The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-06-26
what would he the effect of his telling Q
jury what he knows about Chastain. ~.

III seems CnaL Cnaslaln was tile 20n OF
Page bv her first husband, Cox, who was
the slave OF q gentleman OF that name in
Goocbiand. He was bad man, and dis
appeared mysteriousiy. He left the neigh
horhood, Il is supposed, with q white man
who, according to report which DIR. Bry-
ant remembers, carried the murderer's
father TO Atlanta. and there sold him as
,ihis slave, and the two divided the proceeds.
The murderer. it seems, inherited all the
bad Qualities of bis father, and refused to
take after his gentle, honest old mother.
ONE OF SEVEN.
Page and her children were the slaves Of
Mr.. John White, Of Powhatan. he was
bachelor. The real home OF her aud her
offspring was at DR.. Bryants. The Doctor
had Cox from the time be was three or four
yeacs Of age until he@was about fifteen or
sixteen, After bis father left Powbatan his
mother was married to one OF DR.. Bryants
men, bv the name Of Crnmp. Chastain was
one Of seven sons, and the mcanest OF the
Hot One of.them is named JohD-a name
which the murderer at times assumed He
was going under that name when he hrSt
ATTEMPTED to get rid of his wife, who, by the
lwar,is about twenty years his senior ana
not of bright cojcr. liz. fact. she Is almost
black, and nothing but her exceedingly WIN
ming ways could hsye induced the Stylish
Spotswood Hotel waiter (noW a dlstln.
I suished ulurdererl to enter the atrimonlal
moose along with her.
zS THE PRISONERS STATEMENT.
The following paragraphs are taken from
the New York papers OF Yesterday:
Tuesday Cox showed Il disposition to talk
| to newspaper-men. Several short inter-
views were had during the day. lie mani
tested a strong desire to give al! the facts
Of the case to the public. 4 request that
he give a history of bis life and travels was
granted very chcerfully. He was smoking
a cigar at the time, and seemed to he enjoy
Ing himself very comfortably. The detec-
t;vcs told him he might night not talk un-
! less he so desired. But he said he would
"iust as soon as NOT"
| AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL.
The followin. is his story. shorn Of all
unnecessary vcrbiage: AS near as he can
| figure he is about thirty.two years OF age.
He was born in a small village in Powhatan
county, Va. HIS father. Madison Cox, was
n slave, and his mother, who lad good
deal OF Indian blood in her. was also slave.
Thcv were owned by Jack White, Il planter.
He is one Of eleven brothers, six OF whom
are alive. They were all brought up on the
n,antation. There lie remained until the
breaking out Of the war, when he took ad-
vantage of the first opportunity which pre-
! scnted itself 10 follow the Union army.
He was captured at King and Queen
Courthouse, Va, in 1864, lay the Confedc-
rate forces and taken to Richmond. where
he was confined in Libby prison for two
months as runaway slave. At the cXpl'
. 1ation Of that time he was sent 10 the coal.
pits in Chesterfield. Va, where he tended
The boxes. and was known as the g boS
bov.n After 4 few months a. the pits 1t
went to IIusucnot Springs, in the same
State. where he was employed IN the Con
. tfrderatc hospitals tending the sick unit
/ General Lees surrender.
: CoXGUARDING JEPF. DAVIS.
: He then proceeded to Manchester, Va.
, and again iolncd the United States army, II
, the employ OF the Government. The troops
having reached Petersburg, Cox deserted
and subsequently, attached himself rs.
cock. to Company D, Twelfth infantry, the1
with Geueral Miles, guarding Jefferson Da
Wis at Fortress Monroe.
From there Cox says he went TO Wash
. ingtou, where he enlisted IN the Fortie'l
infantry (colored) and served three years
nurino this time the regiment was variousl.
stationed nj Charleston, Newborn, GolQS
ooro'. and Castle Pinckney, the latter oppo
site Fori Sumter, and at other points IN tn
| Caroinas and the South.
RETURNS TO CIVIL LIFE.
l Cox having been mustered out OF servlc
ot Fort Jackson. below New Orleans, wen
| to Charleston, S. G., where he Tounu EN-
: nloymrnt in the family OF a cotton merchan
named Frank Rodgers. He remained her
: five months, sometimes acting rs COOK. ant
; at others as ccachman. At the cEu OF INA
time he went to Richmond, Va. where h
found his mother. and with her went TO llv
with his brother John. In short time til
family went to Chesterfield, Va, where .Iohl
I owned an interest in coal-pit. Here tn
brothers worked together during the wlnie
:. OF 1869; but in the spring OF 1870 Chastail
returned to Huguenot Springs, where II
-. resumed the white apron or tIe Wa''el
5 After n time he had trouble with the heat
waiter, and went to Big Bend tunnel, no
far from White Sulphur Springs, where u
| was employed on the works. The SIN
: however, affected his head so badly that II
could not work, ana so was transferred t
:. the engineers camp as cook. In 1873 II
l. went to Richmond, where be was cmpioye
AS q waiter in the Spotswood Hotel, and re
n manned there till that establishment was dt
stroyed by fire, on the following Christina;
, LIFE IN NEW YORK.
Early in 1874 he went to New York an
= found lodgings at Eliza Prices, NO. 2s
:, THOMPSON street. where he remained unit
he found employment in Mr.. Sheers'
boardlng-horlsc, in Eighth street, Mt Sl5
month 1CoX then went OH to tell Of hi
life in New York. He doesn't mention h
wife Sally once.]
n Cox says that having entered the Hull res
l. ;dence (wbere he had once been employed
g and rome into Mrs. Hulfs room, he iumpe
IS on ton of his victim and says that he place
= his knees on her elbows. She awakened i
S q dazed and startled manner and asket
= -. Who's that 2" ut the same time proiec
V ing one OF her hands from under the bee
y clothes and raising it up to his face. Ii
: replcd that it was the Doctor.
,. PLEADING FOR LIFE.
d But the unhappy woman soon realize
i the danger she was in, for she attempted I
@ scrcam. when her assailant stifled her erie
|, with his hands. Then came the last desp'
), | rate pleading for life.
Y uTake ANYTHING in the room. but don
: kill mc,' urged Mrs. Hull.
Il don't want to kill you" Cox replied
and she tainted away. This was after
couyuksiye struggle to free herself from h
, grasn. He got The corner Of the sheet Int
2 her m>utl, and, taking portion OF it !
. his teeth. he tore it into strips and proceed
cd deliberately to bind her as her body W.
subsequently, discovered. His object IN tl
inr her to the bed was because he though
that she Gl oht manage to rob OF on to tn
-. flool. and thereby make noise, whlc
7 wouid arouse some OF the inmates OF III
house.