The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-04-30
LOCAL MATTERS.

wARD-THE CoRoNER's INoUEsT.-The sad
case of supposed suicide which we recorded
yesterday has excited great interest in our
city and great is the public anxiety to hear
of the minutest particulars.
At IL O'Clock yesterday an inquest was
held over the body ut the Spotswood
Hotel. The following jurors were duly
sworn by the Coroner J. II. Slingluff,
T. P. Larus, F. S. Ballard, E. H. Simpson,
]. Mccarthy" Do. Davis, Isaac Lyon,
Thomas Crouch, j. S. Robertson, E. E..
Depriest,, F. j. Arnold, J. ]. Underhill.
The jury met upon the basin bank where
the body was found, and afterwards repaired
Ito the parlorIof the Spotswood, where the
following evidence was taken
w: A. Lobban, sworn : / happened to be
passing by the canal, and saw the body in
the mill-race just in front of Gallego mills.
This was about O'Clock yesterday. afternoon.
called for assistance, and the body was ta-
ken out. ..g=,s.t,; ~ :.
David H. Berry saw the body and helped
to get it out. sa' ~. II u It. s-
john O.. Hall reported the finding Of the
body to Captain Jinkins.
H. Wright, sworn II last saw Mr.. Mill
ward one week ago last night, at o'clock,
at Virginia Hall. He was standing at the
bar. He had room at Virginia Hall. He
was o partner Of mine in the proprie-
torship Of the hall. When last saw him,
be stated that I would never see him any
more, and offered to give me his ring. He
gave no account of himself at all. He was
considerably under the influence of liquor !;
as much so as I ever saw him. He did not
show liquor plainly, being generally very
quiet, and not much disturbed by it. He
was resolute and obstinate in carrying out
his purpose, whether right or wrong. l do
not know that he had any difficulty with
any one OF, late. He had had words, but
no difficulty. I thought him disturbed in
mind, but presumed it was on account of
liquor. left him at the bar, and went up
stairs, asking him if he intended to wait for
me. He said he did. When l returned he
was gone, and / could not find him. heard
Mr.. Millward say, four or five months ago,
that he would not die natural death that
he would come to an untimely end ; and
that he would not live six years longer.
Sigismund Niggl, sworn: saw Mr.. Mill
ward at Virginia Hall between 4 and Z
o'clock on Tuesday night last. He left the
hall at about o'clock by himself. He had
had no quarrel. Had been talking in q
friendly way with Mr.. Wright. Before he
went out he went to Mr.. Wright and others
in the hall and said, Goodbye, boys
you'll never see me any more" He offered
to make presents to Mr.. Wright, and said to
him that he would give him his watch and
ring and receipt in full for all the pro-
perty in the hall. He would give him
everything he had. Mr.. Wright refused to
take the things offered him, and asked him
if he should 60 up stairs and see his lady.
He said yes, and Mr.. Wright went up stairs,
and Mr.. Millward went out of the hall.
John Swift, sworn : / saw Mr.. Millward
last Tuesday night at about o'clock. He
was standing at the bar talking with Mr..
Wright. He said, among other things,
l".You'u never see me any more in Rich
mond." I do not remember anything else
he said, except that he offered to give his
dog to anybody that would take him.
Calvin A. Spear, sworn: am employed at
the Spotswood as clerk. Mr.. Millward
came into the Office at about o'clock Tues
day night and asked me to take charge OF
his watch and ring. I took them and put
them in the safe. He had done this four or
FIVE times before. He was little un-
der the influence of liquor. Mr.. Tinsley
was in the office when Mr.. Millward
came in. wrote paper for him OF the
time. 1t was sort of will. The paper
has since been destroyed. l wrote two. Mr..
James Millward has one. He didn't say
why he wished this written. He said he
going away for a day or two. thought
nothing Of it, as / had written papers for
parties before. Mr.. Tinsley and myself
thought it was written in fun, and remarked
that we would have joke on him the next
morning. The will disposed of everything
he owned. He went into the bar-room after
the will was written, and I think met Cole
mel Read there. Il am step-brother to Mr.,
Millward, and have never known him to
have a will written before. Thought he
wished me to write it in fun. Had thought
otherwise I would not have written it.
DR.. Little here read letter from Colonel
Read stating that he was too unwell to obey
his; summons. He knew nothing of inn
portance. He met Mr.. Millward at about
o'clock Tuesday afternoon, and he told him
that he would never again see him.
Sterling G. Sheppard, sworn: I knew Mr.
Millward.l5 heard that he was missing OF
Sunday I saw Mr.. Millward on the cana
bridge at about five minutes after s O'Clock
Tuesday night J. sgoing to Anderson
warehouse place of business Mr.. NJ
was standing on the left-hand side near the
centre. I spoke to him, having recognized
him. He said he had been waiting there
for some. time. There was mo enc with
him. He said he was waiting for some
one. ..,lsI. left him, and went to my
Office, just across the street. waited
there, and in about ten minutes I heard
pistol shot. Some one passed at this time
and / remarked, SO Johnny Millward fired
that pistol; let's go over there and see him.
The shot seemed to have been fired on top Of
the bridge, but Ibid not see the fash. lido moi
know. who the man was that passed by my
Office. IHent to the bridge toll see if could
find Mr.- Millwafd, but he was gone. There
was no one about the bridge at this time. =
could not sssa soul. 7 did not hear any
splash in the water saw that Mr.. Mill
4ward was under the influence Of liquor 81
soon as Imethim.a z
E James NJ. Rind, sworn: I was at the
fredericksburg depot at little after s
O'Clock on Tuesday or Wednesday night.
passed over the bridge at about eight mi.
nutes after s.. II saw no one on the bridge
Iheards p shot fired near the bridge shortly
after had passed over. The shot seemed
L l. - Ia t,vSSI