Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-12-15
A SCENE IN THE WASHINGTON Court

James IL. y. Scnufeul2n, COiOreu, yeStcru }
Vas placed on trial on the :hird indccmeu'
gains him for passing counterfeit money Be-
fore tn. jucy was sworn Mr. Darlington, d S.
r,ct attorney. asked OF JUICE Fisher whether
| ne or one of the other Judges wIud hold the
ext term of the Criminal Court. Judge Fish
+ @aid that would not be known until the Feb
uarv term Ct the Supreme Court IN bare
Mr. Caring on said be asked the question DC
cause he iet tia; it would be vain to com
aeaca the trial with such charge staring him
u the face as that made by the court IN sim!
| ar case against the prisoner.
The Judge rem srked il was not so mach All
orher jury as another Judge the attorney want
ed. Mr. Carrngon replied That Is it
waot one OF the other justices try this case,
because land d. NOT intend to be dlsrespectiul)
! he charge Of the court in that case was not
aw The judge said he would permit no
argument on that charge. II y was not law,
he District Attorney could take his remedy.
Mr.. Darlington said he was only stating his
reasons.
judge Fisher THAT IL oa'y 4 foolish
waste OF time.
Mr.. Cariagt0n. That is your honor ;
opiniOn, rather coarsely expressed"
The Judge said that he had charged the ia
ry with what he conceived to b. law. a little
discussion ensued on this point, until tinally
the Judge sad i, was beneath the dignity OF
the court TO permit elimination and recrimina
ion. Mr.. Darlington replied that he was not
afraid of any such elimination, and added,
You can make no charge against me that vii,
be sustained" After good many objections
some of which were sustained, a jury Was final
" sworn, majority betty co0red men.
A discussion ensued between Mr.. Darlington,
Judge Fisher and Mr.. Phillips, the defendant :
attorney, in which some OF the language used
was more emphatic than elegant, the whole ser
ling to i h entertainment for the crowd
sci, cried out, "Be quiet children" The court
then declined to accede to the district attorney
request to certify to the court IN Janc his opin
ion and charge made in the preceding trials
The district attorney then asked the discharge
of one OF the jurors on the ground that he could
neither read nor write.
Judge Fisher cited cases for forgery which
had been tried before English courts and said
that he had never heard Of single case where
the fact that a man could not read or write affec
ted his competency as juror. Mr.. Carrigton
urged that all the trials referred to had taken
place before the comparison OF handwriting was
admitted as competent testimony. Mr.. Riddle
had never heard that the competency Of "a juror
depended on his literary attachments.
defence would allow the Juror to be withdrawn,
but he knew of no law by which the court could
take him from the Jury. box. The defence reius
ed Mr. Darlington then asked the court to
exclude from the jury all jurors engaged on the
previous trials Of the prisoner. This the court
refused to do. The prosecution then opened
the case.
ARREsT--On Saturday. the 4th instant.
a Mr.. Rogers was killed by being shot through
the heart, on road in the vicinity of Richmond,
Va. 4 man named John Bowles was charged
with being his murderer, but search TOR him
failed to secure him. In house in PhadeI
phia, Detecuve Gordon found Bowles yesterday
working at shocmaking. and arrested him.
Whie in custody Bowles admitted having been
riding with Rogers on the night in question,
but alleged that he left him two miles from
the place where ne was found. Conserving to
20 without reQui>ition, he was handed over
10 Chief OF Police Egbert, aud they left imme-
diately Tor Richmond. Bowles has bad re.
putatiOn, and has been recently discharged
from prison.