The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-02

houcniDg nls lMay0g| transaction connected
With the sale or exchange of bonds. ,,ss,s
Mr. Nv ise: Do you 0r5 not believe from
your observation of Colonel Mayo that he
had sufficient intelligence, and sufficient, re-
gard for the truth for tbs iury;.o receive his
"A. ] do,asir; except upon one, occasion
when he was confined to his room by sick.
ness. This was, about six weaks ago.
Thought he bad a sufficient understanding
to know the obligation Of an oath during the
trial before the Hastings Court. s.t4s / :
a.: es NIB. RorALL's TESTIMONY. -..,,.
Mr. William /. Royal, counsel fort the de-
fence, was next sworn as witness. He stated
that be was counsel for w Wlllism D.; Coleman,
and assisted in bis defence through ghout the trial
Of thistanse. Colonel Joseph Mayo testified
as witness for the Commonwealth on, the
the, GATH. q Had known Colonel; Mayo init
mately. for eighteen months or two years and
have been much with him during that time.
OBSERVED many things in his deportment
while he was witness In this cause which
he thought extraordinary, and which he was
unable to explain, except upon the theory
that be was intoxicated; knew him to be q
laWyer-a very fair one, who had had good
deal of practice in the courts. Observed him
several times interrupt General Rogers while
he was testifyiDg In such way as to be
nexpIicable. Thought then that he was
drunk, and so told General johnson; that he
was drunk whenever he came into thecourt-
room during the trial. After the inyestig,i-
ton into the affairs Of the Sinking Fund
commenced he had several interviews with
Colonel Mayo at my Office, the purpose Of
winch was to put me in possession, so far as
could learn, of his transaction in connec-
ton with the Sinking Fund. have never
yet learned whether it was his purpose to
consult only as friend or professionally.
Being thus in possession of his entire case, so
far as have been enabled to get it from him
and BY inquiries from others, be was as
founded on more than one occasion while he
was on the stand at statements which be
made, which he (witness) thought ut
terly uncalled for by the examination
going on, and likely to be Of infinite
damage to him. Was so much struck that
several times turned 10 General johnson,
with whom + bad been consulting about his
matters, and asked him if he didn't think
Joe Mayo was complete fool. Both agreed
that he (A1ayo) was drunk during the trial.
On Tuesday evening about 6 O'Clock, when
the court adjourned, witness left the court
room with General Johnson, and went up
town. Colonel Mayo joined them. Supposed
that he had something important to commu-
nicate in reference to his own matters, or
that he wanted to consult about them, his
manner being so preoccupied and strange.
Mayo walked five squares with witness aHd
General johnson. All the time he seemed
to be endeayoring to say something which
he never said. Endeayored to learn what
he was driving at, but could not do 80, even
though he (Mayo talked good deal. Mayo
finally left without any apparent reason.
Witness again told General johnson that he
thought Colonel Mayo was drunk.
Witness also made lengthy statement OF
an interview bad with Colonel Mayo at his
fwitnesss) office, when Mayo came to
talk about the Sinking Fund mat
| ters, but the burden Of his conver-
sation was about a paper which ne
(Mayo) attached great deal of Importance
to. he (Mayo) also had an interview with
General johnson, but witness could not as
certain what was the idea he desired to i'm
part. Subsequently witness had another
| interview with Colonel Mayo when he was
more inteligible, though he was still mud
died and confused. At this interview wit
ness gathered that paper spoken OF by
Mayo and which he mentioned, was mem
orandum of conSol bonds exchanged for
peelers statement, however, was. vague.
| On both occasions witness thought be was
| intoxicated. Witness also said that although
/ he sat near Colonel Mayo when he inter.
rupted General Rogers during the Coleman
trial, he could not understand What Colonel
Mayo meant by the nterruption-could
get no intelligent idea of the interruption.
| Witness also detailed other circumstances
| to show the singular conduct OF Colonel
Mayo on the trial, one of which was the fact
that Colonel Mayo moved his chair near to
him as if to say something, but only looked
at him steadily in the face with blandand
.child.l.ke smile for two or three minutes.
| Throug hout the trial never thought Colonel
Mayo insane. -,
Witness was next cross-examined by
General johnson and Mr.. Wise, during
which he gave an account Of O visit which
Colonel Eayo paid at General Johnson's
residence, where there was dinner party,
| and said he had called for General johnson
! to take ride in carriage. General john
son, after meeting him, asked TO be excused,
saying that be was about to go in to dinner.
| Colonel kayo didn't leave, and after awhile,
being invited, dined with the rest During
dinner he appeared to be perfectly stupid !;
MAGE 30 lntClilRlule Gculaih, ahu aPPooaeo
10 be stupidity drunk. U.4r. f-A
all said that General johnson was with him
! at the Police Court during the examination
| and great part of the time at the Hastings
Court; that Colonel Mayo's testimony did
mot vary, ns far as be recoltected, from that
| or General Rogers and MIR. Taylor; that bis;
statement in regard to the act of forgery va
ried materialls in the Hastings court from
| that given in the Police Court. At the Po-
lice Court, Colonel Mayo said that Coleman
| had admitted to him on certain SATURDAY
evening that he had made the erasure. de
said nothing of any explanation made Dy
| Coleman to him of tine reason why ne made
the erasure. He gave his testimony on
bis examination.in-chief in detail and at con-
| siderable length, his testimony involving
quite an elaborate account of the lnyesllSa-
tion which had been made into the Sinking
| Fund. but said not a word OF any eXplana-
ton. On that cross-eXaDinatlol Generai
johnson asked him if Coleman did not make
| some explanation to him Of the reason why
| he had made the erasure. He said that he
did. hut seemed unable at first to give an in
teIligent account of what the explanation
was. General johnson. then asked h1m,
"Did not Coleman say TO you Qor Cole
| man now tells his counsel that he
did say to you) that when he. told you
that he made that erasure, 1t was for the pur-
| nose of correcting manifest error in the
| warrant.book, the entry being S,l00 Vir-
pinia consols. when it manifestly ought to
have been Is, ,l00." Thereupon Colonel Mayo
said that Coleman made some explanation,
hut be was unable to say that it was specif-
calIy that, and he did not think that the ex-
planation as made by Coleman was as specific