Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-19
CURIOUS MISTRTAL.
ELEVEN FOR coNvcTIoN-oNs Ne
GRO HANGS THE JURY.
An Interesting C.se--Ths Ago at which Z
Child Can Tcstify-Church Fssss
broken Up by Rowdisa

Correspondence Of tho Richmond Dispatch.l
PETERSBURG. Va. July is.-In the hust-
ings Court to-day. Judge Ingram, OF Man.
chester, presiding, the case of tho COM
monwealth rs. John Davis Harris (coloredD,
indicted for attempt to commit crimi-
nal assault, was tried. The main witness
was Mamie Freeman, girl about nine
wears of age, who was the alleged VIC
tim of the assault. Objection was made
to her testimony by the defence
on the ground that her age. render
ed. her incompetent TO testify. ms was
oyerruied by the Court. The jury failed
to agree on q verdict, and after being seve-
raj times sent back to their room were dis-
charged from the further consideration or
the case 1t is understood that eleven or
the Jurors were for conviction and tor an
Imprisonment of three years In tho pcni-
Tertiary, and one, colored man, Tor &C
quittal. He hung the jury to the last.
CHILD AS WITNESS.
The most interesting case IN the court
to-day was that OF James A. Winfree. q citi-
zen of Chesterfield county. indicted for
the larceny of $40 from the person OF e
child named Vernon A. Wells, aged six
years. In the first place counsel for the
accused demurred to the first count OF the
indictment on the ground OF irregularity
in that il did not conclude with the words:
Against the peace and dignity Of the
Commonwealth The demurrer was sus-
tanned bv tho Court. and the first count
was therefore quashed. A general
demurrer was then entered against
the second count, but this was
overruled. Nearly two hours time
was consumed in arguing the question OF
the competency of the little boy. Vernon
Bell from whom the money 10 alleged TO
havo been stolen. The little boy was care
fully questioned by the Commonweaith,s-
Attorney, as well as by the counsel for the
defence, and was then called up to the
side of the presiding judge, who
gave him fatherly examination, and who
finally decided that the little fellow was
a competent witness. apparently knew
little about the nature OF an oath or about
the meaning of perjury, but no told VINO
made him and who made the world, and 10
how many days it was made. lie also tod
the Judge that people who spoke hes would
go to tho bad and those who told
the truth would 90 to Heaven. Coun.
sel for the defence noted an excor.
zion TO his admission a. q witness. The
little fellows story. briefly told. was that
his mother gave him a $40 note to have
changed. She put it in an envelope ana
pinned it inside bis jacket. lie went into
a store where the proprietor, after open
ING the envelope and finding he could not
change the note. pinned it again TO his
Jacket. The boy SAYS that the accused. who
was there. followed him out IN the street
aud took the money from him, saying that
he could change it. He did not afterwards
see the prisoner until brought into. court.
When asked if he could identity the pris.
oner the little fellow left his seat, walked
through the crowd and, placing his hand
on Winfree's shoulder, said: Ihls Is the
man."
When the court met this evening. coun-
sci for Winfree found out that all their
witnesses had left the city, and AFTER con-
sulting submitted motion to Withdraw u
Juror and continue the case until some
later day of the term. This motion atLer
some argument was oyerruled by the
Court. The case was given TO the Jury
about 7 7. NJ. who after an absence OF an
hour rendered verdict Of guilty or petit
larceny. and fixed his term of imprlson-
ment at six months in the city jan.
BREAKING UP CHURCH FEAST.
Three negroes were arraigned In the
MAYORS Court this morning charged with
breaking up O feast held in the yard OF the
Third (colored) Baptist church for the pur-
nose of raising funds for the church. The
witnesses could not identify the accused,
but they declared that benches were over
turned while women were sitting upon
them. rocks and bricks were thrown, and
n pistol was fired. which drove tho women
and children from the yard. One girl was
struck on the head and badly hurt, ana
several of the others barely escaped in-
iuries. The Mayor continued the cases
g.. f,,rt b avtHanpA
REVENUE COLLECTIONS
The internal revenue collections In this
district for the week ending to-day were
as follows: Manufactured tobacco, S2l,-
667.5l: cigars and cigarettes. Sl4.O52.gJ;
special taxes, $l,O77.0S; lists, Sl.O4-total,
$685. 1856.
PERSONAL AND GENERAL.
Mrs. General bearing, of Lynchbure: is
in the city. attending the bedside OF her
sisters husband, Mr.. John j. Campbell,
who is critically i'll.
Mr.. Hugh Cousins, secretary of the
Young Mems Christian Association, Is very
i'll at his residence on High street with
typhoid-fever.
Mr. X. W. Lynch, one OF our most re-
spected citizens, Is seriously Ill with jaun-
dice.
Charles Ross, a shoemaker on Halifax
street. accidentally fell in his shop this
morning. His arm struck the blade or q
knife and he was badly cut.
At the recent meeting of the Sussex
County Alliance the action of the Lynch
burg meeting regarding railroad freights
and looking to the election of railroad
commission by the next Legislature was
endorsed.
The sales Of loose tobacco this week
were very light, but the inspections were
quite large, as usual.
The Petersburg Grays Captain F. X.
Iassiter. left tonight for tho State en-
campment at Wrightsville, n. q. The
equipped for the trip, and they expect to
have an ENJOYABLE time.