The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-28

IFrom the Petersburg Courier; ssth.1
The prince da60fgMs TNSGsntSv.

who had been most brntally murdered On
the previous evening.
JIM. Jordan, stated The first indication
/ had Of the murder / was called up by an
attendant With the cry, "Mr. Friend Is
dead" This occurred about $3.50 p, nj, II
al once went to his house aud found him
weltering in his gore. heard him call the
commenced talking, and said that he had
been followed on bis way home by man.
Upon questioning him. Mr.. Friend said
that the man was tall, black man, who
approached him suddenly and struck him, |
s'as If something had come through the air.
On becoming. conscious" said MIR. Friend,
q saw the passing City Point train, and
then q fnarl--the same man who struck me,
l belicve--ca,nc to ne and assisted me up.
/ walked with him across the bridge, and
then. to think, he murdered me In my own
path"
Frances Jones (colored) testified: am
engaged at MIR. Jordan's to do sewing, I |
was on my way home Friday evening, and
as approached Tue bridge on Mr.. Friends
far. saw two men walking side by side.
thought that they were going on unlaw-
full business, because they had an umbrella
over them. | could not well see their
heads, and. as | was frightened, l hurried
along. They were walking slow, and talk
ING Very low: one seemed to be supporting
the other, who walked as if he was weak
J; / thought at the time that they were both
colored men. After l had passed, they
seemed to be going TO Mr.. Friends house,
, having left the railroad. / listened TO near
everything that might occur. Presently
! heard some one cry out, ''Oh, don't beat
me So" That frightened me still more,
and ran home and told my husband. L
- aord M cotpS Of IowS nor no cry OF
murder. I did rot recognize either OF the
men: the umbrella was not fully stretched
out. but only sufficiently raised TO cover
the heads of the two men.
DR.. James Dunn testified was called to
see Mr.. Friend. ! reached the house about
1OE o'clock Friday night. found him in
q terribly beaten condition, and his pulse
almost gone administered stimulants, but
without benefit, as he died abou. II O'Clock.
/ found six or eight distinct wounds on the
head and that the skull had been fractured
in one place. Death YVES Immediately caused
by hemorrhage, though the wounds were
wounds were caused by heavy stick or a
round piece Of iron.
! DR.. Thomas Withers testified / was
, called in to see Mr.. Friend. After saw
him he revived sufficiently to speak several
times, and was conscious enough to expert
ence the intense agony Of his condition. |
have seen several hundred bodies, but /
never saw one so much butchered as that
Of Mr. Friend. Every blow went to the
bone the nose was entirely cut in swo ;
one of the eyes was fatally injured, and the
head had been terribly mangled.
The jury adjourned to meet to-day Mon
day. at r. NJ, at the residence of the de-
ceased, in Prince George county.
THE THEORY OF THE MURDER.
After careful examination and inquiry,
the following seems to be the correct eX-
PLANTATION as to how the murder occurred :
. a colored man had, it is well known, q
personal enmity against gentleman who
lived in the neighborhood Of Mr.. Friends
: residence. That gentleman, at times, was
accustomed to walk home after dark via the
City Point road. There was reason to be.
licvc that he would be in the city and re.
turn home Friday night by the railroad,
walking. Mr.. Friend was followed and
,, first struck by a villain who took him to
be the gentleman above referred to. And,
the scoundrel awaited its passing by
and then returned to what he thought
his intended victim. On discovering, how.
ever, that be had assaulted the wrong per.
son, he at first blush formed the resolution
to conduct Mr.. Friend within hearing OF
his household. TO do this bridge was
passed over, from which it was easy enough
TO precipitate one to immediate death, but
he conducted his victim safely across, over
Il narrow footway, and did not leave the
track of the road until reaching a by-path
leading to Mr.. Friends residence-a dis
lance Of nearly quarter of mile from the
scene of the attack. 1t is presumed that
here, or Immediately previous, some con.
versation must have occurred which led the
murderer to believe he was recognized.
and that thercupop, rs "dead men tell no
tales" he hid his villainouS work by brHl-
tally taking the life Of an unohending man.
The FIRE ON SATURDAY MoRNING.-The
fire on Saturday morning, about ) o'clock,
briefly referred to in our last issue, resulted
in the complete destruction OF framed
building, owned and occupied by Mr.. James
Guinan as a store and residence, on the
with his stock Of groceries, including q
large quantity of liquors, which had just
been purchased, furniture. and wearing
apparel, valued at between two and three
thousand dollars. The office of Mr.. II. W.
Siggins, on the opposite corner, was also
totally destroyed, and house belonging to
George W. Boiling, Esq, damaged TO such
an extent as to render portion of 1t I'M
tenable.
Mr.. Guinan's insurance was as follows
Stock, Georgia Home Insurance Company,
$1,000; building, Petersburg Savings In
surance company, 81 600; furniture and
wearing apparel, Cuthbert agency, $780,
Petersburg Courier, 9th.
! A Masonic apron made by Madame La