The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-05
The Walton Murder In louisa
mssrheIrs Last StatemeBt, &c
.,.I f,,~-asnondence nf che Dispatch.l

The walton Murder In Lonisa-'
m,teheIrs Last Statement, &c.
rspcotsl Correspondence OF the Dispatcli.1
LoursA COURTHOUSE, VA, March 4, 1850.
Three OF the five coIored persons re.
portcd in Yesterdays Dispatch, as arrested
,Ipou recent statement OF The condemned
prisoner, Albert Mitchell, were yesterday
discharged. and the two retained IN CUSTODY
were the only suspected real guilty parties.
The names OF these two are Dawson Price
and "Ditcher" Smith, mulatoes. Price Is
Mifcbelps father-ip-law. BiiIgent eDoT's
will be DIT forth to secure corroboratlye
testimony Of Mitcbell's statement, WIN
out which no case can DC maue
against the pewly-arrested parties. III
such corroborstive testimony can De ad-
duced there will be quite q tuin ID
the history OF this crime, and the detection
and punishment OF the accompiices OF
condemned murderer VIII nave been occa-
stoned by The recapture OF this criminal az
ter fight from justice, caused by MS
meeting with q terrible accident ana Inno-
cent parties vindicated after being In the
sbackles OF the law for this damnable crime,
and with the almost universal verdict oil
@ guilty - hanging over them. 1t remains
/
orative testimony can be adduced, and
hence whether this new phase OF the case
will amount to anything or not.
Mitchell now eliminates William Talley
and Eliza Jackson end substitutes the names
OF the prisoners Price and Smith as bis ac-
COMPLIES, giving as his reason for saying
in his former confession that ralley and
Jackson were the guilty parties that.Priee
put him up TO 1t because be (Price) had
learned that detectives were In the neigh
borbood, and suspected Mitchell would be
arrested; and knowing the general sentl-
ment Of the neighbour hood to be that Talley
and Jackson were the guilty parties. pre-
vailed on him (MitchelD to implcate these
two parties, thereby shielding himself and
Smith; and as the iDducement for Mitchell
50 10 act, led him 10 believe that he would
be let off by testifying against the said
parties. Mitchell gives a detailed account
of the manner in which the plan was
concocted and executed, not shielding him.
self. In the main bis statement in regard
to the execution OF the damnable deed
comedies with his original confession, ex-
cept the substitution OF the new names and
the elimination of Taley and Jackson
thereby. lie states that be stood guard
while the other two went in tue store
and committed the deed; heard the scufile,
and was Joined by the parties with the
money and goods when they had completed
the fjendish deed; that they had three hun
dred dollars in greenbacks and seventy-five
dollars in silver that he was gwen small
portion, and was threatened with his life II
he revealed the crime states the articles Of
goods brought out of the store-comprising
boots, bed-ticking, &c.-and that they were
deposited in certain hollow trees (Which
were found to be at the identical spot de-
scribed by him), and that the money was
hid under rails OF a certain cow-pen; that
Price rode to store ip Hanover to spend
the money; that he (MtchelD was going to
marry Prices daughter, and that the want
OF money to get up a wedding frolic was
the origin OF the crime, and that Smith en-
tered into it cbeerfuIly, saying he didn't
like Mr.. Walton, anybow-that he had re-
fused to credit him for pair OF boots.
The prevailing opinion has all the time
been that Mtchelps first statement was
true, but there were few who held to the
belief that while bis statement was true in
the main, he substituted the names OF
Talley and Jackson, and shielded bis guilty
accompices. reasoning on the very hypO-
thesis that Mitchell now states as his reason
for bis action in this particular. Price and
Smith were arrested when Mitchell was,
but were liberated forthwith. Mitchell
stated that these two were his accompIices
some time subsequent to his first confession.
This was told to a prisoner confined in the
same cell for different offence, and, after
Mitchell wholly retracted his first statement,
Price ran up in Jail one day, while the islor
was in MitchelPs cell, and stated to him
to .'stick to his first statement" which cir
cumstance has always been regarded as
singular.
Mitchell is getting on very well. A skill
ful physician attends to his leg. think be
has little il any hope now OF escaping the
gallows, and hence think any statement he
makes now can be relied on more fully than
any heretofore made. II Is binted that APP
plcation may be made 10 the Governor TO
pardon him in order that he may testify
against the newly-arrested parties. He
states that he was assisted In perfecting his
escape by Wilson Kenny, a colored prisoner
confined in the same cell with him, but
Kenny received no compensation for his
work, iuasmucl as all profit TO bin,
in the way OF escape, was fOiled
by his being conveyed TO the peni-
Tertiary before the way OF egress
had been successfully completed. He
describes his escape and journey very
minutely. He says he did not go home, as
was generally believed, but took to the rail-
road and made for the West, reaching Cor
louisville by sunrise. When be met with
the accident which occasioned the loss Of
his foot, and which was the immediate cause
OF his recapture. he says he was on his way
to bis home, anticipating going into and
leaving the neghborhOod in the night. His
aim was to get some money at home and
then to make for the South.
II one could eliminate from his mind all
thoughts Of the damnabe deed Mitchell is
for he would look very pitifuI
living i'm his cell with one foot amputated !
and with the dreadful terror, OF violated |
law banging over him.
The developments IN the case are looked |
forward to with u great deal OF interest. and |
ii is to be sincerely hoped that IL The accom-
pIices OF Mitchell are indeed Price and |
Smith. that efforts TO adduce the sufficient |
testimony may prove successful to The end |
that violated Justice may be yindicated. |
Very little can be obtained from The parties |
who know all tue recent Developments and |
what steps are being taken, but the Dis
patch having obtained patent on its " bed /
schemes" as so success
tally worked 10 the detriment Of ReS1juster |
all OF its reporters are "taking |
lue noiice-and governing themselves ac-
,ordingly." ALTQUIs.