Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-19
KILLING OF COTTON.
THE SWANSeoRo' TRAGEDY MORE
FULLY INQUIRED INTO.
Testimony to show that John Jones Has
Admitted Striking the
Fatal Blow.

| tOlloU, ~ DlEIlN It~pttlfA NIAiAcu anu
veteran Of the Mexican and civil wars.
The case under consideration was that
Of John A. Jones' charged with striking
the blow which produced the veterans
| death.
II will beremembcred that Charlie Jones.
on older brother. in whose store the diff
| Guilty occurred, was examined on Friday
last on the same charge and discharged,
the evidence failing to show that he
| welded the weapon which did the deadly
work.
His brother's case was then fixed for
hearing the next day. but when the
court met Saturday it was found
that John W. Tingle, the son-in-
law Of the deceased, who also received
several severe blows in the alteration, was
unable 10 be present. and pOstpOnement
until Yesterday was found necessary. Two
o'clock was the hour fixed for the investi-
| CATION TO begin, and the court was opened
quite promptly.
TO THE sCHOOL-HOUsE.
Commonwealth's-At Philip Y.
! Cogbill was present for the prosecution
! and ex-Judgcs Gregory and Hughes were
| present as counsel for the prisoner, and
| they had associated with them aS legal adj
wiser Colonel ". +. Giddings. whose
daughter Mr.. Charles T. Jones married.
There was a very large crowd present,
!
cramped ofice Of the presiding justice
would hc unbcarable, with both doors and
| the window filled with the heads of into-
rested spectators. The Court. therefore,
adjourned to county SchOol-house near
by. the use of which was kindly given by
one of the trustees, and tins building
| (Which was formerly caTriage-factory)
was soon filed. aud there were perhaps AS
many persons on the outside of the build
| lng as INSIDE.
TrNGGE NOT PRESENT.
Mr.. Tinglc was still not present, but 1t
| was decided not to wait on tins account,
! but to proceed with the examination as far
as possible without him. and then TO adj
iourn. DR.. Ingram had seen both the
Justice and Mr.. Jones. and Informed them
! that il would not DE prudent for the wit
ness 10 come out, as both the exercise and
| excitement might make against him. Mr..
| Iiugle IL was stated. had quite a severe
/ hemorrhagc Monday night from something
like a rising IN his mouth produced 10y tine
flesh being cut 10y the teeth when he r.
! ceived a blow on his Jaw. 10 subject him
10 exercise or the excitement of a rlsid
| crOss-eXainination might cause the tlow Of
| blood which had been quite profuse, 10
! set in again. Mr.. Iingle was able 10 be out
SUNDAY afternoon, and apart from TINS
| bleeding, which Is not considered serious,
he appears TO be doing very well indeed.
THE DKAD MANS son.
| The first witness examined was AleXan-
der Cotton. Jr., The thlrteen-yea son
| of the deceased He was on the stand for
about two hours. and was subjected 10 an
| exceedingly rigid crOss-eXamlnauon, but
he kept a cool head and told the same story
that he gave when the charge against
Charlie Jones was being investigated. II
there was any variance in the two II was
| very slight. His evidence has been fully
published IN the D,pWch, and is fresh IN
the minds of our readers. lie adhered
10 the statement that there had beer nO
talk between his father and Jingle before
| getting 90 JOnes's store about going there,
! fuss or no fuss: that hc (WItncssl only adj
mOnished his father not u 90 because he
| was afraid there might be a difficulty and
| not because there was any talk of having
| one. that at the store deceased asked
! Charlie Jones. What about that Dill:
! that Jones replied II was for - worth of
| goods bought by Mrs Cotton that Cot
| tom said to Jones, " Nou have treat
| ed me rascally trick; that Jones
! asked, DO YOU mean to call me q
! d-n rascM?n and started from around
the bar counter. when the deceased. who
| had his hand in his pocket 10 get the
! money 10 settle the bill. said, Don't
| YOU hit me-" that 1Ingle seeing the two
| about TO come together Jumped between
| them. and John Jones, coming III from IN
!
which he struck Tngle on the back of the
! head and on the face; that his lwltness,
! father fell, and he felt quite sure that John
Jones struck IT, though he did not see the
! blow hit.
WOULD DO IT AGAIN.
Mr.. George W. Brooks was the next wit
ness sworn. and this il the substance of
/ what me- said: ON the morning of the day
/ that the poor unfortunate man died came
! up 10 see Squire Hewlett about fixing mp
AN account and on the way stopped IN %
| see Charlie Jones and he told me Of the
! difficulty.
Witness was proceeding to give Mr..
! Charlie Jones's version of the affair. when
! Mr.. Cogbill stopped him, as the ac-
| cused was not present, though IN another
part of the store or at the door, when the
! conversation occurred. Charlie Jones
! and - the witness continued, came out
| TO the door, where John was standing. and 1
! made some inquiry as 10 VINO dld the
striking. John Jones said ] ann the man
! who did the striking, and 10y Cd would
| DO il again II ! saw two men on my brother
| or irving to beat NV brother or words 10
| that effect. John added that he did not
| expect 10 take water, but would die game
! or something 10 that effect. Nothing WAS
said by John Jones about Cotton nor was
his name called during the conversation
Charlie Jones expressed deep sympathy tor
Mr Cotton"
I'm reply 10 a question as TO who was
present az the time of the conversation, |
witness said there were several, and among !
them were Ira ". Alley, G. A.Jones, andP +. |
Greed Davis. whose face he recognized, I
though he did not know his name. He |
could not say how many of those present /
heard what John Jones SAID. Ihls was All !
he knew about the sad occurrence, and he !
was sorry he had heard tins much.
WOULD DIE CANE.
Mr.. Ira Alley said he heard of the diff |
Guilty Thursday morning and went up 20 |
the store 20 inquire about IT. After talk |
inc for few moments he stated that he /
was going around to see the wounded man. |
Mr.. c. 4. Jones remarked 10 him, / will |
wait if YOU do not stay too long" lie |
remained at Mr. Cottom's house about !
half hour, and returning 10 the store re- |
marked 20 those around him that /
he thought the man was dying. While /
standing in front of the store |
MIR. Brooks came ont and made |
some inquiry as 10 who did the striking. |
The prisoner said he did 1t and would do It |
again if he saw any one beating his bro |
ther. and added that he would die game. |
He (Jones) used an oath in the expression. |
lie did not undertake TO explain the CIR
cuustances surrounding the occurrence.
TWAS NOT A BAT.
Walter Bowen said: was at JoneS's store
Thursday evening in company with Alr.
Cauthorn. one of the drivers on the street
car line. and he invited me 10 have drink.
/ declined to drink. but took cigar.
Charlie waited on Us, and while we three
were talking John came up. ! said to him
John, heard that YOU hit him with
baseball bat" NO" he said. hit him
with that very stick there while he was
hitting at my brother Charlie with beer
glass Mr.. Cauthorn picked up the stick;
which was a communicating hickory, and
| should Judge it was about one anda quar-
ter to one and half inches thick at the
largest end. though was not very close 10
it and did not have II in my hands at all.
STICK UsID wHEN Els FOOT WAS SORE.
This was the testimony of Mr. A. G.
Harding, whose jewelry store Is on Hull
street between Eighth and Ninth " / felt
very deeply interested in the affair. as MIR.
Cotton and the Messrs. Jones were all warm,
personal friends of mine. / was greatly
exercised when heard Of it, and Thursday
Afternoon soon after / heard of Mr.. Cot