The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-06-11
EXAMINATION Of ROBERT S. FOaDE.
I harged with llac Murder Of Robert 4 Dixsp

/ EXAMINATION OF ROBERT S. FOaDE.
tssPoRTxD FOR THE RICaAoSD DISPATCH
| HastsnSs Conrt, June 10, 1868 Present: Re
co:der Caskie, Aldermen Sauxiy. Gwatli.
mey, Tinaberlake, and Jones.
The examination of the Witnesses in the
case OF Robert 8. Forde for the shooting ol
Robert Il. Dixon was resumed.
Geo. W. Thomas dsposod: Was coming on.
OF the Treasury Department, and was attracted
by tue report Of pistol; ran out upon the
pavement; saw Furde fire; Dixon was not ia
view f.om where he stood; dill mot SEQ the
lrst fire, but heard it; up as fast as he could
| DIXON was then staggering on the pavement
and fell, whilst drawing q Derringer; then
went across the street to where Forde was
| standing; some one came mp and told Forde l.,
| get away; he said he would not leave. and
| snrfeccered ~ witness, who sta d with him
! untl Constable Freeman came up and took
| him off,
| Cross ss-eXam;De3.-Cou;d not distinguish
whether the first fire war double shot or rs-
| yarberatiOn from single sho.; after that The
| shots seemed to alternate from one side of the
rect to the other The second shots were
| nearly together; thought he heard seven shots
4
first sound was a single shot there mnst have
been seven; IL double, there was, he thought
| eight; was the first one to approach FOrds af
ter the shooting, except one, a gentleman who
advised him to escape; Fordes reply to this
| gehtlsm IN was, II am not going anywhere,
| and surrendered to witness with the remark
that hs would 60 with any one, and was willing
| to surrender to any Que; returned TO where
Dixon's body WAS lying; heard Cardoz, re-
mark, 'hs bas been after him all the morning,
and tried to keep him in my room, but could
not" When he first saw Furde he was and
ing about seven feet from the curb, On Bank
street, liz tie act of stepping back to the pave.
msnt, firing as ho went; when Dixon fell,
Forde WAS in the act of putting his pistol up ;
Dixon started towards Forde with a mens cinv
look, and fell after he had taken the second
ften.
Geo. G. Vest appeared, aud was asked by the
Court why he was absent yesterday, and after
his excuse was given he was informed by the
Court that fine Of $50 would be imposed upon
him.
The witness replied that he cared nothing
for the $40, but would tes. the right Of this
Court to impose fue upon him.
Witnsss then deposed: Had two interviews
with DX,n previous to the shooting De-
ceas Sd told him that he expected to have Il
diii ,ulty with Forde that he had been de-
taiued hero in Richmond ecmo two weeks after
the adj ,urnmsnt of the last session of Con-
gress Iishiing up errors in the j,nrDai caused
by Forde's negligence; that he had that
morning discharged him did not mean to take
him back d Xon also made soma remark to
the effect that he did not believe fOrde had
ever liked him since he said to him One day,
"Fords, it is very strange that as handsome q
woman as your wife should ever have married
you = deceased said Fordes face flushed up,
and he af erwards demanded an explanation /;
had subsequent interview with Dixon, who
was somewhat excited. and told him he had
received letter from Forie; showed witness
knife and pistol; on parting deceased seemed
to be somewhat affected, and witness thought
eaid to witness, "dod knows 1 want no diti
Guilty with Foide, but shall not seek or avoid
him." he said Dixon then told him he would
reinstate Forde but for the letter; witness told
Dixon that while that letter remained he could
not we'll reinstate the accused; had several
conversations with Gsn. Reed about the diff
tioulty, and Il day Or two before the shooting
wen. with Gen. K to hunt Fords, who could
not be found; tho last interview with Dixon
was at the Capitol the night before tho shoot
Mr. Fiquet dsposed: Was sitting by win.
dow in third story Of Post. Office Dspartmsnl; Deg.
of pistol; s.s" "n' p spnh shs i' snaoW aid saw .
man staining near the curb on Bank street;
heard shot from the opposite eide Of the
street; then saw Dixon; the man on the north
side OF the street seemed unusually cool under
the circumstances; he ran down to where the
shooting was going on; Dixon fell before he
reached the epOi there was u man in the
crowd moving to and fro, apparently much
excited, and he thought at the time That he
was perhaps the party who had shot Dixon.
Cross examination commenced, when wit
ness was about to detail what was eaid to him
by Goodrich on the ground.
Goodrich was then ciiled, and in reply to
question, stated that he hal no recollection
Of making any remarks at the time.
Fiquet resumed: Goodrich was in the crowd;
witness asked Goodrich ii he saw the firing
Goodrich said he did; witness asked who tigea
first, to which Goodrich replied, sit is impos
sbls to tell; l saw Dixon's pistol first, and 1
Judge he fired first To be sure that he was
right, witness again asked Goodrich who fired
the first shot, when he repeated what has al
ready bseu stated. Tnis could not have been
mora than twenty minutes after the occur
renee, and near the spot where Dixon fell; Oaa
or two other gentlemen were in the crowd.
among thsm M. Richardson; was satisti ed thai
Goodrich told him thai he first saw Dixon s
pistol and his impression was that Dixon fired
FIRST first report witness hsard was 30 loud ho
supposed it was shot gun it might have been
Simultaneous pistol fire; there WAS clear cis
tncsion between the sounds of the first and
second Ercbi ed " EMoho wv ITO Aioul t!lo Siu5 Cl
the street on which Dixon was etandiug.
Wash Goodrich, excitedly.-I wish to ,nake
statement / wish to tali this witness if h.
says l told hin [ saw Dixon'5 pistol frs. Le
SAYS what is not go he tells liz
The Court told Goodrich to sts ni aside
Mr. Cfunp asked the Court If any one was
to be allowed 10 Come into tits Cont and in
timidats witaessssl If such al act of inde
cency, indignty and outrage is 10 ba tolerated
| let it be known. lie trusted in God that there
was not Court in the Commonw ealth that
| would pass by such an offence ia silence.
Ths Court mildly reprimanded Mr. Goodrich
| and cautioned him not to do 80 again.
Mr.. Randolph, In rather excited manner,
said that if witnesses were to be bul.ied by
Baltimore Plug Uglies he hoped they wouio
| arm themselves, and ii the Court failed to give
| them protection that they would defend them.
selves with their own right arms.
The Court required the counsel to take his
scat.
Mr. Randolph preforrel to stand up.
After some further interruption tho businsss
| of the Court was resumed.
-- Richardson, deposed: On the morning
| Of the shooting was sitting iii ons of the room,
| Of the Treasury Department; owing to detee
| tive hearing did not hear auv firing; reached
| the window in time to sse Dixon fal heart
Goodrich tell Flq1st "that 1t WAS impossible
] to tell who fired first" Witness then asket
| Goodrich wLa. was his impression with refer
| eace to the firing, when the reply was II saw
| Dx.n's pistol frat aud as \ matter Of course
| thi ak he fired the first shot, but cannot SAY