The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-07
BAIL REFUSED MASON,
Hearing OF the Case OF Mason, Charged
with Fcloniousiy Cutting DR.. Crutchleld-
Statements OF Witnesses in the Case-Ar-
gument by Counsel.

gument by Counsel.
The case OF l.. F. Mason, charged with
feloniouslv assaulting. wounding, and stab
bing DR.. w. I. Crutch6eld, came up on
writ OF hdbedS corpus for bail before the
Hastings Court yesterday morning-Judge
Thomas C.. Atkins presiding. Bail had
previously been refused in the Police
Court. Mr.. Mason came into court, ac-
companied by his father, Rev. - Ma
son, OF Charlotte county, Va, and his
counsel, Judge w. W. Crump. Major A.
X. Courtney. and Colonel John e. Young.
Mr.. Samuel Il. Witt represented the Com
monwealth.
DIR. CRUTCuFIELD's CONDITION.
The first witness placed upon the stand
was DR.. Hugh VI. Taylor. lie was exam
| ined in order to show what DR.. Crutch-
! fields condition was. DR.. Taylor SAID. in
answer to questions, that he thought
! Crutchfeld little better, but not out OF
danger. He was better than he had ever
been before.
"What are the chances OF life and
death ~ asked Mr.. Witt.
at is very hard TO say, but think the
chances slightly in his favor. His wounds
are dong very well, and his dyseutery
checked, but not entirely"
"What is the depth OF the wOundf"
"Tbe wound is one leading into the
cavity, and ITS depth is perhaps an inch"
The Doctor last saw DR.. Cruthfield Sum
day night about o'clock.
As soon as the Doctor stood aside the
Court announced that il was ready TO grant
4 hearing OF the case on the writ OF hdbedS
corpus for bail.
The witnesses were then called and
sworn.
Mr.. MINORS STATEMENT.
Mr.. Minor being called testified and said
he was with CrutchGeld nearly all day on the
day of the cutting. Saw Mason first in front
OF Smiths carria2e-shop. on Fifth street.
Crutchfcld, Clifford Chalkley, Totty, and
the witness were walking down the street.
Iason passed them. Crutchfield stopped
| Mason, and fuss seemed impending. Wit
ness went up and separated them. Don't
remember What words. il any, were used.
| He took Mason and told him il was bad
| time to have a fuss, and advised him to
| leave, and he did so, going across Broad
street. Crutchfcld followed, and be-
/ fore witness reached him he was
cut. Clutchfield went after Mason im-
mcdiately after being turned loose
by those who were holding him. Witness
| spoke TO Mason in passing, and he returned
| his salutatiOn. No blows passed at the
| first encounter. Called TO Crutchfeld 70
come back, but he wouldn't hear; caught
! hm while tottcring from the effects OF the
cut and carried him into Dupuy's drug
store. Witness said in answer to question
| that he thought il likely that Mason re-
marked when the witness told him to leave
at the time OF the first FUSS that if Crutch-
| field would let him alone he wouldn't dis
turb him. Witness thought at the time
that Crutchfeld was the aggresSor.
WHAT DR.. SMITH SAW.
DR.. George :. Smith next testified. He
was in his yeranda, about twenty feet
! from the northwest corner OF Broad and
Fifth streets. and saw Crutchtield coming
eXcitedly across Broad street. When he
got to Fifth thought he asked some people
to 90 with him somewhere. Certainly
heard him ask DR.. SpierS George to ''go
with him as friend" but the Doctor re-
| fused, and Crutchfield said "D-n ii, I'll
20 by myself" DR.. George went around
the corner, and the next thing witness
heard some one say: "Look yonder; those
men are lighting He looked. and saw
the last blow, Crutchfeld striking Mason
and knocking him up against a tree. saw
knife in the hands OF Mason, the blade
about four inches long; might have been
pocket-knife. Did not see Mason strike Il
blow at all. Crutchield walked back to
Broad street from the fight. Heard him
say. :" I'm killed, ayenge my blood"; but
! didn't know whom he addressed. Mason
would have fallen but for the tree. Mason
walked away Of his own accord, no one
| separating him and Crutchfield.
George Reed, a colored man, was sworn,
and testified that he saw Crutchtield COM
ing across Broad street, and that he knew
! from his manner that something was
up" He ran TO the corner and saw Mason
and Crutchiield come together Crutch-
field got loose and knocked Mason up
against a tree. Crutchfield threw down
his cane before he struck Mason. When
Crutchfeld crossed Broad street he had
his hat in one hand and his cane in the
other.
"Go WITH Me As A FRIEND"
DR.. Splers George. the next witness,
said that on the evening Of the difficulty
he met Mason on Fifth street between
Broad and Grace, and soon AFTER on the
same street. encountered Crutchfield. As
Crutchteld came up he said. doctor, eX.
pect to have a difficulty. and | want you
to 20 with me a. a friend" The Doctor
declined to 70: and Crutchlield said, 81
don't care; I'll go by myself" While
passing around the corner DIR. George
heard a man cry out that man was being
stabbed. shortly after Crutchiicld was
brought into Dupuy's drugstore, where
DR.. George was, and Crutchiieid SAID.
doctor. have been stabbed severely; do
what YOU can for me-" The Doctor did
Sc. cutting off the clothing and examining
the wounds. They were bleeding freely,
and the man was faint. Stimulants were ap-
nlied. and the Doctor found that no arte-
rieS of serious character had been cut. lie
asked Crutchfield who cut him, and he
said a man named Mason; but when asked
rs 10 the cause Of the quarrel, he seemed
anxious TO cvadc the question and made no
direct reply. Dr.. George thought from
tbe nature OF the wounds that the knife
must have been three-quarters OF an inch
wide and four or five inches long. lie said
il might have been Il pOcket-knife.
HARD LANGUAGE.
Kemp Williams (coloreD next testified
! He saw the first OF the difficulty, when the
parties met ut Smiths carriage-factory. He
was on the opposite side OF the street.
Heard Mason call Crutchtield a s-n OF
=. Saw Mason leave, go to Broad
street. and when half way across stop and
mt his hand behind him. Thought he
was going to shoot. Mason crossed Broad
and went on up Fifth towards Grace and
| got behind a tree. Crutchteld went after
him. and Mason stepped out from behind
the tree. Saw the tight, and saw Crutch-
field knock Mason against the tree, and
then turn and leave him. Crutchfield had
a cane i'm his left hand, but did not use it.