Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-05
cLUvERIUs CONVICTED.
The Jury Bring In Verdict Of Murder
in The First DtTet'
OUT ONLY FORTY MINUTES
Prisoner Stands Up and Takes it
Pretty COOlly.

Yesterday morning looking very serious
His easy, jsunty manner and the per-
petual smiling that distinguished HIN
when FIRST arrested had gone, and IN
their place was eountenance that
showed he had been the prey OF deep
anxiety, but had nerved himself for the
worst.
All through the day his expression
was that Of stubborn resolve to 60
through the case without any show OF
uneasiness or exhibition Of nervousness,
and he was fairly successful in that dl-
rection but he was changed man.
lie was calm and quiet no excitement
on the surface, but absent was all the
show of indifference-all the fearless
ness that characterized his demeanor in
the beginning.
The court room was crowded until
no more could wedge in. Men put
tables on the sidewalk and raised them
selves up to look in the windows; there
were crowds on the street, and the
City-IIall passage was blOckaded, so
great was the anxiety to hear what was
going on in the court. The talk was
that the failure of the prisoner to ac-
count for himself between 5 and IL
O'Clock that night was very damaging.
Charles v. Meredith. Esq.
Mr.. Meredith, acting Commonwealth S
Attorney In this case, arose 70 address
the Court and jury, and said;
May it please the Court, and you,
Gentlemen OF the Jury ! should not do
Justice to my own feelings nor to the
wishcs of the people of this Common
wealth If. before ! took a formal leave
Of YOU in this case, / should fail to et-
tend TO you fall and earnest thanks for
your conduct and bearing through the
length of the trial of this cause. You
lave borne without murmIr the DIS
comforts Of this room. and, above all,
YOU have given patient and intelligent
attention TO the evidence as developed
before you, and whatever may be the
result of this case, the prisoner cannot
complain that you have not done as you
promised to do-harkened to the eyi-
dencc.
You have listened earnestly and at
tentiyely, struggling with questions, to
arrive at an intelligent conclusion, and
you have borne yourselves with the
earnest desire to see that justice, and
Justice alone, should be done both to
the prisoner and to the Commonwealth.
And venture the assertion that in the
kindness OF your hearts you have
placed upon the shoulders Of the Com
monwealtb burden that the law did
not require she should carry. ! ven
ture the assertion that there is not a
man on that jury who, when sworn to
try this case, did not have in his heart
the earnest hope that the young man
who stands at the bar prisoner
charged with the grave crime that is
set forth in the indictment might come
forth acquitted. And not only did you
enter the box with that feeling, butas the
Commonwealth produced her evidence,
and as the clouds of guilt gathered and
gathered until the storm seemed about to
crush him, all through it you never for
one moment divested yOurselfof that hu-
name wish. do not censure you for it.
The Commonwealth would rather carry
IL a. a burden than that she should
have her citizens free or devoid Of such
noble instincts. But | submit now
that the day for hope has passed and
that the hour has come when You shall
exercise, not your passions, or your
prejudice, or your hopes, or your fears,
but that you shall stand manfully in
the exercise of your judgment upon
the evidence in this cause.
A FAIR TRIAL.
If you Will cast your eyes back hur-
riedly over the transactions in this cause
you will see that not only did you enter
the box with that earnest wish, but that
my associate and myself, free Of any
personal desire Of reputation or any
such petty motive as that, sat in our
box and waited and assisted as far as
we could, with Difference to our duty to
the Commonwealth, to give the prison.
er not only fair but liberal trial.
You have seen us raise questions here,
and tell you that many of them we
earnestly believe we were right in, and
yet when there was any question raised
on the other side we waived it. You
have seen us object to the introduction
OF testimony, and refer especially to
the Madison letters, and we told the
Court We did not see what earthly bear
ing such evidence could have upon
the seduction or the murder Of the de-
ceased but when we got the assurance
from the counsel that by the production
Of those letters they would assist the
Commonwealth in showing who was the
guilty party, readily and without a
moments pause we told them that we
would be satisfied TO find that out, no
matter who might be the person. |
cite that TO you as only one instance,
but if you will run your eye back, as |
say, you will find many such instances
where the Commonwealth has waived
her rights so that this yonng man
might not. if guilty-if convicted sc-
cording 10 your ,erdirt--Say that he
had been crushed by prejudice or by
misrule, but that he had had trial by
free and enlightened jury, by a just
Judge, and by Commouwealth's attor-
neys who were kind and liberal TO him.
MR.. EvANs's ATTACK on COLONEL
AYLETT.
Gentlemen, we should like to have
received the same treatment. But
when the first opportunity is given 10
the counsel to represent their client, In
stead Of pursuing the course that we
had deemed the only proper one for
counsel 70 pursue-that Of arguing this
case--instead Of trying to relieve your
mind Of the clouds that had gathered,
instead Of attempting 10 build defence
upon the evidence, the counsel who
first opens his mouth in behalf Of the
prisoner forgets the past years Of
friendship for my associate, and in or
der TO detract your attention from ths