The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-07-13
THE MURDER TRIAL.
LupORT.iyT AND INTERESTING TESTI.NONF
FOR TIE DEFENCE.
More Mysteries Two Ladies $ n
Near the Tragic Spot.
THE ARGUMENT TO-DAY.

The anxious crowd at the county court
house yesterday were not doomed to the
same disappointment in their search for
sensation as on prior days of the trial.
Some of the evidence for the defence was
exceedingly interesting, and the audience
hung in breathless silence upon the lips Of
two honest colored persons with an anxiety
reminding one of the first days Of the pre-
liminary examination. What they heard,
however, serves only to veil in more mys-
terry the dark tragedy already famous as
the Drinkers Farm Murder"
Sarah Anderson, colored, testified that
in the month of February last she lived
with Mr.. William II. Peasants, on Grace
street between Twenty-fifth and Twenty
sixth. The accused came there one day
for Miss Turner. She was not there, and
| told him that she was probably at Mr..
Styll's. remember it very distinctly, and
although 1 don't know the exact date,
am sure that ii was in the latter part Of
February.
Cross examined I am not now living
with Mr.. Pleasants, having left there about
the 25th of March. The accused called
between breakfast and dinner. The family
dined at about o'clock. He certainly
came before 3 o'clock, for school closed
at that time. He generally came in q
buggy for the Miss Turner who was attend
ing school, but this time he came for her
elder sister.
Mr.. Charles Phillips, an uncle Of the
prisoner, living in Henrico county on the
extension Of Cary street, testified as to the
general good character of the accused.
The prisoner was at my house on the 26th
of February, and left on Wednesday the
9th to go to Mr.. Turner's. l do not re-
member whether he remained with US all
night; but he might have done so. He eX-
pected to go to Chesterfield on Thursday
the 2Sth. I am sure that he was at my
house on Wednesday morning; but GER
tainly during the day.
Cross examined: He came between II
and 2 o'clock on Tuesday, and / think at
about the same time on Wednesday.
To Mr.. Johnson There was nothing un-
usual in his demeanor while he was at my
house.
Fleming Christian (colorcd) deposed
that he lived near Mr.. George Turner's
and worked for Dr.. Banks. | remember
the time the murdered woman was found
on Mr.. Drinkers farm. On the Tuesday
evening before, I saw two ladies going to-
ward Mr.. Drinkers and turn off toward
Mr.. kirhy's. | was going after wood at the
time. They were walking in the blind
path toward Mr.. Kirby's. l don't know
how they were dressed, except that they
wore hats. thought it was mighty strange
they should be walking along by them
selves in a blind path like that, and asked
my wife when ! went to the house if she
knew who they were.
Mr.. Young objected to the conversation
which passed between Fleming and his
wife.
Witness resumed: One of the ladies had
q blue ribbon on her hat. They were
walking at 4 moderate rate. The road
was very wet, as it had rained that morn
ing.
/ told my wife and Mr.. Dixon Darby,
who was working with Mr.. Frank Dicker-
son, about the matter. I told Mr.. Darby
the day after the body was found, and
said | wouldn't be at all surprised if it
was one of them ladies. There was no
man with them when ] saw them.
To Mr.. Guigon: heard on Thursday
evening about the finding Of the dead wo-
man, after | saw the jurymen coming
from the inquest. didn't see the body
nor the place where it was found. |
couldn't see through the woods what kind
OF dresses the ladies had on, but only saw
their heads and shoulders. They wore
1ats like ladies generally wear. Think
they wore light sacques.
Cross examined: l live on the road
which leads by Mr.. Turner's to Mr..
Drinkers. Ny house is in the bushes
about four hundred yards from Mr.. Tur-
ner's and about three hundred yards from
an ice-pond. When l saw the ladies |
was on the left-hand side of the blind
path on Mr.. Hardgrove's land. The blind
path runs on Mr.. Drinkers land. 1t was
about twenty steps from where | stood.
The ladies were walking along slowly, and
did not speak to me, but they might have
seen me. did not hear them say any
thing. The path was wide enough for
two, but they were walking one behind
the other. 1t was about or ? o'clock,
and I was getting some wood to cook din
ner. 1t was only two or three days alter
that the body was found.
To Mr.. Guigon: They were not ladies
that l had ever seen about that neighbor-
hood. / know the Pleasantses, the kirbys,
the Turner's, but it wasn't any OF them. l
have been living there since last February
year ago, and have never seen them be-
fore or since.
The evidence of this man was clear and
evidently truthful. Cross examination
elected no contradictory statements.
Eliza Christian (wiie of Fleming) testi-
fed that she we'll remembered the finding
of the body. My husband was working at
DR.. Bankss on Tuesday morning, but it
was so wet that he came home at about l0
O'Clock. He then sat down until about IL.
Then he went out to get me some WOOD.
When he came back he asked me If any
body had been to my house. l told
him no, and asked him why. lie said be-
cause he saw two ladies going along
the blind path, and that they turned OF
toward Mr.. krby's. He said 1t was
mighty strange way for ladies to be going.
There was the body of dead woman
found on the next Thursday. When tlem-
ing came home that night he asked me
where those men [jurymenl had been, and
7 told him that dead white woman had
been found up in the woods. Then he said
that he wouldn't be at all surprised If it
was one of those ladies he had seen on
Tuesday.
Cross-examined Ny old man said he
was not close enough to see them well.
He said they we're near one size. 1t was
mighty wet, and bad day to be walking
out.
Eliza's evidence was given in plain,
straightforward manner, as was that OF her
husband, and left not shadow Of doubt OF
its truth upon the minds of her auditors.