The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-22
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage ,

I land Of Egypt, out of the house of bondage,
DC. [Sensation and laughter.]
The Court: think he is competent wit
ness. Bring In the jury, Mr.. Sheriff.
Mr.. Pulliam: We will reserve that point
| The Court Very well, sir.
The boy was then swcrn, put upon the
stand, and testified that he lived at the quar-
ters on Mr. Ruffin's with his father and bis
mother. He usually, slept at the house, bu
the night the barn was burned he asked
his father to let him go TO the barn to sleep,
and be consented. That night about thirteen
men slept in the barn.
Mr.. Wise: Who told you that the barn
was on fire?
Witness: Hildrey walked me and Phil.
Epps UP. That night got my fathers coat
and wore it down 10 the barn. Hildrey told
me not to wear than coat down there because
something was going to happen. A little
before the FIRE Phil. and me got up and went
to the door with Hildrey. Phil. and me went
| back and laid down in the hay. and left Hill
drey at the door. About half an hour after
wards the barn was on fire.
Mr.. Wise: Was Mr.. Clay on the farm
| when the barn was burned down?
Witness: Yes, sir.
In regard to the tarred rope, the boy said
that Hildrey and himself were playing one
| Sunday with some wheels, when the over
| seer came to him and told him that Mr.. Ruff
| fin said he must not put the tar on the
wheels. The accused then took u piece Of
rope and dipped it IN the tar-barrel, stirred
it up, and then ished it out. He then
hooked up the rope. wrapped it up in piece
Of paper, put it in his pocket, and asked
witness not to tell anybody about it..
Referring again to the barn, he said Hill
drcy was the one who told Phil. and him
about the barn being on fire. In q conver-
sation with witness be said he was going
away. Witness asked him how he was going
to get his mother away. He said that he was
GOING TO DESTROY EVERYTHING THERE
until she said she would go away. AS TO the
hoe. handle, Hidrcy told witness that when
he got tired working with the hoe be would
break the handle and get another new one
made.
EXAMINED BY THE DEFENCE. ~.
After consultation with the prisoner the
counsel for defence examined the boy. He
said he went to the barn that night because
al the "lolks" went there, and he wanted
to go, too.
Mr.. Hancock Did you ever see anybody
smoking at the barn!
Witness No, sir. / have seen the men
smoking on the place, but never saw any
body smoking at the barn. Hlldrey walked
me up the night the barn was on fire down
below. He shaked Phil, and Phil. called
me up. Slas Fowikcs went up to the house
with HiIdre,'s sister. Didn't see anybody
out there but Slas.
The witness was next questioned as to the
| local ion of his mothers house, which be said
was about one hundred yards from the baru.
Mr.. PuIliam: How much is yard:
Witness: Three feet !! [Laughter.l Some
nights Hildrcy used to sleep With me in my
| little bed. Tnen every other night Hildrey
| used to sleep in the barn.
Mr.. Pulliam l thought you said that
HiIdrey slept in the barn every night.
Witness: Ne, sir, never. said be slept
| in the barn every other night.
The Court: He said he slept in the barn
every other night.
Witness then told the jury where all the
men slept, and said that on the night of the
fire twelve of the bands were sleeping in the
| barn. he mentioned several OF the names,
but could not think of them all. 1t was long
before day when Phil. woke him up. 1t
| was clear that night, but it commenced rain
| ing before day.
The witness also repeated all that he had
said about playing with the wheels, the
tarred rope, etc. ...a. .r
llr. Wise Could you have seen the fire
up there where you were lying?
Witness No, sir; there was plank par.
titon between us and the fire. 1t was from
the joists to the floor.
Mr.. Wise Significantly: And yet Hildrey
called and said the barn was on fire.
| Witness Yes, sir; he called and said the
| barn was on fire. The smoke was coming
out of the window with iron bars, outside
the barn. The window was down where the
| fire was. | was going to school in Manchester
| when Fowkes was examined for setting fire
| to the barn.
Mr.. Hancock: Did ANYBODY ever tell you
| that he set lire TO the barn
Witness: No, sir; never heard it. / was
staying with my sister in Manchester. /
never heard anything about SlEas Fowlkcs at
all.
Mr.. Rutlin, Jr., was recalled, and said SiIas
was not on The place at the time of the fire.
He was not there in January last, when the
last fire occurred, because he was in Jail in
Richmond: nor was he there during the
| time that most of the other fires occurred.
MR.. JOHN WREN TESTIFlES.
| Mr.. Wren having arrived from Richmond,
| the counsel for defence said that he was una
I ble to give the name OF the negro Who had
been instrumental in bringing about the con-