The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-02
PETERSBURG.

cTN
syn" DURING THE LAST FISCAL
49,, p.sroR's RESIGNATION Acthfi-
OF +, RAILROAD BRIDGE-oHh
S,r,,,Y INTERPRETATION ESCAPE
OF OTHERS. n,.,o,,,
iCorreS''''~ July /, 1878.
,,o MAYORS Court this morning Hugh
- ~ ~" charged with the murder OF kichar9
:, y r.cn on Saturday night, was arfalsuea
J. w. ,,;notion. The case having attract
lu' rreat deal OF interest ana cNciteo
,,.h feeling, the courtroom was cro"oeo
il"' ~nnnic anxious TO hear the cXam'na-
lion. -:., .;ro,,,or nnan;mity
nnhoratcd each other in the main points
.;.rc,r evidence The simple facts are tlia'
l,';Io ~ Mr.. w. u. fuckers store, on han.
W.. .,rrc,. Saturday evening, Green tWit'eo
80 about having been in the peultcntlaf!'
- which Sykes took exception, having
skovn himself 10 be very sensitive aoout
30 matter. Sykes cursed Green, ana tue
,wo commenced Quarrelling IN the INSIDE.
,yhcn they were invited out INTO the stree
I've Mr.. Tucker, who did not desire TO nave
any difficulty between the parties III MS SUI.
49, ,rnn, ont into the street and after going
%shnrt distance from the store tue dllhcu't!
,""' - have been renewed. Green had
hnnn drinking freely. and pulled OH MS
,.oat and threw it on the ground. SYKES
,,,a. sncn 10 raise a short hickory cane Wnlcn
VA carried and 10 strike ut Green, the ialter
,oco;yinr the blow on his arm. Green tnen
couoht hold OF Sykes and Knocked or pushea
him down. Standing over Sykes. ne salo
n him: You now sec could XII you
yanted 10 do ,o.' Without further IN
..rrrr;n~ with him Green left Sykes and
vent down the STRENGTHENING ms coat
where nc had thrown ii. Soon afterwards
sykes arose and went IN pursuit OF Green,
on1 * he was pursuing he was seen to draw
. knife from his pockct "a caSc-knife sharp
nncd IA = poin;, the blade OF when
!. ohou, four inches long,, and was
heard 10 say that he meant TO XII
thr Id rascal. or words to that etiect. lie
followed Green for distance OF nearly one
hundred yards from the spot where inc
first difficulty occurred, and when near iilh
struck at his back with his knife. Green
Then turned around, and remarkins 10
sykes that be had drawn knife on MN,
knocked him down. He then SeiZcu noi''
OF the stick, one end OF which was llsht'E
crashed lv sykes. and tapped the latter sew
Cral lines on the head During this scutlie
oycr the stick Sykes was using his KNIFE,
and with it inflicted three wounds on
Green. one Of which proved fatal.
One al these wounds was in the right
hand. one on the chin, and in the third IN
stance the knife blade was driven obllqucly
through the hreaSt-bone and through the
heart The blood from the latter wound
"ushcd out upon sykes. who was stu
down. Strange 10 say, Green arose ana
walked across the street, where he talked
for brief while with some colored men.
showing them the cut in his hand. and
then started haci; in the direction whence
he came. He made but two or three steps,
however. when he fell and expired.
Svl:c, then went up Halifax street ana
through Crowdcr'S wagon-yard, telling sew
cral persons that he had killed man, and
that he was willing TO swing for II. lie
even made threat 10 take his own lie, ana
was seen by one WitunS> to place KNIFE 10
lis throat. He thought better OF this, how
ever, and drivin" the knife into the ground
where he had stopped fora few minutes, nc
continued his fight until arrested.
At the conclusion OF the evidence for the
Commonwealth Sykes was asked il he had
IN, witnesses he desired to have examined.
He said he had not. He made brief state
lncnt, however, saying that after the first
difficulty. in which he was knocked down,
he started on his way home, when he was
again knocked down and beaten by Green;
that he three or four times asked Green 10
get off nim, and that he acted in self-dc-
fence.
The Mayor sent the accused on to the
July term OF the Hastings Court for indlct-
mcnt and trial for felonous killing, and
committed him to Jail without bail.
Richard Green, the murdered man, was
painter by trade, aged forty-oue years. and
leaves widow and two sons. lie was OF
quiet and peaceable disposition, and had
lived here many years.
Hugh Sykes, The murderer, is thirty-tWo
years Of age, and las an aged father and
mother. Ills general character in the COM
munitv is bad, and his name is found fire.
Gucntly in the police records. He was dis
charged from the pcnitentiary in March
last. after serving out Il term to which he
was sentenced from this city.
The mortuary report for June shows that
there were ~ deaths in the city during the
month--l4 whites and % colored. The
Health Officer reports that during the fiscal
wear ending June Both there were 534
deaths in the city, and, in addition, 81
SiiIl-birthS. OF the total number OF deaths,
l75 were OF whites and $50 among the COL
ored people; 2J2 were males and 2S2 fe-
males: ~ were over fifty years OF age, and
pa under five years. Second Ward was
the healthiest district in the city, showing
only IS deaths; Fourth Ward was the sick
lest, showing 100 deaths during the year.
The anniversary exercises Of the Ettrick
Methodist Episcopal church Sunday school
Yesterday afternoon were witnessed by
large congregation. The report OF the SUI
perintendent shows that this Sunday school
has 2l3 pupils.
The resignation Of Rev. George j. Hob
day as pastor OF the Byrne-Street Baptist
church, which was rendered few days ago,
was accepted by the church yesterday morn
ing, and resolutions OF love and respect for
the retiring minister, and OF deep regret at
the dissolution Of his connection with the
church, were unanimously adopted. Last
night Mr.. Holiday preached his farewell
sermon before very full congregation, and
the scene was very affecting one. Mr..
HOLIDAY has been pastor Of this church for
twenty-one months. The present member
ship is 312, and the church is out OF debt.
lie will take rest Of month or so before
entering upon active duties again.
To-day commences q new fiscal wear for
the city All the officers chosen at the May
municipal election, and those elected by the
Council, enter upon their duties to-day.
The amount paid out through the Audit
or's Department, on account OF city cX-
pcnditures, during the month OF June. was
somewhat over $4,000.
At O'Clock this afternoon the super
structure OF wood aud iron that was being
erected on the Chesterfield half OF The
bridge between the depot yard Of the At
lantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad and
the island on which the workshops OF the
company are located was blown over ny a
sudden squirt OF wind, causing fatal acci-