The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1869-06-04
TRIAL OF REUBEN ID. HERND0N
FOR THE
Murder of Mary Il. LunlSden

for Is years, G
The trial of Reuben d. Herudon, a
with the murder OF Mary f. /
Lumsden, on the Oath of April, lS6S,
began i'll the County Court OF THIS 7
County on Monday the oath ult. I
The prisoner was indicted in August l
1868. but owing to various circumstanc-
es the trial has been continued 10 the
present term of the Court; and, as we {
stated in our last issue, was begun on
Monday the oath, but no jury being Cd
tanned from the veaire summoned IN thls
countv. the case was continued Until
Thursday the 9th, and forty-eight Ju-
rors were ordered to be summoned
from Alexandria on Thnrsdayat ll1s
o'clock.
The officer of the Court arrived from
Alexandria with fol three juro S ana
the trial was commenced Immediately.
Among the jurors summoned seVerai
were found disqualified, having formed
and expressed an opinion in regard 10
the prisoners guilt or innocence. BE-
fore the forty three names were eN-
hausted, however, a panel OF twenty
four free from all objection was obtain
ed. The prisoners counsel having
stricken eight fron the panel, the re-
onired twelve were drawn from the re-
maiader by ballot. The names OIL the
jurors drawn were Thomas Davy, Ii.
BRADLEY, r.. A. Rudd, w. f. Vincent,
IF. Webster, P, IL. Simpson, 5. II.
Gregory, Owen Nugent, James y.
Grimes, Augustus Butts, William Ow-
ems. VIM. M. Johnston. They were
sworn and charged by the CLERK, and
then the Commonwealth Attorney
, onened the case for the prosecution
; He was assisted by Messrs. j. l.. POW
, ell and p. B. Hiden. The prisoners
f counsel were Hon. Shelton F. u AXE
9 of Albemarle, and Maj. j. &. Field, oil
: Culpeper.
: The first witness examined was Mrs.
r Jacobs, who testified TO finding the DO
S DIV of the deceased on the evening OF
k the Dist of May, 1868, in secluded
G thicket, which she described as ia lone
n some spot" not far from her house. was
1t led to the discovery by the going ant
J. returning of dog, and as sheep ha'
II been lost, followed The dog with view
st of finding out. On getting to the thick
D. ct, which this witness and others de
s. scribed as a small ravine somewhat II
er the shape of horseshoe and surround
re ed sby dense underground, the bod
ne was found lying close up under an oil
+. tree hich had been blown up by tn
IN roots. The body was lying on its bac
30 and partially covered by log some 81
by or seven feet long and eight lnch'
IS, through and several smaller pieces
lie wood. .old leaves, sc. The upper pc
Use ton of the body from the waist up ha
he been almost entirely destroyed by dog
yer yulturus or some other animals, on
he the bones OF the spine remaining, III
Mt head was severed and the skull foul
CHI some feet from the body. One leg al
me one arm were also stripped of flesh.
md Witness returned and informed N
ave Lumslen, the young lady's father.
is Mr.. Lumsden was next called,
on testified that he went with others
no the spot and identified the body as I'll
ION of his daughter; recognized the cio'
81 inc, &C.; also testified as to conditl
ese of body, how. concealed, described
;oal cality. where found, substantially
VS. Mrs. Jacobs. Witness returned
is n Mrs. Simpsons where the prisoner
on n Mr.. Catlett were at work shingl
m. an clubhouse. Witness asked II q
could make him box i'll which 10
the body. The prisoner expressed
loco readiness to do SO and at once Degal
!, =, take measures for the timbers. V
,,vo ness noticed that prisoner was Y
p,t much excited and unnerved-so IN
!, - so that he could scarcely take the
w nc cessary measures.
onor Mrs. Simpson was next calie'
- Went with others on being lnfofi
: ho that the missing girls body had
: found, to visit it. Described locat
'atoa &C., testified to the seclusion OF
IT, spot, noticed the great chance IN
g. oner's manners when Informed OF
cod finding of the body. On the eve
81 of Sunday 26th OF. April, after the oil
- pearance OF the young lady, Wit
ealth was OUT III se"i0n " ;,
had been church that day at =
tioch," a few miles distant. Wen
about 3 O'Clock, about which time
sons usually come from church.
"liuS ness was passing through anopen
POI through which creek run, ret'lf
CUM with her cattle, when she saw the
.n"''1 oner. He was standing looking
'ous the creek; witness saw HIM oe1o
me- saw her prisoner was not in any
'io when witness came up prisoner g
-. ed her quito warmly, said he was
ing tor path that led to Mr..
dens, said he was returning from
Law tioch where he had been to ChuI
Witness told him he was som
wards from the path. Prisoner 81
was lost and could not find the pi
orfolk, W. 49, ~ Tho nrisoncr that h
ng out 'l,stonoo ont of the nat,
"i"' showed him where to find it, z
.onria or was well acquainted with the
I've Of Dofhooa. Ing pun 'e 49,,
of the t.oeh Church W i1''.''N -;
litorin have brought the prisoner With
i've mn eral hundred yards of where W
what's found him' Irisonei NopV VI w.
ness awhile then dropped bohln