Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-05-16
THE MARKS TRIAL.
AND STILL 1T DRAes ITS WEARY
LENGTH ALONG.
A wAits-cap Lettsr-Row witnesses--vx-
pert Tsstimony-Dr. Ben. Johnston
on tho stand.
IsreaIal .eleeram . the nIspaleh.l

on the stand.
special telegram 70 tho Dspatch.l
Srssgx CouRrH0usx via STONY CREEK,
Mw Is IL Il doubtful II the secret history
a. TIE Marks-Bsin sliAlr will ever be writ
ten. IL & could be done u would probably
prove A. msny-sldcd 10 lie delinebtion OF
character, It's recitSl Of envy aud jealousy, its
painuag Of those thousand. ana.one triiing
lncidentS that 20 10 make no life ia a rural
Community, 80 the work OF maDy a weaver
~ romance. Certain Il r. that the unforlu'
nate affair has crvstsllzed likes and dslikes.
~ that to-day sussex county is divided into
two factions. ~ STANDARDIZATION 10 a
sniidcr WAYS we're the houses Of Montecch
pnd Capulc,t, or the clans Of the Guelphs
and ihc Ghhriiires. Much has come 10 my
ADowledge that would make what is called
good reading" but as its being made pub
dc property would only serve 10 Intensity
tho adverse feelings alluded 20, and might
fan INTO fame the smOuidering sparks which
lime may eventually Quench altogether, 1t i
better 20 leave it unsp0kcn. or at least un-
written. one or two OF the facts that
have learned and Of the stories that have
been poured into my ear may be gwen with
Out danger OF causing serious heartburninss.
uno which Will put tho carly chapters OF this
tragic story into a light that will lend to
them additional interest for those who have
followed the course Of the trial.
wHIrs.cAr LETTER
It will be remembered that whensRobcrt
Brittle. one Of The last witnesses for the
prosecution. was on The stand be testified
Enat Carleton Marks had told MIN that he IN
tended % Rim some man in that piVbocrhood
81 % took him fifteen wears ana be bad 70 use
firychniue. II will be alsO remembered that
brittle testified 10 acOther CONVEX. alton with
ibe prisoner, M the course OF which the lat
Ter is ssid 20 have acquainted Brittle With
the fact that he ,Clrlelon) was cognlZant OF
fhs letter Uhich his father intended sending
70 BAN. This last conversation, Britilekialed,
Cook place on the sunday preceding the
homicide. When Brittle. who had been here
Sn the opening oi The trial, returned 10 his
home al AiTGeld last Saturday, he found tue
following letter. which wss enclosed IN an
envelope bearing TIE lyor stamp and date OF
April 31th. The letter Is given verbatim and
Fpellaiim.
10 Il. y. Brittle
The law oi our organization compels us 10
cake such steps as TO correct the morals OF
msn our organization Is one that extends
from the atlantic TO the pacific ana from
msin 20 mexico our principle object is 10
out toe county thereby hen6iing and
Sais'ag society to a hier standard We have
understood that YOU can gave IN evidence IN
tbe case oi the common Nealth snd marks
che evidence that you can gave is known
sDd YOU must tell the truth rs tiare Will bee
some one 10 heare what you say
company ll3
Power 90 alone
from the XIV white caps.
OF c0ur,e no Que believes for a moment
that The White Caps or any other orgsniza-
ton, secret or otherwise, had ans hand IN
the writing or sending Of This Letter. II IL
proper also to stsie right here that did not
obtain il from the recipient, out OF whose
possession II passed shOdl' after he received
g.. but thai ia contents were made known to
me by Commonweslth's-AuO DrewTy.
Dad Robert Brittle tell the truth. The whole
truth, aud nothing but the truth z Did be
neither add TO nor take from anything be
may know q! his own knowledge or what
was told bimf Was there. could there have
i,esn, any motive powerful enough TO state
upon his oath things 20 aggrayallng against
Carleton Marks A. was the evidence which he
gave iny
In bis msnuer on the stand certainly there
wss nothing which would cause close OBJ
server 10 doubt his sincerity. He bears an
she prisoner were algsys OF the iriendhest
one Of the most prominent men IN the
county, a gentleman OF unblemlshed Charac-
ser, said o. lnc that the idea OF toe fatal let
ter was not conceived until after ID. 4. Msrks
returned from Richmond OF the Monday
might preceding the homicide; that the let.
Ger was written By Judge Shelton between
10 sud IA O'Clock that night; that II was not
Intended 10 De delivered by any one but Or.
Ievauey, and that T. ". Lvnch's assO-
citation with the later ~ that mission
was altogether an ofterthought % which
even Judge shelton did not know anything
until nearly Two weeks after the shooting.
There was no thought Of n letter prior 10 ID.
a. Marks's and Dr. Deyaucy's visit to Rich
nODd-iuGeed, after Mrs.. Marks had ~
formed her husband OF Salies disclosures
respecting Balm, having fret eXacted the
promise ttst ha would take no action until
otter consultation with Judge shelton. Act
ing upon tDlt promise, NY informant said,
Marks went TO JUDGE shelton, told him the
terrible story related by >allie 10 her mother
snd declared that he would Kill Balm on
sight. Judge shelton not only pleaded with
Marks Lot 10 commit violence, but u Judge
ci tue County Court he bound hun over TO
keep the Irsce towards Balm. Judge Shelton
urged MARKS 10 suppress The matter, 10 tell no
one further about ~ but Marks stated that he
lad ALREADY told two other friends. Ii was
then thai tie trip TO Richmond was decided
upOu. Marks left with Or. DeVsney for
Richmond on Mohday morning sod returned
that nich; al $ O'CLOCK, when Judge shelton
gnet them ~ the depot. DIR. DeNaney told
Judge Shelton Of the Richmond Judges sug-
Cestious, and the Judge wrote the letter ex-
cspt the inter cation, leaving Il when tn
isbed upon hN desk, whence II was after
wards taken by Dr. Deyaney and Dir. Marks.
40 TRAGFDY EXPECTED.
No one, said ny lniormsnt. dreamed that
4bat letier would lead to = tragedy. ON the
cOntl.gy. y was Judge SheitOu's idea tbst It
would read 10 conference between the
friends Of The party accused aud the party
deemfnc himself aggrieved which would re-
suit IN semc satisfactory settlement.
Such is TIE history Of the letter as-sO it Is
asseried-it viii be uufolded on the witness
stand "a contradiction OF she testimony OF
Robert Brittle. Another curious statement
Vas made 10 ne by the same gentleman. lie
eaid that there was now AZ the Courthouse
witness summoned by the prose cuuOn, but
not put 90 the stand because 1t was ascer-
tanned that be bad tola two or three friends,
some three weeks before the homicide, that
Lain had confessed ~ niIn that be had made
40 attempt 81 assault upon salhe Marks.
These are SOME Of The features OF this uD-
fortunate affair, from which It may be
Judged hon feeling must be stirred up
among The friends Of two families, both Of
which stand among the best IA The county.
The hope ha, been INDUCED that the evi-
dencc 10 the case might all be In 10y io-mor-
row night, bus at this writing l am some
what dubious on That point. Besides the re-
examination Of Dr.. Nicholson, 10 which re-
ferred m ytsterdayss dispatches, II is learned
there will be pui upon the stand medical
expert 40 the IeTsOn VI Dr George Ben.
Jo8uston, Of Richmond. who Is expected 10
demollsh Or. N,cbols0n's theory Of how the
wouod 10 BANS lace was inflicted. We all
know from tue LaDgsi0n trisi that no fellow
rau tell iust ho~ long medieal-expett testI-
uony may be spun out.
jig KANSoN-AGAIN.
Jim Esrsom, ID. A. Marks's colored seryi-
Cor. occupied the attention Of The court du-
Ying Last nights session. Indeed, II may be
hsid taai be held toe attention OF everybody
su tbs f.frFf- rg.t. g.r his odd manner lis