The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-11-21

James lying 81 ssne DOttQm VI tue stoPS
thourht he was dead went up stairs and
found Holmes standing upon the landing
with his wife and another NEGRO. The
man Holmes offered no resistance, but
stated at once that no had shot the de-
ceased, and thought that the last ball Of
three he fred had taken effect on the de-
ceased as he was running down stairs.
Holmes made statement that he had
cause to shoot the deceased In view Of his
intimacy with his wife. He stated that he
had laid in wait for James, who had
been eating at his house three meals day
as regularly as if he was o boarder. lie
was lying on shed watching for what was
to happen after his wife returned from
church with James; the light was turned
of, and Holmes rushed in, finding his wife
and James in position that left no doubt
of the truth of his suspicious. He called
! out to James not to rise, or he would shoot
him. James leaped up and raised chair
to strike Holmes, who retreated to the door
and pulled it to. While James and
Holiness wife were pulling at the door
Holmes fired through It.. striking his wife
in the knee. James thefRulled open the
door and rushed by him. AS he ran down
the steps Holmes fired another shot, which
he believed took effect, as James fell OF
the bottom of the steps.
Officer Shook testified that Holiness
wife insisted on accompanying her husband
to the station-house, which she was al
lowed to do, but soon returned home.
DR.. Charles Z. Anderson testified to
having been called in. Ho found James
living on the floor shot through the abdomen,
the ball having entered in the right hip
behind, came through the groin in front.
He was nearly senseless, and the physician
felt satisfied that he must die. DR.. Ander-
son then went to see Holiness wife, and
found her shot in the knee. She stated
that James was lying down on the lounge,
and she was at the glass arranging her hair.
Said she locked the door, thinking some
friends might call and prevent her going
out visiting. Holmes came in the room
and shot her. 1t was not the ball that
went through the door that struck her.
Holmes then said to James, 81 will shoot
you" %; and shot him while he was running
down the steps. DR.. Anderson, after ex-
aiming the wound in the woman's knee,
got into q furniture wagon with James.
Asked him how it happened. He made
no reply. When they got near the African
church, one of Jamcs's friends came up to
the wagon and said, "Holmes ought to be
hung right off," James said, "Oh, no."
Upon getting to James's room, DR.. Snellings
was sent for, and the two told James his
real condition-that he could not live.
James said he did not think he could live.
DR.. Anderson told him then that Holiness
life would depend on his evidence, and he
wanted him to make q statement about the
shooting. James said he had been lying on
Holiness lounge; that he had not given
Holmes any cause for jealousy. The Doctor
then tried to get more direct answer
from James, who said, edo pray, do not
ask me so many questions" He made the
same reply to DR.. Snellings. A negro man
in the room asked him if Holmes had for
bid his coming to his house. He replied,
"No, he had not" He then asked him If
he had ever been too intimate with
Holmes's wife. James only said, "Do
pray, don't interrogate me-"
When James was brought home shot in
the wagon, his (James's) wife said, "lt is
nothing more than expected" James
was shot about s o'clock, and died about
5 O'Clock the next morning.
Officer Shook recalled.-When L went
up into the room, there was no light there.
The wife of James was sworn, and testi-
fed that she had no right to suspect her
husband of infdelity. He often came home
at II O'Clock at night, and sometimes staid
away all day from home. That was the
reason she said it was nothing more than
she expected when he was brought home
shot. He had been accused before the
church of too great an intimacy with wo-
men, but not with any particular woman.
Before he died he said to me, " You have
been a dear, loving, faithful wife to me,
but have not been faithful to YOU" He
then put his hand in mine. He said no.
thing more to me.
The jury rendered verdict that the de-
ceased came to his death from pistol shot
in the hands of Thornton Holmes, on the
night of the goth of November.
1t appears that on Sunday evening James
preached sermon on adultery, and came
back with his victim from church.
Mary Holmes, the woman who was shot,
and from whose knee DR.. I. 2. Mayo
extracted the ball, was better last night,
and the wound is not now considered
l.