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

|
The MCRDERERs NOT YET ARREsTED.-We
gave on yesterday brief account OF &
"desperate stabbing affray" in Butcher.
town On Monday night. Enoch Turner
the victim, after being carried to his quar-
terS, near the Exchange stables, fingered
through the night and until 9 O'Clock
Tuesday night, when he died. On ycster.
day morning an inquest was held by the
coroner, DR.. Little. The jury-Captair
William II. Hayward forcman-aftcr
viewing the body, repaired to one Of the
parlors in the Exchange Hotel, and the
following testimony was elected:
John Clark, colorcd, being sworn, testi.
fed: At the ball on Monday night he had
left the room for a short time, and return.
ing, he met Enoch staggering just outside
the gate, and crying out that he had been
cut, and asking for some one to take
him home. Witness put him in a hack
and sent him of. Deceased was at the
ball when witness left. lie did not say
who had cut him, and it was 50 dark that
witness could not see how he had been
hurt. Witness said it was shortly after
midnight when he returned to the ball
| room.
DR.. ". ". Parker testified that he was
called on about o'clock on Monday night
to see negro man named Enoch Turner,
and found him wounded. The principal
wound was in the left side, about two
inches in length, transverse and about two
inches below the heart, penetrating the
lung; he probed it, and found that it was
two or three inches deep. He dressed it
and returned 10 his house, but lad hardly
got into his bed before be was sent for
again. lie returned, and found that the
patient had been vomiting, and thereby
removed some Of the strips with which he
had bound the wounds. lie redressed
them and returned home. He called
TO SEQ deceased again about 10 o'clock
the next morning, and found him doing
pretty we'll; bat on his third visit, about
) o'clock in the afternoon, he saw that he
was dying. He called again about IL
o'clock on Tuesday night, and learned that
Enoch had been dead about three hours.
There was no doubt in the mind Of witness
| that deceased had come TO his death from
the wounds, which had been inflicted with
some sharp instrument, such as q knife.
Deceased had mentioned the name of the
| man who had stabbed him, but witness
| did not remember it.
| Robert Allison, colorcd, testified that on
Tuesday morning between and o'clock
| Thomas Didimus, alias Brown, was dancing
Jig in ballroom in the house of Mary
Ann Bush, on Poplar street near the creek.
While so dancing he heard Enoch say to
Thomas Didimus, "Don't you kick me
any MORE" Didimus replied, d" can beat
you dancing, or beat you with my fist
either" He then went into the next
room, and returning, told Euoch that he
was ready for him. Enoch said, " You
strike the first lick, and l will second it."
Didimus then struck Enoch with his left
hand, and when Enoch raised his arm to
return the blow Didimus drove the knife
into him.
When the stab was given, Henry Hitch
cock, who was standing by the mantcl-
piece, took glass from it, and throwing
it at Enoch, struck him in the face, cutting
his mouth. Witness saw no blood, but in
few minutes Enoch said that he had been
cut-wanted to go home. Didimus and
Hitchcock Immediately left. Witness
knew of no cause Of quarrel between the
parties, and none of them appeared to be
drunk. There were about twenty-five
persons, male and female, at the ball. He
saw the dirk in the hands Of Didimus. 1t
had 4 blade about eight inches long.
Mary Ann Bush testified that she lived
next door, and had only rented this room
for the purpose of having ball on last
Monday night. She said: The company
were mostly in the ballroom, up stairs, and
| was down at the front door receiving
tickets. The first l heard of the difficulty
was the jingling Of glass, and l ran up
stairs to see what was the matter. When
T got to the door met five or six persons
coming out, and Enoch with them. Euoch
said that he was cut, but did not say by
whom. I soon after went down stairs, but
hearing John Clark say that Enoch had
been stabbed, | went back, but saw no
blood on any one, or on the floor. Some
one said that Didimus had stabbed him.,
but do not know who did it. This was
about o'clock in the night. heard that
the quarrel commenced about dancing
with a girl from the steamer " State OF
Maryland" This girl had come with
Sal!ie Uobson, a chambcrmaid on the
steamer Getty Of Petersburg" They
were both in the room at the time. Had
heard Of no previous difficulty between
the parties.
William Hunter, colored, testified that
he attended the ball as musician; that
during thcEnight a jig-dancc was proposed,
Didimus got on the floor and commenced
it: Enoch also went on the floor, and was
told by some one to come off, but Dldimus
said, "Let him alone-I can beat hlm any
way he chooses to come" He then left the
room. but soon returning, said, " Where is
that man who wants to hight !" ana Sai,,
to Enoch, off l make the llrt blow, VIII
you return it?" Enoch made no repiy'
Didimus then went up and struck MN
with his left hand. A scrimmage ensued,
and Didimus took something from oehinu
him, either dirk or razor, and drove II
into him. By this time Henry Hltchcoch
struck him with glass and bursted IL over
his head. Enoch said, l am cut" and
ran down stairs and asked Clark to take
him home. went down stairs with Enoch
heard no words pass between the parties
before the jig began. The stabbing oc'
Cured between and o'clock. l never
saw Enoch before that night. Had seen
| Didimus and Hitchcock before, but was
not personally acquainted with them.
saw the blows given, both with the knife
and the glass. James Williams, Warner
Allen. and Dick McAuley, musicians, were
also present in the room at the time.
The testimony was here closed, and the
jury, after consultation, rendered q YER 81,
dict g that the deceased came TO MS deatl
by violence, having been killed by I
wound inflicted with knife or dlrK IN Int