The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-05

| JAMES STEW EESfIbE AtLEIun~D MUhbEsfs6i
OF LILLE RENNETT, BEFORE THE HUsT-
rNGs COURT on THE CHARGE OF MUIR
DER-THE EVIDENCE EREvIEwED-LITTLE
OR NO ARGUMENT-THE CASE GIVEN TO
TIE JURY-so VERDICT YET.
The trial OF James Stevens for the mur-
der OF Lille Bennett commenced in the
Hastings Court Yesterday. u.
The indictment charges him with "felo-
.niously assaulting with his hands and feet
| the said Lille Bennett; to and against the
ground then and there feloniously OF his
malice aforetbought did cast and throw;
and that the said James Stevens, with both
hands and feet OF him the said James Ste
vens, then and there, and whilst the said
Lille Bennett was lying upon the ground;
that said Lille Bennett, IN and upon the
head, stomach, back, arms, legs, sides, VIII
fully and OF his malice aforethought, did
strike, beat, and kick several mortal bruises
in and upon the head, &c; OF which SAID
br,1ises. &c. the said Lille Bennett did Ian
prisb. and, languishing, did live; on which
Said 27th day 'of September, Of the said
several bruises died; and so the jurors
Aforesaid upon their oath do say that the
said James Stevens the said Lille Bennett
| in manner and form Aforesaid, feloniously,
wilfully, and Of his malice aforcthought
did kill and murder"
The second count charges him with kill
ing her with some instrument.
The first witnesses examined after the
Jury was infpanelled were Drs. Taylor and
Nicolson. They made the poSt-mortea ex-
animation, and described the wounds, the
latter physician giving in detail what oc:-
Cured at the almshouse after Lille Bennett
was taken there.
The next witness was Annie 0. Miller
(called Sis MilIer). She described the first
difficulty, and said that Stevens told her be
meant to get even with Lille II it took him
hundred years. This was because Lille
said she was going to get warrant for
Stevens for beating her first. He said he
meant to finish her that night so that she
could not appear against him in court.
Lille came back with policeman.
Witness started out from home that night
Saturday between 10 and II O'Clock, going
through the Italians yard whose house
fronts on Cary street. Stevens caught wit
ness by the throat. Witness said, "Steve,
what are you about!" He replied, cts
well you spoke so quick, Sis, or you'd been
q, a dead woman"
Rose Gillian testified that she was wit
ness to the first difficulty, which occurred
about 10 o'clock. Stevens. knocked Lille
down, and said to sailor standing near by,
8. Perhaps you want, to take it up."t He
then, struck him and knocked him down.
Did not see Lille any more after they part
ed in the alley. Saw her after she was beat
(about quarter OF an hour) in the alley,
lying on her face, with ber hair all rumpled
and her head covered with blood. Witness
called Lille, and she answered her and said,
"Oh, for Gods sake, let me alone" Two
policemen picked her up and lead her
away. Witness did not see Stevens any
7 Imore until Sunday morning, and he was
! going towards Seventeenth street
i Mary Glover described the second fight
I or blows by Stevens. She was in her room,
which overlooked the little alley where Ben
nett was found, near the hydrant. Stevens
was seen by her lettering about in restless
way; and then when tue deceased came
i into the alley, saw him strike her, and then
i he seemed to turn her around and go in the
4direction of Seventeenth street. He stood
ffor some time with: his back to the fence
and his coat buttoned up T." '.-. ''..'
| Salina Massiei testified that about 1915 on
the night Bennett was struck she saw Ste
I reus,- who asked the witness if the authori-
ties could trouble him after sixty days !;
that he never struck d woman before, but
he meant to tiX her. She left the accused
at the hydrant where Bennett was found,
! and then went home.
At3P. NJ. the Court took & recess 80 as
to enable the jury to examine the locality Of
the alleged wounding.
/ About half-past 4 O'Clock the jury were
taken down to Cash Corner and examined
the locality where the offence was commit
ted. The narrow alley described by the
witnesses is just south OF Bakers alley, and
RI
Seventeenth street, and is between Main
and Cary and Seventeenth and Eighteenth
streets, beginning on Eighteenth street.
Rosa Gillian was then recalled and put
through a rigid cross-eXamination by Mr..
CabeIl for the defence and Mr.. Wise for the
Commonwealth. She stuck to her original
statement.
Justice Crew testified that he issued a
warrant Saturday night for Stevens's arrest.
A Young man named Freeman, who found
Lille Bennett lying in the alley, was next
| examined. She was found near the by
drant, with her head towards Eighteenth
street. Went to the station-house and told
the police.
Policeman Michacls, who assisted in max
ing the arrest, stated that he found the prls-
oner in the rear OF Mr. Moore's mill, on the
bank Of the river, in some bushes. He was
alone.
Policeman Bibb testified that he was at
the station-house when Lille Bennett was
brought in. She was smartly in liquor,
very dirty, and bloody from her head down.
Shortly after 6 O'Clock Mr.. Cabell said
that he did not propose to Introduce any
further witnesses, and so far as he was con-
cerned was willing to give the case to the
Jury.
MIR. Cabell, however, did call DR.. Riddell,
who was called in to see the deceased ut the
station-house. He described her wounds.
She was delirious, tried to spit in the po-
liceman's face, and was suffering from III
toxication and the shock from the wounds.
Mr.. Signiago stated that the alley was
very dark, and person could not be recog-
nized even few feet off.
Mr.. Wise said to the jury that il they be-
lieyed that James Stevens struck the blow,
it was murder in the first degree-lt con-
tained all the elements required in the law.
He then proceeded to review the evidence,
!. and said that the statements OF the witnesses
all agreed; that they looked at the thing
from different points Of view, and yet they
ali fitted and agreed exactly. He spoke o1
Stevens lying in wait for Lille Bennett; the
evidence OF Annie Miller, who was choked
by Stevens, who let her 60 when he found
, he had the wrong woman, and was told by
him that it was good thing she spoke, be-
cause il she hadn't she'd have been dead
woman. He also spoke Of the motive and
the remarkable chain OF circumstances
linked together.
Mr.. Cabel made no speech, but caused
instructions OF Judge Guigon's in another
case to be read. These instructions were