Daily national Republican., 1863-10-17
LOCAL AFFAIRS.

The kIDoUT MURDER CAsE.-The cause Of
John Armstrong, charged with the murder Of Geo.
Ridout, In September last, was concluded In the
Criminal Court this morning. Mr.. Wharton was
counsel for the defendant
The 70 lowing charge was delivered to the jury
by Judse Fishtri
GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY: This indictment
charSee the prisoner At the bar, John Armstrong,
pr.oner az bar ne %Slas. .n on
or about the 6th Of september last In the city and
county Of Washioston.. The crime Of murder,
sss iliins o. human Ssins With Stapss pre-
meditatsd purpose. Und.r this Indictment you
dsnss which h.: been prssented before ~ You By ihs
II you should Be convinced, from that evidence,
that John Armstrsns 10 the person who killed the
deceased, and further, that he did Il BY premedi-
defines y, you will then render verdict Of guilty
- indicted: II, however, you are convinced that
but that he did i under great and sudden provoca.
ton and 10 hot blood, or In nj Of passion, such 10
The Senisnity q the Ia. and such y. charity ior
sether negative the idea Of and will
render, IN that case, verdict Of manslsuEhter.
1h: Ss S ss a
-. ne DEED % sIla,ha. he did not Nm he ds.
s g ysq &. iu, :S. %s
to nave been done In seIf-dcfenoc. In this case I
believe that no such defence Is attempted to be Mt
In regsId to the matter Of premeditatior, 1t is
proper hat should say to you that n the evi-
asnss ;h: in h.ys carried sonyoion home to
death at the hands Of John Arms rong the prisoner
at the bar, the law In the absence Of evidence Of
den provocation, 10 order to reduce the crime 10
manslaushter, tmpliss malice, or In other words,
Prs,umesM y that the prisoneI wa. sstu.ted BY the
clares the crime to be murder.
It is also true that the prosecution, ing PROVED
vns proved the 1s ss si \ TO
den Of proof 10 then shifted from the prosecution
and turned over to the prisoner at the bari and it
his part, II no such Testimony should Be showa by
the prosecution, in the way OF examination, In
circumstanees showing the act to have been com.
mitted 10 seteience or In hot blood, under strong
The Testimony, gentlemen, In this case has been
confined soil ly 10 United States witnesses, the
prisoner brought no witness whatever.
The judge then gave lucid and succinot review
OF the evidence; and clo'ed by saying that 1t was
for the gentlemen Of the jury to determine from
the evidence, not controvsrted on either side,
whether the facts or circumstances point uner-
rinsly TO John Armstrong, the prisoner at the bar
The jury, after bsing out % minutes, returned
and rendered a verdict Of no< guilty.
New CONFERENCE.-The following off,
GERS have been appointed members Of court.mar.
tia to sit in this CITY for the trial Of mlit ,ry
offences The officers are all under medical treat.
ment In this city, but able to perform the light
| duties OF court-mArtial:
Col Roy Stone, ltsth PennsylvAnia volunteers,
President Lieut.. Col. H. Z. Thompson, sth Mich.
igan cavalry Maj. @. A. Drew, 9Th Michigan cav
airy Capt. B. J. Buck, Sth Maine Capt. Z. NJ
| Poine, i0sth New York Capt. J. H. Marston, eth
Wisconsin; Capt. II. r. Thomas, A. q. NJ, Semi
nary Hospital Lieut.. J. =. Andrews, Ist Rhode
Island cavalry Lieut.. Elisha Besse, Goth Name ;
Lieut.. J. Cannon, 10th ohio Lieut.. G. A. Whit.
| more, i2th Massachusetts Lieut.. W. =. Duton,
io6th New York Lieut. Z. Wencheback, A. D. c /,
Judge Advocate.
Another Court, composed Of invalid ofncers, 10
also being formed with Col. Warner, Of the Tenth
Pennsylvauis Reserves. ~s President.
TIE SENTENCE OF TIE CoURT MARr.AL In
CAPT. LEvy's CAsr-Ths sentence Of the aough
court martial In the oase Of Capt. G. M. Levy,
quartermaster, hAs been approved by the Presi.
dent Capt. Levy yss csurt-mArtialed on charge
Of paying clerk ~ per month and requiriss
| hin TO receipt to the Government for sI00 per
moath. The sentence Of the court is that he ss
dishoaorabiy dismissed the service. As already
stated, the sentence OF the court 10 approved and
II 10 ordered that the fact be published in three
newpapers ia this city and three In New York city,
Capt Levy's common place OF residence) and III II
aftsr that II shall be deemed for anv
ofieer 10 associate with him.
RsLzAssD ON BAn.-The agent Of the nrm
Of wyckon Dennison, the liquor dsalers on the
Avenue, who sent away liquor by Government
transportation to parties In Alexandria, was To-
day released on bail given before Capt Todd His
name 10 Samuel rlston. He was ordered 10 re-
port to the Provost Marshal on Monday, and also
to Telegraph 10 his employers, who are now IN
New York, to have them sppear also. The store
OF the nrm was to-day closed BY orders from Capt.
Todd.
DIshIssBD BY THE GRAND JuRY.-Georve
Myers who was committed to the Jail for sttempt.
Ing to pick pockets, was dismissed by the grand
jury. few miAutes Afterwards Myers was iecoE
nized - the man who escaped from jsil In April
last. Hewss inesrcerated at that time upon the
charge OF larceny, and went under the assumed
name Of John Kiiroy.
| DEsERrERs ARREsrED.-Chas. McCullum,
Thos. Coates, Chas. Arnesdale, and James Tobin,
dsssrtsrs nom the Second D. c. volunteers, were
arrested at the depot this morning by one Of Capt.
Todd's detectives. They were sent to Forrest
Hall to bs sent to their regiment.