The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-05-09
TIRE COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY
ABANDONS THE CASE.
Nas the House Burned with n Peach
Can Of Goals Or u Bundle
Of Fodder:
Il. II. CIR AND0CK AND DOLLY JACkS0S;ON
TRE WITNESS SS-STAND-BOTlI BRANDED
AS LIARS AND CONSpIRATORS.
II. u. EACHo INDICATED AND DIS.
CHARGED.

ICotlC NJ tRc appTeucl>ioH ol MT. II, ~.
Eacho. 4 wealthy and prominent citizen Of
Richmond. upon a charge OF having con-
Spircd with negro woman OF low character
u burn house in Chesterfield county for
the purpose Of securing $1,000 Of insurance
money. had not abatcd yesterday When the
case came before Justice Martin, Of Mau-
chester. was evident from the large number
Of citizens Of both Richmond and Chester
! field who gathered at the courthouse In
Manchester 10 hear the evidence that might
| be given i'll the case.
At - O'Clock the case was called. The
prosecution was represented by Colonel
| Amhers. Common wcath'S attorney for CheS-
,crtieG county. and $. NJ. Psge, Esq, couu-
| sci for Dolly aud Mary jackson. Judge
! Crump, iCaptain George d. Wise, and a.
Austin Smith and W. s. Matthews, EsqS..
| appeared rs counsel for the defendant.
Justice Martin, presiding. called to the
| bench Justice james \. Gentry.
| Mr.. S. VI. Page stated that he was en-
plovcd 10 defend the two women, aud de-
sired permission TO converse with them pri-
yately before the case against Mr. Eacho was
proceeded with, so that he might determine
what course to pursue to protect their inter-
| est: that he had not convcrScd with them.
and knew nothing Of the case beyond what
| he had read in the newspapers.
| To this Mr.. Wise objected.
| Justice Martin said he would not allow
any such thing.
Mr. Page replied that such proceeding
was unheard of.
| Justice Martin said: swell, sir, nay de.
cision is made, and L intend to adhere to it."
| Mr.. Page then said publicly to his clients
that they must not say anything without
| his consent. .... ..
| After some further desultory converse.
ton on the subject, during which the JUS
tice said be did not intend to allow Mr..
Page TO take the witnesses out and prompt
them what to say, the examination was COM
| menced.
The witnesses being sworn, Mr. Wise
asked that the colored witnesses and Mr..
| Craddock be sent out Of the courtroom and
| placed under the care Of an officer. The
court so ordered. and Dolly Jackson color
| ed was called 10 the stand.
| She said: On Wednesday three weeks ago,
ago. she thought it was, the house of Mr. j.
I. Boothman WAS burned. Carried the fire
| and put it down on old an stump under the
side ofthe house. She and Mary Jackson then
went away TO Aunt Aggie Hills. She was not
| ut home, so they went to Hannah Browns.
| She had burned the house because Mr.
Eacho was UP there on the Sunday before,
and told her that the house was insured,
and that if it was burned down he would
make money by il, and he would pay her
| one hundred dollars. She told him she was
afraid she would be found out, and he said,
Well, think over it, and if you think you
can DO it without being found out, 60 ahead.
I don't think there is any danger"
O. Did Won write TO Mr. IachO
| \. A gentleman came up there after the
| house WAS burnt, and be took out OF his
pocket piece of paper, pocket-b0ok, and
pencil, and told me to write to Mr.. Eacho
| that he was in great deal Of trouble for
fear he would be found out, and letter
from me would be more consolation to him
than anything ne Qhe geutieman} could say.
| told him l did not know what to write.
He then told me what to write, and sat
down and wrote it with the book on his
knee"
The letter was then sent for, and was
placed in the hands Of the witness, and she
| vas asked to read it.
Dolly read, My dear sir" then laughing,
said, "I don't know what it is" But after
some hesitation she read the note through
very well, as follows:
MY Dear Sir,-If you will swear by me
I will by you. / has the key all safe, aud
has received five dollars, and are willing to
| die By you if you will do the same By me,
| wish to see you, but has heard from you
that has relieved ME of my trouble. No
more to say. Ever your friend,
| "DoLLy JACKSON"
Q. "Did you write that letter."
| A. g Yes, sir"
| 0. "Who saw your"
| A. "Nobodv but that gentleman. He said
| he wanted TO see me privately, so l asked
my sister to walk out a few moments. Mary
went out, and he told me Mr.. Eacho was in
a great deal of trouble, and I had better
write. The gentleman (Mr. Craddock) was
| there twice. He said he had told Eacho
was in need, and Eacho had sent me some
money, but he did not say how much. lie
then gave me two two-dollar notes and
one-dollar note. had asked him to give me
small notes because I would have to send il
to the store by my sister, and didn't want to
send much at time"
| Cross-examined by Judge Crump: 81 was
living at Mr.. Boothnan's; had been living
there since the middle OF NoVember-my
sister and myself. We lived at first in the
house. Willie Wilkerson got us to move
into the house. We had lived there before
and had been away two and q half months
y
the kitchen. put the fire to the house. e.
got it out of the kitchen and put it&e
little tin peach can-they were oak coalSs#2
and 7 poured them down by the side of tue
stump. I reckon it caught the stump, but
did not see, for l went right away. There
was some trash, strings, and things there.
lust put it down, and went back by the
kitchen and on TO Aunt Aggie's. Mary went
out one door, and the other, and we went
on together. l did not look back to see if ii
had caught"
Judge Crump: "Why didn't you stay to
see if it caught!"
A. "Because I was too scared, and Mr.
Eacho told me 10 take bundle Of fodder and
put it down, and it would go Oh like
fash"
Judge Crump: "Why didn't you get fod'
der?" AL.
A. "Because didn't know Of any fodder
for five miles around, though there might
have been. He told me to put the hre 10 II
| and to go to bed and not let my sister Know
anything about it; but didn't 60 TO oed
| because it was too early. 1t was about DUSK
| / first saw Mr.. Eacho in February. De'
| lieye it was the first Sunday in February
| Mr.. Eacho said it was. i did not have an
almanac"
| Judge Crump: "What did you do there
| What was your work."
A. "He told me to tend the garden, but
have not done SO since last summer
Mr.. Wise: "Who first saw you and asked
about this fire ?"