Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-01-14
.NUIsI)Els TRIAL.

month oi' July last The case was opened this
morning ty \. W. Chiffon for the prosecution
and D. l. Smoot Tor the defence.
(, DR.. Johu B. j Johnson testified az follows
Resident Of. Alexandria; resided in the city
since lS51; | was called about noon to see .
man at Mrs Bcach's, on West street, and
found him IN that condition which physicians
call collapse, and found him 10 great suffering;
upon examination Of head [ round flesh wound
on left side; he was in very critical condition.
continued to grow worse during the evening
and died durlng the night, and upon examlna-
ton gave it as my opinion that he died from
the injuries and bad treatment he had received;
he died i tcu or twelve hours alter L was
first called; the wound was undoubtedly lntict-
I'd by sharp instrument; the skull was not
fractured; the skull might be fractured without
being visible, except by post mortem examlna-
ton: l made no post mortem examination, inc
Injuries upon the body were slight; when L saw
him my opinion was that he would die; he was
in an ncoheraut condition, and his answers to
all questions were about half intelligent; eX-
posurc and drunkenness without the Injuries
would not have proved fatal the injuries upon
| his BODY were produced by some heavy lnstru-
nlent without al edge.
Cross examinatiou-The wound was about
two inches in length; there were bruises about
| the right aud left side OF bis chest, and also
bruises about the abdomen; the cut upon his
head alone could not have caused his death;
the wounds received satisfied me that they were
the exciting cause Of his death; drunkenness
and exposure with injuries such as these would
| cause death. .
Commonwealth examinatou-I is possible
blu; not probable that these wounds could have
| 4 -. G,I ,,-l;lo ov,ll-ipr ,Iopr
Dr. French testi6cd-Resde in Alexandra;
residing here Il years; was called upon to see
John Monroe while visiting some patients III
the ueighborhood; did not see him while living;
examined the body at the inquest; found a
wound upon the crown Of the head; 1t Is my
opinion it was done by blunt instrument; say
stone or brick; the body Was at Mrs, Beach $
90 West street; it was in warm weather; was
called 10 by Mr.. Beach, coroner; the wound ex'
tended I'LL inch perhaps or more; 1T was rag,
red, Jagged wound there was no fracture OF
the skull; the fracture might have been else
where than at the place OF wound
Mrs. Susan Beach teStihod-Wa Us in Alex
audria III July last; Johu Monroe boarded at
NY house; have kuowu him twcuty-oue years;
| | live Oh West street: when | went to Keeping
house he made my house his home; he was Il
clock liycr; saw him last on the fifth day OF
July. 1872; it was on Friday; he left my house
between FIVE and six 0 clock on July 9th, 1872,
and was brought to my house between i've and
six o clock next day; he wore common look
ing watch and carried 4 common cane; certain
that watch produced in court was that OF Mon
roe; he always wore boots to tit loose on his
feet; the hat and boots produced looked like
Door old John himself standing there; when he
was brought back he was in great suffering,
and said that he would not get over 1t, aud
asked me to try and do something to relieve
him.
Gross examined said he couldn't get
over it; | placed mustard application to his
stomach; he was able to staggcr about the
room; he was vomiting up great deal OF green
stuff; he seemed 10 be Ill great agony; he took
medicines prescribed by physicians; | sent tor a
doctor in the morning about nine clock, but
the doctor did not come till after the middle
of the day; Monroe never seemed to Indicate
his recovery.
Examination in chief resumed. Monroe
said he was sitting by spring when three
men attacked him and beat him with bricks,
pitched him into deep hole or ditch to suffer
and di and that they had robbed him Of his
watch BOOTS and hat Capt. Smith came tc
my house with watch and placed 1t III Mon
roc's hand and Monroe said it was his watch.
| Cross cxaminaton--Saw watch on Monroe
when he left my house on the 5th day of July
do not know them from any peculiar marks ;
never saw watch like it Monroe had been
drinking Oh the 4th day Of July J was not I'm
der the influence Of liquor when brought back
to nv house swear to best Of my knowledge
that hat and boots produced in Court, belong
ed to john Monroe identify box produced as
the one Monroe carried his tools, &c, in, he
said he was sitting by spring back Of the fac
tory he said he went there to get a drink 0!
water when he was attacked; he said he cried
for help, and that he was robbed Of all he had
Agnes Ward testiied-Kuew John Monroe
when saw him have known him four years;
he boarded at Mrs. Beach's recognize watch
chain as his saw it on Thursday before he
died recognize tool box as his whon he was
drinking he had no sense when he was sober
there was no better man 10 Alexandria
John R. Gray testihed-kuew deceased by
name Of Scotch John saw Monroe last about
the lst Of July, 1872 saw him going up to-
ward the spring, which Is about two squares
from my house !; this was the day before he was
brought by my house in a wounded condition,
Charles Manlcy was at my house same even
ing, and soon after Monroe started toward
spring Maney and two others started in the
!
Gross cxamincd-NIanley and the others
were going in the direction of their house:
which were near the spring.
Mary Carroll tcstlied-On the 9Th of July
was sitting in my sisters door between II
and ] | o'clock; which place is near the spring
four men came from direction of spring !; they
went back and forth to spring several times
after first saw them heard cries Of murder
coming from direction Of spring while these
men we're a, spring also some cries pleading
for life The names of three of the men are
Vim. Payne, Lewis Payne and Samuel Payne,
the fourth one did not know [ heard the
name OF Charles Manlcy called among these
men.
Cross cxamination-It was dark night
when first saw them they were crossing a
ditch between house and spring they came
up and went into house next door to my sis
ter 5; and after leaving VIM. Payne in the
house the other three went back and forth tC
spring several times; | did not do anything
when / heard cries of murder because | was
afraid to 60 out did not hear any more dc
not know what night it was.
4