The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1863-06-10
EXAMINATION Of ROBERT S. OaDE,
,harged with the NIerier Of Robertk. Dixsn
lslponr.D FOR THE s.canoxp D.sy1rcH


fRIPoRTED FOR THE s!clM0xD D.s1xTcH
Hnstings Conrt, June 9, lS63-Pssaens: Re
corder Caskie, aud A'dermsn Sauxay
Gwsthmey, Timberlake, and Jon44
The first csss taken ~ was that of Robe,,
s. Forde, on the charge Of shooting md killing
Robsrt E. Dixsn, in this city, on ths 2lsh day
Of April last.
Messre Randolph and Cruup aptsaaed f.,
the accused, and Mr. r. T. d Abiel "a the Com
monwealth.
DR.. Peachy was the only witn1es for tao
Commonwealth ascertainsd ID to be a91spt Sew
eral witnesses for the defence weso not pre-.
sent.
Gen. Randolph, prisoners counsel. asked q
postponement u0iil Thursday, to afford tins
to hunt up Witnesses believed % = in the
city.
The Court refused to continue the Ease, bu,
sent an officer after absent witnessee
The witnesses for the CommonWealth were
then sworn.
Washington Goodrich was tho 6rek witneep
who deposed: That on the 24th day of April
he met Dixon On the corner Df Main and l2kh
streets; was called aside BY him and asked il
he had rot been standing ON the corner of 10th
and Bank streets with Forde snd some oh. !
gentleman. Witness replied be did ndk kney
Fords. Some further eonyefsatior t1s2 DisoE,
he recollected who Dixon meant by FOrds,
and deceased told him that he hao discharged
F0rds, and would have taken him back bat
for threats made in letter written him :
Dixon told witness he did not desire to spill
any mans blood, but did not wish to be killed
himself; he then asked witness to take drink
with him, which he did. and when ths party
came into the street again smother gentleman
was met, when Mr. Dixon asked witness 10
take another drink with him, which was de-
clined; Dixon went in aud took another
drink after he came ont again we walked to.
gether to Jack O'Donnefs, corner Of Bank
and 10Th streets, where we took another driak
together; we then came out Of ODonnel's q
and stood en- the corner; witness was facing
towards Main street, and whilst taikog some
one shouted Look out, Goodrich and turn
ing round, saw F0rde on the sidewalk of the
moth side OF Bank street, near the gate OF the
Capitol Square, Fords was armed with navy
revolver, which he pointed It Dixon aud Ii d
During the iriDg Forde advanced soae three
feat towards the middle of the street, on the
curb; Dixon did not advance, acc ofdiny to re-
collection of witness; did not leave pavement
until he fell; staggering TO the right, he fell
in the gutter, near the door Of the Christian
Aseo ciation. O'Donnel and MI Knox were
conversing, and he thought they We're there
daring tho shooting, but VIXEN he looked
round they had ali left.
Gross s-examined.-When Dixon came to ma
and as kad with reference to + ,rde, I do not
know that he was hunting foE him no said ,s
had jus! bsen told by one Of tha pages at the
House that Forde, myself and others had been
on the corner together; he said he was in th o
Hall of the House OF Representatives, when
he was informed by the page; hs inquired Of
me whether FOrds had i'd anything about
him told him Forde had ro: spoken his
name; advised deceased not to have any diff.
Guilty, but to 80 and have Fords arrested ID
on's reply was, '.We!l, come and take q driuk;"
this, think, was near IL o'clock in ths day !;
If FOrde had remained where he was when the
page saw him he would have been met by
Dixon ; Dixon did not tell ms he came down
there with q view to meet Forde; he said ne
had been informed by the page that Jack o.
Donnel, Wash Goodrich, Msj,r Harris, aud
Eorde, were standing on the corner together ;
he had come down to see if Forde had been
talking about him and that he (Dixcn) was
prepared for Forde-tbat he was fixed,
aud wound up by saying lets take a
drink )" here tine conversation WAS ended
The first knowledge had Of Fords's presence
SO me one yelled out, "Look out, Wash; you'll
get shot turned and "a y Forde ad vancing
from the fence around Capitol Square to ths
tagging; ha had u drawn PISTOL In his hand
raised it and pointed it at Dixon; when ii ret
seen by me he was on the sidewalk, near the
cuybstOne did not hear anything said by
Fordf; he may havs spoken, but did not
hear him; l was busy shouting TO them to stop;
when the frs: shot was fired he had just reached
the curbstone; don't know whether Dixon saw
Fords before l did; both began firing; the frat
shot saw fired was from Forde's pistol; can
not tell the interval between shOte; have
never said Dixon fred the first shot; don't
think l ever sail l could not tell who
fl red the first shot; don't know what
might have been said by ne in conver-
what cay and what am talking about; when
am sworn l know what ann svvearinS to !;
believe Forls fired the FIRST saOt; don't know
how many shots were fired did not think they
fired seven times out of o six-barrellsd pistol
Dixon's revolver snapped once or twice, and
he drew Dsrringer; he then staggered and
fell; as he was cooking the Derringer he fell :;
on; Forde advarcsd some four steps in the
street; when Dixon fell, he returned to the
sidewalk; come one told Furde to get away
from there; went over to arie't him /; be was
cool, and said to me, Il s1rrend-,;" Dixon did
not apply to ne to look ont fer Forde he did
ros visit Manassas Hall to look for Forde;
believe he went there TO get drink have
"lOok out, WASH" there might have teen half
an hour from the time wien Fo;ds was Oh the
corner till Dixon came down from the Cap:-
tol had Dixon fired tirss, think Re would
have hit ms in the back Of the head :;
got between them, in thu hops that the fear
of hitting others would cause them to cease
shooting.
James i Goodwin was the next witness
sworn.-His evidence with reference to the
shooting was, in substance As Dixon and
myself were about to start from corner near
Manassas Hall, saw Mr.. q larles aud Foree
coming to wards the gate leading out Of Capt.
toll Square observed that as Forde came ou'
of tha gate he drew a pistol from beneath
his 0veicoat, aud advancing TO carbs.one, oP-
poetic corner where Dixon was, he placed
his right foot against The cur5stons aud atoop
with his left foo. on the fligeing leading
across the street; he raised his pistol and cried
out, "DixoD, are you ready" acd fired; about
the time or little befors hs ii Ell tue thisd
ticls, Dixon fred; Dixon, pisoi than snap
ped twice, AMI after tn It hs thraw il down
and drew g Derrirger; whilst cocslag the
Dsrringer lie staggered to the right aad fsii /;
Dixon did not draw his piso! Until fOrde had
fired twice.
In his cros,.examinatioD, ths witness al
he cd to the state ements above gwen, but Moth
ing further in the way OF testimony was
elected
DIR. Bsa!s depoeel: He described tha body
of Dixon as hs cav il after he was dead, as
also the character OF the wound.
John 7. Qlasles depcs d: Ga the day Of
ths shootiog came ous of Capitol square, and
about ths sams time gentleman passed
through same gate; passed down 10 b street;
had gone but a shor; defiance when | wAi
startled by report of pisio'; tarned and saw a
man standing on north side Of Bank stree
one foot IN the tagging, ths other in the mud