Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-16


one and half inches in diameter but
there was no abrasion OF the skin and
no discoloration. and no indication as
TO how it had been made. In her hands
Jumps Of mud from the reservoir were
tightly clutched; from which DR.. Tay-
lor said il was manifest that she'was
alive when she entered the water.
Upon the autopsy the knot was
cut into. and blood was found
under the skin from the breaking
Of two little blood-vessels. The left
half Of the lower lip was very slightly
bruised. There was no injury OF the
skull. The was a slight efiasion Of
blood. or deep-red staining. on the sur
face OF the brain, on the opposite side
of the head from the knot. This might
have resulted from " counter-stroke, y
or from the breaking Of blood-vessel
from the shock in drowning, or from a
blow on the head at that point which
had left no external mark, or might
have been produced by blow after
death. but more force would have been
required than if the blow had been given
in life.
No other injury was found. and after
o detail OF the condition OF the lungs,
&C., the Doctor further testified
The medical facts ar. not Inconsistent
with the theory OF suicide they 90 not
prove i,, either for or aga ainst u.
This left the question Of death by
violence improved.
Upon the theory Of suicide. the Com
monwealth proved by Mr.. Wright, the
conductor OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
train which brought her to Richmond
on the morning Of the 18th of March
that she said 10 him :" she wished the
cars would run off and kill her " when
something was said about rapid run
ming. Again. in letter written by her
TO Mrs. Tunstall, in complaining Of her
unhappy situation at home, she said a:
1T my PRAYER tonight that ;he sun OF
tC-mOrTOv may shine Oh me corI~e u. II
suicide were not q crime. bow soon the
lingering spark OF my life would vanish but
! will wall Gods own time"
These facts disclose a highly-excita-
bic temperament, disposed to seek re-
lief by death from the troubles OF life
And when to this Is added the fact that
within thirty feet OF where the body
was found there wa a gate in the fence
around the reservoir opening Immedi-
ately upon the water. Il Is fair and rea-
sonable TO impute her death 10 suicide
especially as the injuries referred 70
could have been caused by q person
falling into the water and striking the
sloping wall Of the reservoir. Coupled
with these facts are others which tend
to show suicide Her shaw was
found on Dunstan's fence, on Reser-
voir street. the morning her body wa,
found. Dunstsu's family were her
friends. Her veil and glove were
found at the opening IN the reservoir
fence. some sixty-hve yards from the
reservoir, on the morning Of the l4th
Of March. and her bonnet was found
OF the 18th Of March ii the " dead
house" Oh the Clarke s-Spring proper
y. adioining the reservoir grounds and
her trayelling-bag was found near the
Chesapeake and Ohio wharyes.
Against the conclusion 10 be drawn
from shis proof. there is nothing thai
points 10 violence. except the statements
made by Rose and others that there
seemed to be marks Of scuffie on the
walkway, opposite where the body was
found. But this al best was mere
conjecture. The Coronerplaced a shoe Of
the deceased II q track on the walkway
and II seemed 70 fit. None Of the tracks
were measured and they did not create
sufficient suspicion in the minds OF those
. who saw them. or OF the Coroner, 10
induce their measurement for future use.
Il had rained or showed upon the tracks.
and whether they were old or new.
whether thev were contemDOraneOus or
not. was mere conjecture and specula-
ton. II there was violence, then It was
neces saIy that the deceased should have
been thrown over fence three feet four
inches high and beyond the sloping bank
Of the reservoir into the water. and this
could not have been done without dis
arranging her garments. which were
found IL the condition described By the
Coroner. Nor can 1t be supposed. ex-
cept as bare possibility. that the in iury
over the brow 50 paralyzed the physical
powers Of the deceased as 10 preveu;
her making resistance. and 50 loOseninc
her hair and tearing the hAndkerchie.
from the pin which secured II.
j; Is impossible says the petition TO
present within the compass OF this pc
iition the arguments which arise upon
facts like the foregoing. but il Is re
spectfully insisted that 3 dispassionate
consideration OF them will not only lead
to the conclusion that the death OF the
deceased was not proved beyond a rea-
sonsble doubt 10 have been by violence.
but that they prove incontestsbly thai
she sought her death Of her own viii
II the waters OF the reservoir. Upon
The subject Of the corpus delicti stsrkie,
u Volume l.. page 5l2, says
The same principle requires tnai upon
I 3 rharE. of homicide. when the body nas
/ heeu insId ard although Indications o. .
viO'enf death be- manifest thar ir snail sti.l
/ be fully and Sal isiactOr.iy ~ proved tlAl death
| was neither ocrHsiOned by natural causes
I ny accident nor Dy the act o. the deceased 9
himself
WAS II , VERDICT JUsTIFIABL
in the second place. Was the finding
OF the prisoner guilty Of the death OF
the deceased warranted BY the evidence
in the case:
Counsel contend that il is not. They
devote over twenty pages Of their peti-
iion 10 this discussion. In the main
their argument Is the same as on the
trial. They scout the idea that any
motive for The crime was established.
and earnestly insist that nowhere wa
il shown that accused seduced de-
ceased.
1t l. contended by counsel that Joe
never did identify the key. but. Oh the
/ contrary. said that he could not do SO
without taking II to pieces. and that
this the Court. upon motion OF pri-
soner, refused to allow 10 he done.
Further on says the petition
But. Oh the other hand, there Is posi-
tive proof, furnished by q Common
wealth's witness, that this key was the
] r l..