The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-20
found the body. There was no appearance

Wv 'N'ss ihSlC " % hO dDICdIdICt
Of scuiile.
DR.. W. F. Farrar sworn: am physi
clan, residing in Henrico county. On the
2Sth of February last I was called by ser
want Of Mr.. George D. Peasants to hold {
post moTtem examination on the body Of 6
woman found dead in Mr.. Drinkers woods
| found her lying on her face, with the lef
cheek turned up. There was a pistol sho
through the scalp, but no fracture Of the
bone could be discovered. There were 6
| number Of contusions on the neck anG
throat, with marks Of fingers, the nose was
crushed, and numerous bruises were found
in the abdominal regions and on the thigh:
and arms. Under the body there was 6
small deposit of blood. The pistol wound
did not bleed. My impression was thai
violence had been used, but the immediate
cause Of death seemed to have been suffo.
cation. The body had probably been ex.
posed for two or three days when first
saw it.
Cross examined I don't know who the
woman was, and don't know who made the
bruises. | could not of my own know
ledge say whether she was married, but as
a physician l should say that she was.
mean by this. that she was not virgin
Her age was probably about twenty five
| have known the prisoner about two
years, and during this time he has always
borne good character. | don't know
whether he had any connection with the
murder. The dirt and leaves in the hands
of the deceased led me to believe that
there had been a struggle. / had never
seen her before.
B. +. Pitts examined / reside in the
upper part of Essex county, in this State.
| saw Phillips first during the year 1863
| while was at my mothers on furlough.
He had been there for several months
while he was on the sick list. There was
a marriage Between Phillips and my sister
in the month Of July, and went with the
! prisoner for the license. Ny sisters name
was Mary Emily Pitts. T1 prisoner
always called her by the name Of Emma or
! I'm. Hardly any one else called her by
that name. They were married on the 18th
Of July, 1865, and Phillips left home in a
fortnight after. He did not return until
February, 1866, when l met him at the
depot. Then he only stayed a few weeks.
His wife remained with us the whole time,
and Phillips wrote to her regularly. The
letters were poSt-marked-
Colonel Johnson here objected to the
testimony unless the letters were pro-
duced. If they were in existence they
should be brought into court if not, the
fact that they had been destroyed should
be proven, and their contents should be
given by the person to whom they were
addressed.
Colonel Young, on the part of the Com
mCnwealth, claimed that such an idea was
prepostcrous. The post-mark Of letter
was not part of its contents. 1t was un-
reasonable to ask that the person to whom
the letters were addressed should be pro-
duced when we have every evidence that
that person has for months been dead.
Colonel Johnson still insisted strenu-
Ously upon his point, and seemed to be
! fearful that gross injustice would be done
his client. He spoke eloquently in his
behalf, and besought the Court to give him
every advantage which it consistently
could.
| The argument was protracted to conSide-
rable length, each side urging vehemently
! it's views; but the Court finally decided
| that the point was not well taken, and di-
rected the witness to proceed.
| h. f. Pitts resumed: The letters. from
Phillips were directed to my sister, and
post-marked Richmond. They were in the
! handwriting of the accused, with which
am well acquainted. Phillips returned to
! Essex the last time in the winter of $685. :
think it was few days before Christmas.
! This time he remained with us until the
| 18th of February. On that day he left
! home in wagon with my sister, and was
driven 10y black boy to Milford. He said
, he was going to Surry county, and would
stay there with Mr.. Dabney Phillips. a
few weeks after, in the latter part of Feb
ruary, think, we received letter from
them purporting to be written from the
farm Of DR.. Dorsey, who lived ten miles
below Richmond. The letter said that
thew had remained in Milford all night, and
then proceeded to Richmond, where they
stopped at the Virginia House. 1t also
said that he (Phillips) had received an
offer from DR.. Dorsey, which was so much
better than he could do in Surry that Ire
felt as if he ought to accept it. A few
other trivial matters were spoken of, but |
did not burden my mind with them at that
time. The letter was written the last OF
February. repeat that don't remember
the exact date.
Another letter was received in the
latter part Of May, of which | don't re-
member the date. 1t was written some
weeks before Ireceived it. 1t spoke only
about domestic matters. 1t was post
marked Richmond.
a. third letter was received few weeks
later.
This was presented by the witness, and
read aloud by the Commonwealth's At
| tOrney.
RIVER VIEW, on JAMES RIVER,
May "A, 1867. !
10 al at Home:
| Your very welcome messenger came TO hahd
a few days ago, and we were delighted 10 near
| from all Sorry our letters have not reacheu
| their destination. -.
En-. wrote TO Sally and Mrs. Dishman, but
has received no answer yet. She would nave
| written again, but has been suffering win II
very sore finger. The doctor called II Whlt
! low don know what it :; II Is dreaalpi
she takes morphine and laudauum TO compose
| her. The doctor is very fearful that she VIII
have the lockiaw. She is looking dreadful
| from it-neither eats nor sleeps. 1t was caused
! by sewing. / wrote you all about our sltua'
| lion: that we We're housekeeping; that Is,
| Em wrote TO ma, and told about having
| chickens. We are some distance from mar
ket do not 90 TO town oftener thah once
I month-then il is for the doctor. nave cen
YOU a great many papers; sorry they ala ho'
reach you. :,
| am sorry you are sick of the river; was IN
hopes you were making plenty OF money 10
! spree on Christmas. Farmers are very much
behindhand this year. We have very
| good garden. No one has planted corn scarce
| ~. We have too much rain. The negroes are
! fighting with the white people in Richmond
| They are constantly holding meetings and
| turning out in the street with drawn saDres
Things are coming to point rapidly 1hey
| scarcely obey us on the farm.
| If unn cnn secnre q sitnation for me any.