The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-07

meals IN TO the prisoners, bat some one
usually accompanied her.
Judge Crump: When did you last see
the articles?
Witness: About two weeks before wo
turned over the courthouse and Jail to
the in coming deputy sheriff. did not
Know they were lost until yesterday. I
then went down and did everything that l
could to find them, but was unsuccessful. !.
Deputy Sheriff Egglcston testified that
on the 18th of September Mr.. Case, then
deputy sheriff, made a partial inventory
| oi the articles to be delivered into his Gus
tody. He then showed me two trunks In
the basement of the courthouse. He said
that one of them contained some clothing
which would be needed at the Phillips
trial, and the other was empty. He in
formed me that the trunks had been there
ever since the trial. had them immcdi-
ately placed in the private Office of the
| sheriff, up stairs, where they have ever
since remained. l have not seen inside Of
them, except in the presence Of Colonel
Young, who took out the pistol and head
dress, but did not lift the tray of the trunk.
One of the trunks was empty when it came
into my possession, and is now; the lock
seemed to have been tampcred with.
When took possession of them the hat
was lying on the floor, and put it in the
trunk with the other articles.
To Colonel Johnson: Phillips has had
no access to the trunks since l have had
charge of the Jail. In removing the trunk
TO and from court | have invariably had it
under my own eye; sitting on it when it
was transported in the street cars, and at
other times having it carried by a servant
by my side.
Mr.. Thomas L. Peasants was sworn and
testified: | was a member of the exam
lining court, and saw the under garments
exhibited as taken from the dead body.
There were two skirts, a chemise, and
pair of stockings. All of them were iden-
Titled bv Miss RoXana Pitts as those worn
by her sister.
Judge Crump objected to this testimony,
as the witness who identified them was in
attendance, and could speak for herself.
The court decided that the witness
could properly testify as to what was idcn-
tilted by Miss Pitts at the County Court.
DR.. Farrar was then recalled, and stated
that the articles which he saw on the
body at the post nortenl examination were
exhibited before the examining court, and
identified by Miss Pitts as her sisters
clothing.
Here the examination upon this point
ceased, no clue having been found to the
articles which have 50 strangely disap-
pcared. The Commonwealth Attorney
then went on with the examination of
| the
WITNESSES IN CHEF.
Miss Pitts was recalled, and repeated
her description Of her sisters undcrcloth-
| ing. She was then crosS-eXanined by the
prisoners counsel.
Ny sister was about thirty years of age
when she was married to the accused. II
living she would now be thirty-two. Mrs.
Dishman's, Mrs. Browns, and Mrs. Watts's
| families were present at the wedding; all
Of these are near neighbors. | have an
unmarried sister named Zela, and two
other sisters (Ann aud Sally WHO arc mar
ried. Ny deceased sister taught school for
some time in King George aad Caroline
| counties. This was in 1860, | think, but
! am not sure.
BE. Pitts was next called, and testified
| that his acquaintance with the accused
commenced in 1868. His statement in re-
gard to the marriage Of his sister, the visits
of the accused, and their final departure
| for Richmond, was substantially the same
as that given by Miss RoXana Pitts.
LETTERS FROM PHILLIPS TO THE EcME
CIRCLE.
Witness continued: In his first letter
the accused gave detailed account OF his
movements on the day after his arrival IN
Richmond, and stated that they had gone
to Dorset's farm to live. He had no ill.,
tention Of going to DOrset's farm when he
| left home. lie left us under the impress
sion that he was going to Surry county to
cultivate some land with his brother. He
had two or three times disappointed my
sister in his promises to come to see us
before he paid his final visit in Decem-
! Der, 1866.
Besides the letter which was destroyed,
VIC received two others from the accused
after he reached Richmond with his wife.
These letters were here exhibited and
! sworn 10 by the witness as those received
from the prisoner. The first is dated
"Fulton's, Hcnrico, April I, 1861" 1t
contains an account of farming operations,
fishing. the freshet in James river, political
movements in Richmond, and other mat
ters irrelevant to the case under conSlde-
ration. No allusion is made to Mrs. Phil
lips except in the closing paragraph. Here
he saws eve are both well. We send
| love TO all. Often wish We
could be with you ALL" The letter is
| signed "Jeter."'
The second and last letter was then eX-
hibited and read to the jury. We publish
| it in full:
"RIvER VIEW, on JAMES RIVER,
May IA, loG7.
! 'sTo all at home:
! :. your very welcome messenger came to
b,nd a few davs ago, and we were delign ted
! TO hear from all sorry our letters nave NOT
| reached their destination.
! -. En- wrote 10 Sally and Mrs. DShman, bul
| noe raceiy.d no answer yet. She would have
] written again, but has been suffering with
very sore finger. The Doctor called IL VIII
| low | don know what 1t is; 1t IS dre;idl ui'
| She takes laudanum and morphine 10 compose
barseIf The Doctor is very fearful that she
| will have the lockIaW she IS LOOKING
dreadful from it--neisher eats nor sleeps;
! II was caused by sewing. wrote you al
( about our situation; that we We're mouse
Keeping; that is, En-. wrote 10 VIA, anu .U,u ,;"
| ,bout having chickens. we are some us
| rnnce from market do not 20 to town oltehef
| than once 4 month then II is lot the boctol !.
| | have sent you great many papers !; sorry
| they did not reach you.
II nm sorry you are sick Of the river; was
| in hopes YOU were making plenty OF money 10
suree on Christmas. Farmers are very mucn
hehind hand this year. We have very goou
Garden. No one here has planted corn scarce
| lv We have 100 much ram.
The negroes are lighting with the whlte
people in Richmond They are cons tanLny rt
| holding meetings, and turning out III .ne
street with drawn sabres. Things are coming
10 point rapidly. They scarcely obey US on
| the farm. .; ru ,a,ny