The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-13
Mr.. MASON ACQUITTED.
THE JURY OUT ONLY TWO MINUTES
AND BRING IN A VERDICT OF
NOT GUILTY.
Statement OF Mr. Mason as to How the
Difficulty Originated.

! The case OF Lewis Il. Mason, which has
been before the Hustings Court since Mon
. day, was taken up again Yesterday morn
ing. All the Commonwealth witnesses
having been examined the defence opened
their cause by putting Mr.. Mason on the
stand, who coolly walked to the witness
( box, and in slightly trembling voice said /:
/ On the Saturday previous to the Sunday
upon which this unfortunate difficulty cul-
minated i made an engagement with Mr..
: Mitchell, who lives on Grace street near
the Fredericksburg railroad, TO take a walk
with him on Sunday afternoon. So on
Sunday afternoon about 4 O'clock, purSli-
ant TO my engagement, | left my house, on
north Fifth street, and proceeded towards
Broad street.
! When between Marshall and Broad
streets | suddenly observed four gentlemen
/ coming along Fifth street toward Marshall.
knew two OF them, Mr.. Minor and DR..
Crutchfeld: the other two | did not know.
] was in fifteen or twenty feet OF them be-
fore saw them. As ! passed, Mr.. Minor
said to me d" How 10 you do, Lewis ?" and
| replied. How are you. Ned!" Just as
| passed | heard the exclamation. "Was
he alOne?" or "Is he alOnel" This was
repeated three times, when | recognized
DR.. Crutchded's voice. | stopped and
turned around, facing him, | think, about
in front OF Smiths carriage-iactOry. DR..
Crutchtield approached me, looking very
angry, and said. &" am tired of your pass
ing me without spelking." replied, :"
was not aware that YOU wished me to speak
to YOU, SIR"
Mr.. Minor then stepped between DR..
Crutchiield and myself, and said. "Go
along, Lewis; don't mind him; he has
been drinking. and know YOU have not"
DR.. Crutchiield continued his abuse, and
invited me to 20 into some alley with him
TO have fight. | refused to 90 with him.
and told him 10 "lel NE alone; that | was
no Sunday broiler, and did not want TO
have any difficulty" The two gentlemen
! that did not then know held DR.. Crutch-
field, and llr. Minor again asked me to
leave; which | did. | crossed Broad
street and proceeded along Fifth toward
Grace, | don't know how far, when from
some cause-I don't know what
turned around and saw DR.. Crutch-
field following me very rapidly and
looking very angry. He was walking very
close 10 the houses, and | could not see
his right hand. Feeling confident that he
had pistol in his hand. / put my hand
in my pocket and took ont my knife. which
/ bought in Mobile, Alabama, and opened
I il and held it in my right hand, with the
blade downwardS. | then walked to meet
DR.. Crutchiield, and we rushed right to-
gcther, and he struck me, and quicker
than ! can tell you | inflicted the wounds
upon him which have been described. As
soon as | discovered that he was unarmed
| retreatcd from him. He followed me
mp, and knocked me up against a tree. My
head struck the tree first. and my hat fell of.
| recovered myself as quickly as possible,
picked up my hat and walked OF. DR..
Crutchiield then started towards Broad
street, saying that he would be reyenged.
/ then went up TO Mr. Mitchelrs house,
and. in company with him. came back to
Fifth street, where we met Officer Tomlm-
son, 10 whom surrendered myself.
During the cross-eXamination Mr.. Mason
related the same story, in the main, about
the previous misunderstanding that DR..
Crutchtied told on the day before.
The counsel for the defence then put
about Il dozen witnesses on the stand. who
testified as 10 the good character of the
prisoner, and the evidence was closed.
The ease was then submitted TO the Jury
without argument. The jury retired, and
after staying out about two minutes
brought IN verdict Of "Not guilty." and
the prisoner was discharged.
While Mr.. Mason was on the witness
stand Mr. James Farmer, who was in the
courtroom, was seized with an cpileptic
lit and fell to the door. Considerable con-
fusion ensued. and operations were su,-
pended until the unfortunate man was re-
moved from the room.
Judge W. W. Crump. Colonel Jobn 3.
Young. and Major \. X. Courtney. were
counsel for the defence. and Mr.. Samuel
B. Witt represented the Commonwealth.