The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-20

| Oa.uiuay HtSuL fOr II regular ralQ on all the
chicken-houses In the southwestern part of
the city, but after he had depredatea on the
| second one be met his death. He went out
with his pockets full of paddock and other
keys, and armed with certificate OF good
moral character, which states that "Rsbert
Jasper was raised in Powhatan county. Va.
by Captain John f. Cooke, and wus always
considered good, reliable hand. He is
anxious to get work now. and as far as /
know would attend to it faithfully.
| [Signedl ST. a. Cooke.
"Amil d, 1875"
| THE AUTOPSY. .
| The Coroner made a post-n1ortem exami-
nation of the body previous to the iruuest.
which revealed the fact that the wound ex.
tended about two inches In length IN the
middle Of the back and penetrated to the
kidney, piercing the main artery Of that
organ, producing fatal internal hemorrhage.
| There was also a severe confusion near the
right eye. His shins and hands were also
nsiderably abraised. .1.--ls .e.:l
| THE INQUEST.
At the Inquest, which was held at the City
Morgue, Major T. A. &. Handy acted as fore
| man.
Mrs. Anna Williams, the lady who was
|
testified that she lived at No. 81 Canal street,
and that about O'Clock on Saturday night
she heard q noise, and went out into the
yard to see what was the eause. Upon an
examination she found q plank had been
pulled off the hen-house, and she at once
concluded that some one was attempting to
rob her OF her chickens. She then went over
to ber neighbor's (Mr. Ruain's(, next door,
| where she saw Mr. Emmett Ruftin. and asked
him to go over to her house and see what was
the matter. Upon returning With MIR. Ruff
! fin she saw Il man come out Of the hen
house with number of cbeksns. The man,
who was negro, ran up the steps into the
yard, and then climbed over the back fence.
Mr.. Rullin, who stood by as the man came
| out, chased him to the fence and followed
him over. the man dropped some Of the
chickens in the yard and some in the alley.
| Did not think the man knew Mr.. Rutfin was
after him until he got 10 the hen house.
Jul 4 Carter a colorcd woman) testified
! that she was coming hQu1c early on Saturday
night, and saw something lying behind the
back gate Of one CT her neiShborS, on Cary
street between Seventh and Eighth. Snc
went up to see what il was, and found that
Il number Of chickens were lying there.
While doing so 4 man came along and told
her that Mr.. MEG rath had been robbed OF
number Of chickens. Sac told the man that
she would 90 and tell him where the chickens
were. "No," said the man, I" don't be so
| fast" But she went on, and the man ran
towards the basin. Julia identified the de-
ceased as the man whom she had met.
| Thomas Fife Ga colored witness) saw the
deceased about S O'Clock Saturday night, and
| identified him as Robert BIaDd-not Jasper.
| Margaret Lee, who lives over Mr.. Nc
Grath's, testified that she saw the deceased
about 3 O'Clock come ont of the back yard
with some of Mr.. NJ McGrath's chickens; saw
| Mr. McGratb, with other persons, chase him
| down Eighth street towards the basin. He
| (tue man) missed them and came back, rum
pirg up Sixth street, where he was lost sight
of. Half an hour later heard that the man
had been killed; went up to where the man
was lying, and saw him.
Mr. Emmett Ruffin testified that on Sat-
urday night just before 8 O'Clock be was at
home cleaning bis shoes for Sunday, when
Mrs. Williams came in and asked him TO go
over to her house ; that some one was break
ing into her heu.house, and there was no one
there to protect her; that she had pistol,
but was afraid to use it. Mr. Ruffiu slipped
on his shoes, and went into bis bedroom to
get bis rifle. Not finding it, be got his
sheath-knile, ran down stairs, and jumped
over the fence into the yard. Not expecting
TO find any one in the hen.house, he stuck
his head through the gap which had been
made by tearing Oft the plank, and saw Il
man breaking chickens necks. Witness
dumped back aud drew his knife, and waited
for him to come out, ut the same time asking
Mrs. Williams to bring him the pistol as soon
rs she could. Just then the man got up, ran
out of the chicken.houSe, and Us he did so
threw a handful of sand or dust in his (Wt-
ness's) eyes. He caught half of the chickens
in each hand, and ran down flight Of stairs
into the back yard. Witness got the sand
out Of his eyes as best he could, and then ran
after the man, coming up to him
as he was getting over the fence, which
he did. with difficulty. He struck the
fleeing thief with his knife as he was going
! over the fence. Here the knife was ex-
; hibited. 1t was sheath.knfe with blade
! about two inches wide and seven inches
long. On the blade were the words, Firm
rs oak in my own defence.'] The man drop
ped some Of the chickens in the yard. Wit.
ness jumped over The fence and pursued the
negro, who threw stone or brick at him,
which, however, missed its aim. He then
continued his flightWMr. Rutfiu following
down Fourth to Canal, down Canal to Fifth
| and there other persons Joined in the chase
Some threw stones at him, and some of the
stones struck him. At the corner of Fifth
: and Byrd a small boy ran out and struck
him in the back with stone. While going
up Sixth one man struck him on the side oil
the head with stone, and he fell. Police
man Charter ran by witness and caught the
man while be was trying to get up. Charter
caught him by The collar and told him to get
up. The man looked up at him and fell
; back dead. Witness didn't think it was
over ten minutes from the time the man
was stabbed TO the time he died.
Policeman Charter testified that he was
about the first TO get to the man that MIR.
Rutfin didn't stab him there; and that be
(Cbarter) picked up the mans hat and some
of the chickens in the yard.
., TaE VERDICT. ta.': = E.. =
This concluded the evidence, and the jury
agreed that Blard came TO his death on the
18th April by stab received while engaged
in stealing chickens, which stab was Inflicted
by Emmett W. Ruffin; and the jury are OF
opinion that the said Emmett w. Ruttin de-
serves the thanks of the community for his
action under the crcums stances developed by
the evidence. (
Mr.. RUFFlN ACQUITTED.
MIR. Rufin was brought before the Police
Court Yesterday morning charged with the
| killing of Bland. He was represented by
Mr. Samuel NJ. Page as counsel. The testl-
mony given at the Coroner's inquest was in
the main repeated. Counsel for The prisoner
submitted the case without adducinS any
testimony on bis behalf, and he was immedi-
ately discharged by the Police Justice.