The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-21
1lIE CHRISTIE DIsAppEARANCe.
Trial Of John Smith for Murder.
. Case of Circumstauttar Ev,,,.,..

A'"'N'"-' Su"i' scstcIuay. III VIII he re-
lncmhcrcd that Christie was an honest mo.
%chanic. Il Scotchman hy birth, and aged
about forty, residing in the western part of
the city. On the Goth of December he left
ms nome anu never returned. The fact OF
his mysterious disappearance was first
brought TO The notice of the public through
the Dispatch, and about six weeks later
Mayor Kelley offered Il reward for the re-
covery of The body and the conviction of
his supposed murderer. Soon after the body
of Christie was found in the dock, and one
John smith. the pcrsomlast seen with the
deceased, was arrested on suspjcion of
making away with him. Smith was u lum-
Der dealer, and owner of Il saw-mill near
Savagc's. about fourteen miles below Rich
mond. lie was examined by the Police
Justice, sent on for Indictment, and the
grand jury found Il true bill in the case.
| Yesterday the accused was arraigncd, and
! plead not guilty. He was represented by
Judge Ould and james Ii. Doolcy, ESQ.
The following jury was sworn in the case
Henry Miller, pcyton Johnston, james
Carter, l.. L. Chandler. j. II. pccor, y. q.
FILLER. w. 4. Smith, X. III. ISbcll, II. j.
Robertson, W. :. Davis, John w. Lee, j.
b. Coles.
TESTIMONY OF II CORONER.
DR.. rctcriicId Trent, deputy coroner, was
HlSt W tttu tIStlHti Ill,ib ~ 1Iu lIliC
| an examination ofthc body of John Christie
on the 9th of March, the day it was found in
the dock. No marks Of violence was found,
except that the nose was broken. The
| body was very much swollen, and had APP
! parcntlv been in the water for n long time.
| The brIi>c was on the right side of the
nose, near the end. The shoes showed that
they had been stuck in the mud, and were
partially covered with a species of she'll
fish. 1t is impossible TO tell how long Il
body will remain under water before
coming To the surface. That depends upon
the amount of clothing, the state Of the
weather. the specific gravity of the body,
and the rapiditv with which decomposition
takes place. This body WAS heavily clothed,
and the corpse was u heavy one. 1t was II
good deal ~dccompo>cd. Witness removed
the papers on the person of the deceased.
The bruise on the nose must have been
caused hy Il heavy blow he might have re-
ceiyed it in falling if he struck something
hard at the bottom. The blow must have
been given sideways.
The witness was mere given a package OF
papers. which, having examined, he pro-
nounccd those taken from the body. as far
a> he could rccnllect, except Il nrmoran-
DUN of Work done ny Air. Christie for John
Smith.
rThc papers consisted Of 4 small book
called .'Thc Ready Rcrkoner," some old
cuyclopeS, a couple of cards, DC. In the
- Rcady Kcckoncr" the memorandum re-
frrrcd TO bv DR.. Trent WAS found on closer
eXaminatlon.]
Being rro>S-eXamined, DR.. Trent stated
! that he had had considerable experience in
. the examination OF dead bodies, and had
viewed several drowned men. There WAS
) positively no invariablc rule is to the length
OF time Il body will remain under water.
The papers were not bound up with one
covering: the memorandum of work and Il
bill Of Bowie Il Gamble were i'll the "Ready
, Rcckoncr." and most of the others were in
an old almanac. Witness was OF opinion
that the papers might have been protected
hv the clothing even though the body re-
J MANNED more than IL month in the water.
. Once saw two bank notes found in the
pocket Of Il MAJ who had been drowned
six weeks. and they were in Il state of per-
! feet preservation. Water would make pen
ell marks more durable. Would expect
; accommodation sooner in the body OF Il dis
sIpatcd man. Don't think the damage TO
the nose was caused by hauling the body
on: face upwards.
violence OF DETECTIVE KNOX.
Detective YIN. L. Knox was the next
witness. He rave an account OF an inter-
: view which he had with the prisoners 1T the
iar after the disappearance Of Christie. His
(Smlil'>) statement was that he had lett
! Christie at the Academy OF Music on the
night of the 2Uth of December. He and
! Mc(;rain went out To get Il drink. When
They came back Christie WAS not TO be seen.
Witness continued | asked Smith II he
didn't W TN" deceased some money. lie
said be did not. | asked him, then, il he
di,lT't owe him $500, and he replied that if
) there was any difference it was not more
thai; Il or -. IIc said that lie left the
Academy OF Music just before the lust
pirrr-ti,c Can-Lan, aud that he went
from there to the corner of 18th and Main
streets, md slept ut GuvernatorS until
about ! O'Clock in the morning. lie said
also that John (Christic) had gone to Will
Harrisburg, or Sald he was going thcrc-that
! burr. | asked Mr.. Hugh Smith about
"oino to ChriStic'S house, and he said That
| he went there Christmas Eve. | then asked
if he did not 20 there To get Christie to do
: some work for John Smith. He said no !;
he went because he was invited. John
Smith tod me that about 7 O'Clock he took
| \ drink with Christie at kcrse'S, and an
other. | think, ut Murphy's. | am certain
he SAID there was not more than II or -
difference between them.
EVIDENCE OF CAPT. TYLER.
CAPTAIN James NJ. Tyler testified: John
! smith stated to us tlEtt he came to Rlch-
mond on the 10Th of December with Il load
Of lumber. On the Goth he met Christie on
Dist street, between Main and Cary. From
there they went TO the York River depot,
where his lumber was; remained there to-
! rc,hcr Il short time, and then went 10
kcrSe's. While ut kerSe'S Mr.. Beatty came
! in, and after some conversation he (Slnith)
and Christie went to the Academy OF MIL
sic. After being there awhile he went over
to McGrain's, and remained there some
time. Returning Just before the Can-Can,
he found Christie had gone. He then re-
turned to McGrain's, took Il drink, and
went to Guyernator's, and staid there all
night. Smith asked the question of me,
:. What is the matter! Is Christie MISS
inr?" We told him that he was. He then
said that he had probably gone TO Williams
bug. | asked hm what led him to believe
that. and the reply was that he had often
heard him speak of going there. lie read
ily and frankly answered all our questions.
JAMES BEATTY SWORN.
Mr. james Beatty WAS then sworn. lie
said: | saw the deceased on Sunday, De-
crrubcr the 18th, and made an appointment
to meet him ut the York River depot the
next d,v didn't see him ut the appointed
time. On Tuesday, The 10Th, saw him
where | met him Sunday, and we went TO
the York River depot between 8 and III
O'Clock. From the depot went to ga
street. and there met John Smith. We went
! there ut about II o'clock, with Sll. Grimm
and a man [ didn't know. Smith took us
All TO kersc's and treated. He told Chris
tie Inc had to 90 to the penitentlary to de-
! liver some lumber, and asked where ne
could sec him in an hour or SO. Cnristie