The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-26
LOCAL MATTERS.

LOCAu MIA i L LICiC.
THE LEVY AND AMOS SHOOTING AFFAIR
ARGUMENT OF COLONEL NJ. JOHNSON
Tue LEvYs yesterday, for
the fourth time, Moses and Mordecai Levy
appeared before the Mayor to answer the
charge of having shot Berry Amos in the
billiard-room of the Ballard House on the
10th Of this month.
Mr.. Ash Levy, father of the accused,
was first called to the witness stand, and
testified as follows: At the time Of the
occurrence I, with my two sons (the ac-
cused), had charge of the billiard-room of
the Ballard House. Berry Amos was in
the habit of coming in, playing, and then
telling me to charge it. He was frequent
ly told that we did not charge, but he paid
no attention to it, and continued to come
and play without paying. The night pre-
yious to the occurrence he had done the
same thug, and l told my boys to treat
him politely thereafter, but tell him he
could not play unless he paid up. During
the month of June I told Amos not to
come at all. He staid away some days,
but again came, and commenced playing
games and leaving without paying for
them. On the 10th Of this month, Amos
came in the room, in which were myself,
two sons, Brian, Herman Myers, and Mike
Lannan. He challenged Brian and others
to play all of whom refused. Just then
Gustavus Smith came in, and he asked
him to play. Smith agreed, and they
picked up the cues at one of the upper
tables. Amos called to Mordecai for the
balls, when Mordecai walked to him, took
him one side, and whispered something to
him. Amos put down his cue, walked up
to where was sitting, and said: 1t is
id shame" moved away, not wishing
to have anything to do with him. He then
said: "There are many fifty cents on
YOUR books not as good as mine, and many
a dollar that Ballard will never see. You
won't be here long, you id scoundrel;
YOU will be kicked out of here" said:
ssGet out of here, you scoundrel." had
no sooner said this than he walked up and
struck me on the head with his fist. l
threw up my hands to ward off his blows.
He continued to strike me, and at last
caught me by the throat with one hand
and beat me with the other. He choked
me so that everything began to look dark.
| then called for help. Heard the report
of a pistol, and was Immediately let go by
Amos, who staggered off and cried out: {:
"For Gods sake, Moses, don't kill me-"
He was then between the upper and mid
die tables. Moses said: 81 won't hurt a
hair of your head just get out of here"
Amos then ran out. After Amos left |
saw Moses with his arm hanging by his
side with pistol in his hand. l then
knew he had fired the shot.
At the request Of Amos, Edward Brian,
the champion billiard-player of Virginia,
was sent for. He came, and stated that
be had kept the billiard-room in the Ex-
change Hotel for long time that Amos
was in the habit of playing there. He al
ways behaved himself, and always paid up
promptly. 1 did not see the shooting !;
was in the room that morning, but left
few moments previous to the occurrence.
Mike Lannan testified that he was in the
billiard-room on the 10th; saw Amos
strike at Ash Levy. Levy had his head
bent down, with his hands thrown up as if
to ward off the blow.
Colonel Marmaduke Johnson, counsel
for the accused, said in substance as fol-
lows: 1t appears from the testimony that
Mr.. Ash Levy rented the billiard-room of
the Ballard Hotel from Mr.. Ballard, and
with his two sons (the accused) managed it.
Amos frequently came and played, but dld
not pay for the game. Mr.. Levy, as proprle-
tor Of the saloon, bad a legal rightto demand
payment, and did so, not in way calcu-
lated or intended to give offence, but
in o polite manner. After continued
disregard of his wishes on the subject,
Amos comes on the morning of the 10th
and proposes to play with Mr.. Brian. he
refuses, as does Mr.. Myers, who is after
wards asked. Mr.. Augustus Smith comes
in, and Amos proposes game with MN.
He agrees to play, and they pick up the
cues. All this is done after Amos mas
been repeatedly requested not to play
until he pays what he owed for games
previously played. Mordecai Levy IN
obedience to previous instructions from
bis father, goes to Amos, takes him one
side, and whispers in his ear the IN
structions given him by his father.
Thereupon, after this polite treatment by
Mordccai, who had taken him one SIDE ana
whispered in his ear to save him mortiilca-
ton, Amos puts down his cue. Here the
matter should have stopped. Ine LeVyS
are in the room, the old man sitting down.
and are doing and saying nothing. Amos
after all this civil, and, l may add, ex-
tremely polite treatment, goes to where
Ash Levy is sitting, sits down by him, ana
says, alt is id shame" Mr.. Levy, not
wishing to have any difficulty, arose from
his chair and went to the other side OF the
room. Amos then tells him that there are
many ffty cents on his books that are not
as good as his, and that there is many a
dollar on them that Ballard will never
hear of. [At this point the Mayor said he
did not recolIect Of the latter part of the
statement being made.
Colonel Johnson said it had been made
by MIR. Myers at the first examination. and
had been correctly reported in the Dts-
patch at that time. he then called Mr.
Myers to the stand. He testified .hat
Amos had made the state ement' anu he
49, a "a ck hn g.,