The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-25
CORONER'S INQUEST, Etc.

CORONER's INQUEST, Etc.
Yesterday morning at about o'clock q
negro man named William Worsham in
formed Allen Copeland, colored man
living on Duval street, that he had dis
covered the dead body of his wife, Betsy
Stanley, in the gully on the extended line
of st. Peters street.
Upon examination this was found to be
so, and Sergeant Perrin was sent for. He
found the body laid out upon shawl in
the most decent manner with the hands
crossed. There were marks about the
neck that would indicate strangling, but
no other signs of violence were visible.
Coroner Little being sent for, summoned
a jury, and an inquest was held at little
after o'clock in the house of John Tins
ley, near by where the body was found.
Eleven witnesses were sworn, and the
following evidence taken:
John Tinsley, colored, sworn, testified !:
Last night, at about II O'Clock, a colored
man called at my house and said that
Betsy Stanley was lying down in the
gulley on her face, and he feared that she
was dead. He said that he knew her, and
was going to her house to see if she was
there. He then left and came again about
II. My son Andrew got up. The man
wished US to 90 down with him, but we re-
fused.
Jemima Howard Green, colored, sworn ::
I lived in the same house with Betsy
Stanley for five or six years. I saw her
last night about 9 o'clock. She called my
daughter and went off with, her somewhere.
Margaret returned and went to bed atabout
IL o'clock. She staid inmy room all night,
as her husband was in the country. My
husband, myself, my two daughters, my
brother (Allen Copeland), and Betsy
Stanley lived in my house. William
Worsham came there very often. Betsy
worked at the same bench with Worsham
at the factory. She was always healthy.
She would not have my brother. She was
fond Of Worsham; too fond, thought,
Worsham came to the house every night
until began to scold him because he had
a wife in Rockets. Worsham came to
my house this morning and told us that
Betsy was dead. Copeland was in the
house. Margaret's husband comes in
nearly every Saturday night.
Peter. Green, colored, sworn: My
daughter Margaret's husband, Thurston
Burruss, works in the country, and has
not been home this week. / never knew
Betsy to go about at night until within the
last four or five weeks. She is about
thirty-three or thirty-four years old. 1t
was since she took to the factory work
that she commenced to 60 about at night.
William never came to the house until she
went to the factory to work. Betsy some
times had colds, but never had fits. /
never heard of anything between Copeland
and Betsy.
Margaret Burruss, colored, sworn: I
saw Betsy about 9 o'clock last night. She
called and asked me to 60 with her to
Dolly Harris's. went in the house, and
when returned she was gone. I went in
the house and staid all night. I have not
seen my husband since Sunday. Allen
Copeland and Betsy have been living TO-
gether as man and wife about four years.
At about o'clock this morning William
told me that Betsy was dead. William
has been visiting the house about eight
weeks, and think has only been there a
dozen times. He came to see Betsy, and
seemed very fond of her, though I never
heard any one say anything about their
fondness for each other. She had taken
to going about at night lately, and
Allen had quarrelled with her about
it. Uncle Allen and William Wor-
sham did not meet in the same
room. William met Betsy in another
uncle Allen and himself went to see the
body. When he (Allen) came back, he
said that Betsy had deceived him, and he
did not intend to have anything to do with
it. When I left the house last night l
went to Dolly Harris's, expecting to find
Betsy there, but I was told that she had
not been there.
Andrew Tinsley, colored, sworn: Will
liam Worsham came to my house last night
at about half-past II o'clock. A colored
woman was with him, but I did not recog-
nize her. William wanted my wagon to
take away dead body of woman lying
in the valley. I asked who it was. He
would not tell her name, only said that she
lived on Duval street.
William Tinsley, colored, sworn: Last
night at about II o'clock William Wor-
sham knocked at my door and said that q
woman was lying down in the valley on
her face and foaming at the mouth. He
wanted me to 60 down and see her. He
thought he knew who it was. would not
60 with him. asked him what he was
doing about there at that time of night.
He said he was going to his house. He was
going across the branch and saw the wo-
man lying across it. He went away and
came back in about half an hour. He
asked US to 60 down again, but we refused.
Dolly Harris, colored, sworn: Betsy
Stanley has not been at my house for three
weeks. Margaret came to my house last
night after l went to bed, at about 10
o'clock, and inquired for Betsy.
William Worsham sworn I saw Betsy
this morning down the hill dead. saw
her last night at about half-past 10 O'CLOCK
going up Duval street towards the poor
house by herself. l came to John Tinsley's
house last night and asked for wagon,
which told him wanted to take my wife
over to Manchester in next Sunday.
About halfpast II I came back. Mar
earet Howard, Peter Green's wife, was
with me. After I went the first time
to Tipsley's house found Betsy very sick,
went for Margaret and when we went
back she was dead. saw nothing more
of Betsy after meeting her on Duval street
until after | found her down in the Valley
/ did not try to get the wagon to carry
her home. ] told Allen Copeland of hel
death this morninp T was only at hel
house three times during our acquaint,
ance. We went together to see the body
and to look for magistrate. was no
on Bacon's Quarter Branch last night.
told Tinsley that was going down to the
branch. ~
Margaret Burruss recalled: I did no
leave the house last night with any. one