iii not come on the vessel that trip, and had
10 connection with the vessel Oh that trip in
nv shape, manner or lnim that Inc kept bar
or Mary Owen in Norfolk that he, :A>kew,
lad a lawful wife and children in North Carolina;
hat he, Captain Wcskett, was on Il pile of lum-
Der while the conversation took place bctwccn
lskrw and Mr.. CrcnShaw; that Askcw said Mr..
,rcnSiaw had no business III the hold; that 10
gentleman would 90 there that none bat Il
Id rascal would do 81. The Captain then
vent on to describe what followed sworc that
.ster the second shot ASkrw was advancing
'apidly on Mr.. CrcnSla~. who was on the
yharf, and that as hc was ,Ioirg so the third
was fired. The captain further testified
hat Askcw was Il p~0wcriul man that lir.
did not in any way reply To the
Ibuse heapcd upon him ny .Askcw, except to
;ay he didn't see why he hadn't business in
lie hold; that he, captain, remarked to Cary
hat Askcw was the d--,irst fool he ever knew
nr saying what he had said that Mr.. Cr"r.-
,haw had said nothing to provoke iskcw, and
he, the captain, had gone to Crcnshaw's
III Saturday evening to See him about The
Jacob Kline, Il hand on board. and Vim. Fay,
Shipjoincr, having 4 shop opposite where
lie vessel lies, were then examined and gryr
'ery contradictory testimony as to the position
II .Askcw ut the third shot. DR.. Gibson was
hen examined and swore that he did not be-
icvc that the wound in the chest could
AVE been inflicted on ASkew if he was
aim, ,c 1ocr,;bo5 Law Eny, (Env md Kiln.