The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-19
THE COURTS

John Wrenn, citizen of Richmond, abou
twenty-five years Of age. charged with pickin,
the pocket Of James Callahan of a wallet CON
tanning three hundred dollars The robber,
occurred on Saturday night at a house or
seventeenth street, near Poplar. The priso
ner. upon being summoned to answer IN.
charge, stated that he had not had time to nro
cure the attendance Of his witnesses. and there
lore hoped the case would be cont tinued. which
request the Mayor complied with, and remand.
Ell the accused to Jail for his appearance m
tuesday morning at eleven O. clock. Rail was
not allowed; his Honor remarkinp that. even
II the nature Of the present charge did not do.
prlve him of the privilege, yet the fact that he
tWrenn) was an escaped prisoner from Castle
thunder was sufficient to warrant him in re.
fusing it.
small boy, named Thomas Doland. who has
already appeared several times before the Ma.
yors Court, was charged with the theft of
brass from the Tredegar Iron Works and sell
ing it to Mr.. William A. Parr. The Marty
purchasing the brass from Doland acknow
iedsed having done SO, but thought it had been
honestly obtained, and therefore did not think
he was doing wrong In consideration of his
extreme youth and the non appearance of any
alleged to be stolen, his Honor discharged DO.
land with reprimand
Another youth, apparently eighteen wears of
age giving his name as Charles Barefoot, was
also arraigned to answer the charge of stealing
brass from the Tredegar Iron Works. AS re-
CARDS the purchase of the brass, the statement
as in the case of Doland, was made by Mr.
Parr, he having paid the accused two or three
ho6
him by Barefoot to buy. The Mayor suspend
ed 1urther examination until he could procure
the attendance of witnesses who would swear
tha' TINS was the party who had committed
the theft
Lewis Brown, charged with committing
violent assault upon S. A. Goodman. noth
employees OF Messrs. Hundley & Canoe, bakers,
on Broad street, was held to bail in the sum
ol I'VE hundred dollars for his appearance in
February to answer indictment before the
Grand Jury Of the Hastings Court.
ExANINATION FOR ATTEMPTED Iycrvn1Ap1cv
The ACCUSED SENT ON-Yesterdav after
noon the Mayor was engaged from two O: clock
Till five in the examination of the case against
Major Overton w. Edwards, charged with at
tempting to set fire to his store. No. :
Wall street, under the ST. Charles Hotel. on
night. The accused is a native of
Norfolk, Va, but during the late war was an
'rdnance officer in this city, ranking first as
captain and then as major. He is fifty-two
'ears OF age, and of respectable appearance.
)urins the examination, Major Edwards sat
~ his counsel, Judge John S. Caskie, and
would frequently show signs of deep emotion.
te was surrounded by 4 large number of
riends, who manifested much interest in the
rial We append the following testimony:
Henry T.. Merrick sworn.-I am one of the
roprietors of the St. Charles Hotel The first |
knew OF the attempt to fire Mr. Edwards's !
tore was through my clerk, who came up to |
~ room and told ME of it. 1 immediately |
7ent down, and saw liquor running from the !
tore door. A gentleman was sent around to |
ne back alley, in the hotel yard, which is few |
'et below the rear windows to Edwards's
lore, and ladder put up against the window.
he shutter to one of the windows was opened
fter which several gentlemen got into the
.Ore. When entered the store saw burn
lg candles scattered about the floor they
'ere seven in number: also, loose paper
rewed about the floor. The paper was satu-
ited with whisky and twisted into ropes, and
len had been trailed about the room in every
lrection. The bung had been taken ont of
lch barrel of liquor, and in the bung- holes
ung the ends of this saturated paper. The
,ndles, which We're about one inch and half
ng had been stuck upon pieces of wood, and
'Onnd them We're pieces OF paper saturated
ith whisky, so that when the blaze burnt
'wn to the paper the fire would have instant
spread in all parts of the room and COM
unicated with the contents Of the liquor
lrrels, thereby causing explosion and serious
Soon after got there, Mr.. Ed
ards was sent for. The discovery of the at |
mpt to fire the store was made about half ;
st nine o'clock Saturday night. Soon after 4.
e servant who had been sent up for Mr.. Ed | s
ards returned, that gentleman and his son
me down. Myself and several other per- ,
MS left them in the store, while we adjourned {
the r-rOOm of the St. Charles. Shortly {
terwards Mr.: Edwards and his son came in r
d staid short while, and then left for ,
me. While they were in the bar room, Mr.. =
lwards stated that he left his store that eve
ng about O'Clock, in company with his son. I
no was going off i'll the Fredericksburg cars !
o clock; he then retraced his stems and y
lied by the Exchange Hotel, where he re- y
aimed few minutes from here he called
the store and looked in to see if all was
sht; and finding everything as he had left I'D
EN-, he walked up the street to Mr. Lambs
're, and from there went home. think il ,
)uld have taken at least a half-hOur for one ! f
rson to have completed the ARRANGEMENTS a
1ich We're made for the fire. When the par- 7
. mounted the ladder, the window shutter
Is unfastened and opened without difficulty. L
ertainly understood Mr.. Edwards to saw 3,
At he went to the cars to see his son OFF, and d
/ also positive that he told me it was o e
lock when he returned ana examined his n
're, to see If all was right. a
Mr.. Isaac Davenport sworn.-Was called at
lf-past two O'Clock Sunday morning to q
Ike presen tment against Mr.. Edwards for Il
ing to set fire to his store. Is an officer in
company in which the stock was insured Il
und candles laid, and everything as de- S,
ibed by Mr.. Merrick, for insuring an ex-
sive confagration. One man could not |.
re made them in less than half an hour
lount Of insurance on Mr.. Edwards's stock,
thousand dollars value of stock esti- cl
ted At between five and six thousand dol N
I. F. Wind wOrn.-COrroborated the state r;