The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-10-07
The Case of II. j. S. CoineY.

The Case of r. j. S. CoineY.
On Thursday last, the case of T. J. S.
Conner, confined in the Jail of Augusta
county, for the murder Of Montezuma
Brown. in the rotunda of the fair grounds,
in October last, was set for trial, and on
being called counsel for commonwealth, M.
F. White. Commonwealth attorney, and
Geo. Nj. Cochran. jr., and A. g. Braxton
for prisoner, announced that they were
ready. The names of the "a veniremen
summoned to answer questions as to their
qualifications as jurymen to try the case
were called The result of the examina-
ton by the judge was that nine were
chosen, as follows: And. F. Young, Jno.
A. Hupman, Silas l.. Huff, Jas. M. Sellers,
Jos. M. Kunkle, Geo. L. Clinebill. Is. M.
J. Sillings, Geo. Sherman and Jno. W..
Hopewell. The case was then adjourned
oyer until yesterday.
The prisoner will he tried under provis-
ion of the Code of Virginia, sec II. chap
2O2: eff court in which person is held for
trial see reasonable grounds to doubt his
sanity at the time at which, but for such
doubt, he would be tried, it shall suspend
the trial until jury inquiries into the fact
as to such sanity. Such jury shall he EN-
panneled at its bar. If the jury find the
accused to be sane at the time of the yer
dict. they shall make no other inquiry, and
the trial in chief shall proceed. 1t they
find that he is insane, they shall inquire
whether or not he was so at the time of
the alleged offense. If they find that he
was so at that time, the court may dis
miss the prosecution, and either dis
charge him, or, to prevent him doing mis-
chief, remand him to Jail, and order him
to be removed therefrom to one OF the
lunatic asylums of TINS State. If they find
that he was not so at the time, the court
shall commit him to Jail, or order him to
be confined i'll one of the said asy lums un-
til he is so restored that he can be put on
trial.
1t will he seen from this provision of law
that the trial will proceed under the first
clause, "a to whether Koiner is insane at
this time. If tie jury find that be is, the
inquiry will lie instituted as to whether
he was insane at the time the murder was
committed. If the evidence is sufficient
to determine this point in the affirmative,
then he will he placed in an asylum until
he RECEIVERS sufficiently to stand his trial
for murder. If the jury shall deter
mine that he was insane at the time of the
murder, then the charge will be dismissed,
and the prisoner removed to an asylum.
The appearance of the prisoner in the
court house aud OR his way from and to
the Jail, was more that of an idiot
than an insane man-probably combina-
tion OF both-or well planned stimulation
of arrangement. His hair was long, I'M
kempt, and tangled. and looked as though
it had not been combed for weeks. His
gait was stumbling and weak, he resting for
support on the sheriff. In the court house
he sat with his head back and his eyes
rolled up towards the ceiling-oceasiona
closing them land occasionally throwing his
head 10 one side to rest on his hand. There
seemed to be nothing rational in his move
ments or looks. On his return to the jail,
his poor, heart broken mother met him at
the side entrance, and embracing him,
trembling]y wspt and sobbed. as though
her very heart strings were sundering.
The court house was crowded during the
examination of the yeniremen-an impress
sive silence peryading the entire audience.
AS the prisoner passed out, the path way to
the Jail was lined with the curious to get
glimpse at the unfortunate young man,
and until the Jail door closed upon him.
hundreds Of eyes. eagerly watched his every
movement. 1t was sad, pitiable sight,
and made the heart weaken and sicken at
the condition the prisoner had brought
upon himself in a moment of ungovern able
temper or insane impulse.
On "Wednesday, the day to which the trir
al of Conner was postponed. the prisoner
was brought into court. The examination
of yeniremen was proceeded with. and re-
suited in John r. Hidey, Peter Fl. Seeand
Geo. W. Lackey being accepted as jury
men, who with nine others named above,
constitute the jury. The court adjourned
until l o'clock, when witnesses as to Coin
er IS mental condition were examined. G.
E. Kemper. David Hanger and S. A. Life
testified as to his insanity. The court ad.
journed until to-day at 10 o'clock.