The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-17
VOL. XLVII.
=. -
INCENDIARISM.
OF HULDRED PAGE
THE ALLEGED HOUSE-Bt HsNER.
THE ACCUSED SENT ON.

Yesterday morning Hldred Page, the
youthful negro who has been for several years
in the employment of Colonel Frank G.
sutlin. was brought before Justice William
L. Martin. of Chesterfield county, upon a
warrant charging him with having commit
ted the following acts Of incendarism upon
Colonel Rufiu's property-.yiz.: Burning
his sons dwclling.house on the 18th of
March. 1874. Colonel Ruffin's stable
and cirriage-house on the 22t of March !;
setting fire to the dwelling occupied
by himself on the 3lSt of March; burn
ing his barn and stable on the 29lh OF
July and burning his stable, four horses,
and his carriage.house, 90 the 18Th OF Janu-
ARK, 1876. Colonel Rutfin, who was first eX-
amincd, testified TO the correctness OF the
dates upon which the various acts OF lncen-
diarism were committed. He then stated
that on the 18th of January he, in company
with his son. returned home from Richmond
on horseback at II O'Clock, and the horses
were given by them 10 Page, who. met
them. to put away. He entered tue
house, went almost immediately to supper,
and not more than twenty minutes had
elapsed after mis- arrival before the boy Page
rushed in and informed him that the stable
was on fire. One OF his sons was on guard
that night, and be. too, was at supper at the
time the fire took place. Colonel Ruftin then
related how vigilantly his premises bad been
guarded nightly by himself and his sons
and then stated that it was almost lmpoSSl-
bic for any one save those who were wen
acquainted with the premises to commit such
offences, and that from the short space OF
time that had elapsed between bis arriving
at home, meeting Page, and being informed
that the stable was on fire, he at once
suspicOned the boy, but had no positive
proof.
Mr.. +. G. Ruffin, Jr., testified that he had
once charged Page with having set tire to
the house of his pages mother, who re-
sided on the farm, and that he tlushed'up
considerably, but depied it.. On another oc-
clsion he found near the kitchen stove-pipc
partially filled with feathers which had kero-
Sene oil sprinkled over them. A short time
thereafter he was at work in the field with 4
lot of hands, and he observed an UNUSUAL
amount Of smoke proceeding ont OF the
kitchen chimney. He and the hands
went a; once to the scene and sub.
ducd the flames. Upon examination the
slove.pipe above alluded TO and Il portion
Of the feathers were found. This fact con-
tiymcd him in his suspicion that rage was
the guilty party. Mr.. Rutlin, Jr., further
| testified that some months ago be went INTO
| the woods and cut 4 tree which had been
struck by lightning and made lot OF noe
handles out of it. One OF these he gave 10
Page. Not long afterwards Page came to
him and asked for another, saying that he had
broken the one he bad. He gave il 10 him.
Alter the last attempt had been made to rrc
his fathers house, and just before his father
vacated his farm and moved to Richmond IN
order that his own lte Us well as the lives oi
| his family might be protected from the loren
| of the e.fend. be discovered a lot OF COM
| buSiibe material under the kitchen which
| was ready for the match. and upon eXamlna'
| tion found portions OF h0e.handle Whlch
had been split up. These he carefully
| gathered together. and compared them with
| the others. There could he no mistake
about it, for the marks Of theIightning were
| upon them. This more than ever confirmed
him in the opinion that Page was the guilty
! party. When this discovery was made Page
and his parents had left the farm.
Mr.. Sampson was next examined, and tes'
titled TO the confession made by Page in the
presence of Detectives Craddock and Wren
| Ian account of which was published in the
| Dispatch on yesterday.
This closed the examination Of witnesses.
No defence was made, and Justice Martin
sent the accused on to the grand jury Of the
| Circuit Court, which meets on Thursday.
| The prisoner was committed TO Jail, and the
witnesses recognized for their appearance
on that day.
| Colonel Ruthn stated during the eXamina.
ton Of Page that he had raised him from
his childhood. and had treated him with un-
common kindness and Indulgence.
In addition to the dates specified in the
warrant, which are mentioned above, the fol-
loving attempts We're made to burn Colonel
Rultin's property: April 2G;6. 1874, an at
tempt was made 10 lire his dwelling. house
May I'd, 1874, the servants quarters were
fired May It'll, 4 similar attempt was made
May Sth, his smokchou was tired on the
18th Of the same month the silnc house was
again set tire to and partially consumed; and
on the 29th of alay his barn containing q
quau,ity of hay and a number Of farming im
plemeuts, besides his corn house, and stable
containing two horses, were burned.