The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-05-25
SrorsyrvAx1A COURTHOUSE, May q.

. county, was commenced III the circuit
court in session at this place, Judge
. Critcher presiding, on Monday, and con-
cludcd this morning. The Commonwealth
was represented by Thomas b. Barton,
ESQ, one of the oldest and ahlcSt prose-
cutting attorneys in the State; and the de-
fence conducted hv McSSrS. John l.. Maryc,
Jr, William \. Little, G. III. c. Rowe, and
st. George FitEhugh, oi the FredcrlckS-
burg bar.
The witnesses oh both sides were hume
rous, and were subjected to prolonged
and searching examination, which resulted
in cliciting the following material facts.
Among those put upon the stand were the
son. >tcp-daughtcr, daughter-n-law, and
si>tcr-in-law Of the accused.
ON the morning of the 81 Of November,
ISe3 about 9 o'clock, a. Mr.. Ahncr McGcc
was on his way to Fredericksburg, hc
heard, on reaching Il point on the old turn
nike road. the report OF Il gun in the woods
about one hundred yards i'll advance OF
him. When he arrived opposite the place
where the gun had been fired, lie saw John
Il. Lrirch come out Of the woods, between
4 run and walk, with a gun in his hands.
Lcitch stopped on the edge OF the pines,
and first looked down the road, and after
wards up the road, when McGcc, who was
within ten PAGES of him, gave him the uSual
morning Salutation after returning winch,
Lcitch passed across the road in the dircc-
tion Of his house. McGcc proceeded I'M
mcdiatcly down the road to John Gray
sons. whom ne told that some one had
been shot mp in the pines. GraySon,
upon receiving the information, went
in the direction indicated, and heard
groanS similar 10 those which Mr.
McGcc had described 10 him, but be-
ing unwilling 10 commence the Scarch
alone. he rot his ncighhor, Mr.. Jctt, 10
accompany him. Mr.. Jctt, who was less
timd. went into the pines in advance OF
Grayson. and discovered Johanna Simpson
lvinr on the ground IL short distance from
the road in an apparently dying condition
from a gun->hot wound. On being asked
who shot her. She replied, John Lcitch, and
this She repeated 10 all who questioned
her. The ball entered her back beneath
the right shoulder and came out above the
uipplc. She was taken, aS soon as ii Inter
could hc constructed. To the house OF Viz
giuia Lcitch, the widow Of the son OF the
accused, and lived until o'clock in the
evening. Before her death She stated on
oath to Justice :. s. AlS"p that early that
morning She started 10 Il ncighhor's house
10 sec about some work, and was hailed by
John Lcitch, who was in the pines near
where the shooting occurred. She stopped,
and they convcrscd together for two hours.
Near the close of the interview, Icitch
asked her rfrStifShcwa about 10 he married,
and ON her replying that she expected 50,
then whether She ever intended 10 live
,,s1.,g al lta y
She then started on her crrand, when
Lritch took up his gun and shot her. Mrs.
Minor, who was with her Immediately after
the occurrence, testified that she told her
that she saw Lcitch shoot her.
The Commonwealth, 10 explain the mo-
tive which actuatcd Lcitch in the COM
mission of the crime, introduced testimony
to prove that the accused, after having a
son by his brothers wiie'S daughter, took
up with the mother of the deceased, who
was widow, and lived with her several
years before marrying her, and that al
her death he >cduced the deceased, hE
ntcp-daughtcr, and lived with her three ol
tnur vcarS-thc result OF their criminal in
!, tcrcourSc being, accordimgto TO gcneralrumor
three children.
In September, lSGj, She left Icitch's
house and went to live 1T that OF hlS son ;
widow, near by. While there, Lcitch made
repeated attempts to have an interview
with her, but did not 20 to the house, as
himself and daughtcr-in-law were not upon
good terms. On the death OF her Youngest
child, She sent by Young man named
Hicks To see if the accused had any OBJ
lection to its being buried on his place.
During this interview, the accused told
Hicks that the deceased had killed the
baby, and that he would reward her for it.
TIE ARREST.
On hearing the statement of the de-
ceased, Justice Al>op dcputed McSSrS.
Conner, Grayson, and Jett, 10 arrest the
prisoner, whom they found at home. lie
told them that he was aware OF the ohlect
OF their visit, and asked how PuSs was,
meaning the deceased, and what she SAID
about him. Conner replied that she was
very bad of, and gave strong evidence
against him. The prisoner seemed very
much affected 10y the information, ana hadc
his children goodbye. \ gun was found
in his house, which Conner thought had
~ N recently fired.
THE THEORY OF THE DEFENCE.
The counsel for the prisoner showed that
he had been shot few months before the
occurrence by his son, James Henry
! Leitch, Il half-brothcr of the deceased, near
/ the same place.
/ One of the witnesses testified that young
Lcitch gave as reason for attempting 10
take his fathers life that he had money,
and hc wanted it to 60 of with. Another
witness introduced by the Commonwealth,
however, stated that lie said that he tried to
kill him because he had prostitutcd his SIS
ter. James Lcitch had previously left ms
. fathers house, and was residing with ms
! sisterin- law. with whom the deceased also
! lived. 1t was sought to be proven that he
was guilty of criminal intimacy with the
deceased, and while cndcavorng second
time to kill his father, had unintcntlonaliy
shot her.
THE DECEASED,
Johanna Simpson, was at the time oi ner
death about twenty years old, ana Is ue-
scribed as strikingy beautiful. After
leaving Leitchs in September, she became
engaged 10 one of the witnesses, HICKS,
and had purchased her wedding clothes.
She represented to her betrothed, who was
about her age, that Leitch would intcrpose
no obstacle To the conSummation OF their
; union. During this time one OF the female
Witnesses, an acquaintance, OF lcwd habits,
described her manner Of life as very loose
indeed.
TIE PREVIOUS CHARACTER OF THE PRISONER.
According tp tb, Testimony pt leading