The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-06-24

BIrRWElI REYNOLDS FOUND GUILTY AND SENT
TO THE PENITENTIARY FOR FIVE YEARS
| ITEMS ABOUT THE TRIAL-A SUMMARY OF
THE EVIDENCE.
| Correspondence of the Richmond Dspatch.l
JUNE 23, 1880.
The taking OF the evidence In the case Of
BurwelI Reynolds was finished yesterday
about / O'Clock, and the argument then be-
gan. The argument was concluded about
sunset, the jury instructed, and the court
took a recessfilI 81 O'Clock p. NJ. The re-
cess over, the jury came in and announced
that they had found the prisoner guilty OF
man=laughter and fixed his term IN the
penitentiary at five years. The general i'm
preston seems to be that note pr0SeqHs
| will be entered in the case OF Lee Reynolds,
and this will be the end OF the celebrated
Reynolds case.
! Colonel John Staples opened for the prose-
cution with the statement that the case was
brought into Judge Riyes's court in order
that preiudices might be excited and the
escape OF the prisoners from punishment
he procured, and that never before had
there been any objection 10 white Iuries IN
Patrick county. The preference had been
for white juries rather, and all this "n0lse
and confusion" about preiudices against
the negroes had not originated amongst them
or been the dictate OF their experience.
From that point he proceeded to argue upon
the law and the testimony, grace1ully anu
forcibly. He was followed by Mr.. Thomas
HamIin, OF the defence, who read freely
from the laws pertaining to the case, ana
gave some ingenious intel pretatlons OF tue
testimony. Judge Lybrook, OF the deience,
came next, and spoke for three hours but
although there was great desire 10
hear the newlv-e,eeted Judge OF Pat
rick county, and people began to pour
into the courtroom when he began 10 make
his voice heard in the halls, he did not seem
10 have discovered that fact, and addressed
himself so exclusively to the jury, the
Judge, and the opposing counsel mat even
some of US who sat within the bar were nol
able 10 hear with ease and comfort wnat he
said, | noted that he stated In the Degln
ming OF his argument that he would receive
no fee for his services In TINS case, the
negroes being children OF a woman VINO
was once the property OF his wile'
mother. The argument being over, Judge
J.yhrook moved the Court for instructions &c
the iury. and after about thirty minutes The
Iiurv was called In and instructions were
oiyen TO the effect that the law would con
strue any case Of feioniOus homicide as
murder in the second degree, and that tb'
burden OF elevating the crime 10 that o.
murder in the first degree must lie on th'
nroSecntion, and that OF reducing the crime
On the defence: that the jury must decidt
whether the homicide was done under Inc
influence OF an old grudge or OF fresL
nroyocatlon; and that il was lawlul Qi
mistake no,) to carry weapons Tor defence
against particular persons under particular
|
| This seems TO lie summary OF the eVl
dence In November, 1877, younger bro
tber OF Aaron &. Shelton, the man VINO wa VA
killed. had been "ducked" by some chill
dren of negro school for hallooine
{" scbooI-butter near schoefD0use u
Patrick county. Lee Reynolds was mem
Der OF this school, and BUrwell. his brotoer
took part I'm the duckiDg. A short tln'
afterwards Shelton passed The schoo-hous'
and ballooed school-butter." At recess
that day, when another brother OF Sbeltoi
approacbed within one hundred and MI!
yards OF the house and repeated the cry o
lschool.butter. the pupils pursued him unl'
they came where Shelton was stanoipi
in the road with a stick In his manu-
Here quarrel commenced Det"ee'
A. C.. Shelton aud the scholars, AM
thew retreated and he pursued with s'on
and stick, declaring that bis brother snoul =
pass that house and hailoo schooipu,te
" benever be pleased, and II be was ou q, y;
again he "a. Z. SbeitoD) would SHOOT .hel
Leart.stripgs out, and would follow hei
into the school. house TO do so, ana wou'
shoot the teacher, TOO, II the teacher intei
Tered. BurwelI and Lee Reynolds were no
present then; but, they being ABSENT !. ~
pears that shelton went up TO sister Oh VI
Reynoldses, shook a stick over her, aske
who II was that had called him rogue, On