The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-20
THE CHES T Err FIELD
INCENDIARY.
TRIAL OF HILDREY PAGE FOR
BURNING COLONEL RUFFIN's
BARN AND STABLE.
Array of CircumStantial Evidence.
PERSISTENT AND F1ENDISH Eff
FORTS TO BURN AND
DESTROY.
THE TORCH APPLIED FIFTEEN
TIMES.
A H0E.HANDLE MADE INTO A
BUNDLE OF FAGOrs.
THE PRISONERS CONFESSION
ADMITTED AS TESTIMONY.
THE CASE ADJOURNED UNTIL
HOE.HANDLE MADE INTO a
BINDLE OF FAG0ES.
THE PRISONERS CONFESSION
ADMITTED AS TESTIMONY.
THE CASE ADJOURNED UNITE.
TODAY.
Sc, &C., &c.

The trial of person charged with an Of
fence the penalty Of which is death always
draws together large number OF spectators; !;
and the case of IIlldrey Page, the youthful
n,nro who was indicted in the Circuit
Court Of Chesterfield county for burning
MFR. +. G.. Rultiu's barn Oh the 29,h OF July
last. attracted yesterday many well-kno"n
citizens of the county, besides many negroes
of Manchester and Richmond.
The facts which led TO Pagc's arrest, his
preliminary examination before Justice Mar
tin, and his indictment by the grand jury OF
Chesterfield, have already appeared IN the
columns of the Dispatch.
THE INDICTMENTS.
There were four indictments found against
Page. but the one upon which he was trled
Yesterday contained the following counts:
First count: For burning the dwelling
house Of Francis q. Rutlin on the 29th OF
July, 1874. about 2'o'clock in the night.
Second count: For burning the dwelling
house of Philip Epps, Wilson. Cary, George
Preston. William Darlington. and Carter
Booker. on the 29th Of July, 1874, ut , clock
in the nighttime.
Third count: For burning certain other
house, y barn, and stable, Of +. Il. Kuhn, on
the Doth of July, 1874, ut The hour oil
o'clock in the night, the same being an out
house not adjoining the dwclling-house nor
under the same roof, but some persons USUAL
" lodging therein at nigllt-to wit: Philip
Epps, Wilson Cary, George Preston, William
Darlington, and Carter Booker.
THE PENALTY FOR BURNING DWELLING.
The statute under which Page is tried is
found in the 1SSth chapter OF the Code, Sec
ton !, and is as follows:
"If anv person, in the night, malicouSly
burn the dwelinghouSe OF another, or any
iai or prison, or nmliciously set fire to any
thing, by the burning whereof such dwell
ing-hollSc, Jail, or prison Shall be burnt ID
the night, he shall be punished with death !;
but il the jury find that ut the time of COM
mirting the offence there was no person in
the dwcliing-hou>e, Jail, or prison, the Oh
fender shall be confined in the penltentiary
not less than five nor more than ten years.
PRELlMINARIES OF THE TRIAL.
When the court met, al half.pa>t 10 yester.
day morning. Judge S. 5. WcSiger, before
whom the prisoner was tried, inquired
whether he had any counsel TO represent
him.
Mr.. ID. l.. Pullam stated that he had been
approached on the subject, but he would not
defend him unless Il definite arrangement for
compensation was made, or he was requested
by the Court to do 50. Judge WelSl@cr stated
! that the accused ought 10 have counsel, ana
| said he knew that Mr.. kuilin did not desire
The trial to proceed until he was prepared
| with an attorney to plead his cause. Judge
| Wci>iger requested Mcssrs. Iuiilm and b.
al t, "A Il
these gentlemen finally consented TO do so.
Captain George u. Wise, of Richmond, and
| Colonel William Ambers appeared for the
| prosecution. The counsel lJr defence en-
| tcrrd q general demurrer TO the indictment,
Which was ovcrrulcd byw the Court. The
prisoner was then arrai@ncd, and upon his
arr4ignment. pleaded not guilty.
TIE JURY.
| The jury was then sworn as follows: S
| ". Rudd, Thomas Nunnally, j. K. Cheat
ham, A. d. Woodbridge, Alpheus johnson
| w. b. ChaIkley, John W. Fifth, +. z. Rob
inson, James NJ. Waymack. &. w. Chandler
! S. G. Wilson, and Lemuel Bailey.
THE CHARGE.
The clerk (Mr. CogbilD delivered the
charge, as follows: g Your charge is there
fore. gentlemen, to inquire Whether he be
! guilty or not guilty; il you find him guilty
YOU are then further to inquire whether ne
be guilty of burning dwellng-house IN the
nighttime or daytime, and whether there
was any person in the house at the time tht
offence was committed. If you lind hin
guilty of burning the dwelling-house in the
ninht.time, and with persons in it at the
time, YOU are 10 say so and no more. Il
you lind that there was no person in the
house at the time of the burning, you
are then to ascertain his term of contihemen
in the penitentiary ut not less than tive nor
more than ten years. If you find him guilty
of not burning in the nighttime, but burn
ing in the daytime, you will then ascertain
his confinement in the penitentlary at net
less than three nor more than ten years. Ii
not guilty, say so; and no more. 30,
ncalke TO the evidence"
THE TESTIMONY.
The witnesses were then called, ana re-
sponded to their names.
Mr.. Frank G. Rutfin, Sr, was hrst exam
jned. He testified that on the night OF line
2yth of July he said ut home. That morn.
inc about half-past 8 his son, who guarded
his premises all night long, stepped 10 the
window aud said that the barn, when was
mile OIL, WIS Oh IRE. ue Nooti' SohSS"'N y
the barn, and when the witness looked out
be said he thought that day was breaking.
He then put Oh his clothes and went into the
varden at Il point which commanded Il view
Of the barn. He saw that the barn was not
only on fire, but that it was nearIy consumed.
After breakfast, when he deemed it safe to
leave his house, he went down and found that
not only the barn but all its contents had
been burned. The witness then detailed the
circumstances, which fixed the date IN MS
mind securely. About O'Clock the night
of the iife Mr.. Ruffin and his son had been
TO the barn to make some arrangements for
storing his crop Of hay, and then went to
the house. Witness retired about halt'past
8 O'Clock. The barn was occupied that night.
and was always occupied during the sum-
mer.
Mr.. Pulliam, at this point, claimed that
the persons who occupied the house at the
time would be the best witnesses.
Mr. Ruflin, continuing, said that the hlrh
was two-story brick structure with cellar
underneath-1l by 80 feet from out to-out.
One end was occupied as stable. The lott
was occupied by the people he had working
there. He did not have sufficient quarters
elsew here. That night [of the hrel II was
full Of hay. An estimate OF its contents hau
bean nartly made with Il view OF having ~ in'