The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-11
THE MURDER TRIAL.
EVIDENCE FOR TIE PROSECUTION CT osED
Two New Witnesses.
THE DEFENCE.
Testimony Of J. NJ. Batterman.

The County Court of Henrico resumed
yesterday the consideration of the case Of
j. J. Phillips, charged with wife-murder.
Mr.. Peter J. McWhirt was first sworn
and examined: | saw the prisoner on
Saturday the 10th Of February last. He
stated that he had just returned from Ere
dericksburg. 1 asked him something about
my relations there, when he told me that he
had been staying in store and had been on
the street very little. He asked me on the
same day whether Mr.. Templeman did
not have pistol which he wished to sell.
was afterwards present when Phillips
asked Templeman for the pistol. Mr..
Templeman let him have it, and it was re-
turned to me on Monday the 25th of
February. I saw the accused several
times between the 10th and 25th of the
month. I am sure that the pistol was re-
turned on the 25th, because that was the
day of Mr.. TempleRan's sale. remem-
ber seeing the prisoner on Saturday the
23d, and he stayed at Mr.. Templeman's
that night. | saw him two or three times
at Mr.. Templeman's between the 10th and
23d. When he returned the pistol | think
he stated that he could not dispose of it.
Cross-examined: 1t was single-bar-
relied pistol with revolving cylinder. |
do not know whether it was loaded or not
when it was returned. have known the
prisoner nine or ten months, during which
time he has always borne as good charac-
ter as any young man ofmy acquaintance.
& To Mr.. Guigon: The conversation about
the pistol took place on Saturday, and my
impression is that he got it on the same
day.
Questioned by the court: think that
saw him at about IL o'clock on Saturday.
There is train from Fredericksburg be-
tween and 10 o'clock.
Mr.. johnson: That can hardly be, as
Mrs. Wadde. s reported as saying that
they arrived at the Virginia House in the
evening.
Mrs. Waddell coming in just at this time,
stated that her impression was that the ac-
cused arrived at her house with Mrs. Phil
lips between 10 and II o'clock on the
morning Of the 10th Of February.
William G. Moncure, deputy sheriff,
being sworn, testified: l summoned the
coroncrs Jury to sit upon the body of the
woman found on Drinkers farm. When |
arrived l found the body lying on the
ETOuIlu Will HCdu lohulu VIZ SeaSSs - .
Farrar examined the wounds, and we
turned the body over. remarked seVe-
raj times that she seemed to be country
girl. particularly noticed that she wore
country-knit stockings and garters. Her
underclothcs we're neat and unsoiled. l
first thought she was not more than twenty
years old, but atterward changed my OPT
Mon, and remarked about it to DR.. farrar.
We found in the pocket Of her dress lit
tie bag Of powder and strip from paper
OF pins. On the next morning took the
pins out and threw the paper away. In
company with Justice Peasants l looked
for vehicle tracks on the next morning,
but it had rained, and we could not dis
cover any. Some small footprints were
visible.
The clothing on the body seemed dry,
and was smoothly arranged; the dress
reaching nearly down TO the ankles. re-
marked upon these facts at the time. The
head of the corpse lay near stump, and
the hat was short distance eff. 1t was a
straw hat trimmed with blue ribbon.
There was but one track near the body,
which seemed to he the print Of the heel
or toe of shoe. The toes Of the corpse
were little imbedded in the earth. l can
hardly form an idea Of the length Of time
Which had elapsed since death. Some
thing had gnawed one Of the hands, cX-
posing the bone and sinews; the latter had
dried, which would lead me to suppose
that several days had elapsed, but Judging
from the general good appearance Of the
corpse, should say that it might have
been there q very short time.
George Drinker testified that a few
weeks after the body was found he had
been to the spot and found fragments of
paper of pins. He stuck the pins in
stump.
The pins in question were exhibited,
and afforded considerable ground for re-
partee about the pointed nature OF Mr..
Drinkers testimony.
Miss Pitts recalled: My sister never
wore either flannel or drawers. There
was a scar on her head near her temple.
do not remember that there were any
others upon her person.
TO Mr.. Thomas: On his last visit to us,
Phillips came on the 23d Of December and
left on the 18th of February. His manner
toward my sister at that time was very
kind.
Mrs. Waddel was recalled to answer
some questions in regard to the baggage
of the accused. Nothing new was elected.
W. C. Moncure being recalled, testi-
fed that he had seen two persons who re-
sembled the murdered woman. One OF
these was Miss Pitts and the other Miss
Virginia Edwards. The nose Of Jennie
Edwards resembled the nose Of the corpse.
He did not see eny likeness between Miss
Pitts and Miss Edwards. I noticed
slight scar above the eyebrow. My atten-
tion was also called to some small scars
about the ankle. They were thoroughly
healed over, and there was no discolora-
tion about them.
Miss Pitts to Mr.. Johnson now re-
member that there was scar on my sis
ter's ankle; it was caused by fever at the
time of her first hemorrhage in 1860, and
was once much inhamed.
Mr., Johnson called the attention of the
Court to the fact that these scars were
specially mentioned as one Of the features
that led to the supposition that the body
was that of Jennie Edwards.
Mr.. Young then announced that he was
prepared to rest the evidence for the pro-
secution, but stated that if new facts were
discovered be would of course claim the
right to introduce them. He might also
introduce rebutting evidence.
Mr.. Johnson then withdrew with his as
sociates into the anteroom, and was en-
gagged for some time in consultation Win
The prisoner. In the mean time the names
of the witnesses for the defence were
called, and a majority of them found
present,