Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-17

/ HAN ohcN.u utfNA ""At'
HIS PURSE WE'LL FII.LED.
Mrs. wilkinson testified that while
| Nicholas was staying at her house after his
Misunderstanding with Mills she kept his
| pocket book for him. On the day of his
| arrest ne got 1t from her. She said the
purse had $3.50 IN IL. The jury asked her
/ II she had counted the money. She re-
| piled that she bad not, but that the ao-
| cused told her this was the amount. The
4 old lady's memory doubtless failed her
I here, for when Nicholas was arrested he
brought TO Richmond with him pocket
| book containing $l07. IL was very natural
mistake. as there was IN both numbers.
| She told the jury that when Nicholas re-
| turned home after tho drowning Mrs. Mills
saw him several hundred yards away be-
| fore he reached the farm. and rushed into
! her cottage eXclaimlng, My husband is
| drowned /" The prosecution think they
/ have gained point from this statement.
| They maintain that the accused was so far
away at the time that Mrs. Mills could not
| have seen that he was wet. They ask this
| question: If she couldn't have seen the
water dripping from his clothing, how
| could she have known or guessed that her
| husband was drowned?"
THE BED-sLAT SLIPPED.
| II was long after midnight before the
| jury finished examining their witness.
1
| what she thought was her inability to give
the evidence clearly. She was treated with
| the greatest respect by all the gentlemen,
| and the examination was a very dignifled
| one, with only one incident TO mar its So
| lemnity. While Squire Rugg was sitting
| o1 the bed (chairs Were scarce here
| too one of the Stats slipped and the
| officer. in all his magsterial grandeur, col
| lapsed. The heat from the big log fire
| almost roasted the occupants of the room,
| but whom they left the house the cold
night air made shlyers creep down their
backs.
TIE JURY IL CONFERENCE.
| Mrs. Wilkinson was the last witness eX-
amued, and after receiving her testimony
| the jury adjourned to the room in which
| the inquest was held and were in cOnsulta-
| tioD for nearly An hour. Their session was
| held with closed doors, and SO the law
| yers, reporter, and other satellites had the
| pleasure of breathing the morning air on
! the outside under the canopy of heaven.
| II was very cold and what was worse several
| of the excluded citizens had left Richmond
! in the morning without explaining their
mission TO their respective wives, but this
| didn't hurry the Jury. The crowd IN the
| yard could see them leisurely arguing,
| talking, aud smoking. and. to make mat
| ters worse, Walter Grant would occasion
! ally stick his head ou. and say, IN most
| aggrayating tones: Don't Worry. gentle
| men; it's very comfortable IN hCe."
When the verdict came at last it stated
| that the two deceased met their death
| from drowning, which resulted from
| auger-holes bored in the boat by Nicholas.
| This vas polite way of stating that the
| Jury believed from the evidence given that
| the accused murdered his companions.
SEINE or TIE TRAGEDY.
| All of the principals in the affair reside
/ at the old Wlckham place, which sets on
| sort Of hill. There are the usual number
OF out-houses On the premises and liberal
/ supply OF corn-husks and shucks per-
| vading everything. together with few
/ PIGS to look after the waste. If Nicholas
| hadn't been arrested he would have had q
| good dinner Christmas. for he has a sDlen-
| did flock of turkeys which have happy
| faculty Of putting themselves up until
| they almost burst open. These fowls roost
| III the tree near the rear of the house.
Tho animal kingdom was further repre-
: sented by a gOoCly number OF chickens,
! hound-dogs, and several hives Of bees.
| The place whore the drowning occurred
| is known as Tuckahoe Island, though 1t
| requires a little stretch of the imagination
| to consider 1t as surrounded by water
| On one side of the place runs the river, a
| deep, sluggish stream fringed with heavy
timber, while the rest of the low
! grounds Is divided off by the bed
| of a creek, now dry. At the point
! where the supposed murder took
/ place the river IS at least 200 yards wide,
| and on "a still day .heIe Is not ripple IN
| the water. IN fact. the region, LOOKING
| across from the HenrIco side, Is positively
| wild. The banks OF the James river where
| Nicholas said he landed are very steep and
| covered with thick growth of brlers.
/ The surrounding country used TO be q
| great resort for hunters. but the natives
say there Is very little game IN the yclnlty
| now. Occasionally a skunk or coon per-
| ishes at the hands OF some gunner, and
| there are hundreds Of feld-larks III the
| low-gTounds
| A few days ago w. VI. Harris, a boy about
| Is wears of age, discovered handful OF
| corn buried IN the ground while ploughlng
| in the field near the place where the
| drowning occurred. The officers think that
! uossibly the man VINO bored the holes IN
| the boat and stopped them with the GODS
! hid the gram there, but the defence could
! easily raise the argument that the gram
was hidden there by some animal. More
! over. there is great deal Of shelled corn
! lying around loose N the low-grounds.
DIRECTLY DEFoRE THE GRAND JURY.
! Nicholas will not have a preliminary eX-
! animation before any of the magistrates
| of tht county. In former years he could
| have demanded one, but recently the law
| mas been changed, and now The Common
weaIth's ATTORNEY can take the case d.
| rectly before the grand jury: Ims BODY
| will meet next Tuesday and Mr.. Sands has
| indicated his intention to lay the matter
| before them. lie had this idea IN view
| while he was conducting the inquest ana
! therefore took great pains III having the
| evidence correctly written out. lie thihhs
| he can establish the guilt of the prisoner
| THE PRISONER Will NOT TALK.
If koeping quiet will save Nicholas he
! will certainly be acquitted, for he posi-
| tlyelv declines TO discuss his case ana re-
fuses 10 talk with reporters. tie was VISIT
| ed at the jail by a representative or the
| DIspATcu Yesterday but kept his tea-
| tures closed" and was inclined to be IN
| dIgnant because the scribe wanted 10 In
| teryiew him. The reporter waited at the
| Grated cate which separates the prisoners
| from the outer ward until the accused was
| sent for. When the prisoner came up the
| cil-pusher asked hlm It he had read tIe
| evidence lot the inquest when was pup
! hshed in the DISPATCH. NlchoIas salu 'na'
| he had. IT,. :.
| the biSt?" queried the scribe.
| . have said all Pm going 10 about the
| case - rephed the accused, and with that
! Mr. Richardson asserts that Nicholas
will certainly get off. He says that II inc
accused had been drowned and Mills saved
the evidence against the latter would nave
been lar stronger than that against the
| prisoner. "
Percy Greg's history was caustically re-
viewed by a correspondent in our last sun,
davis issue. Tomorrow distinguished
Vireinian takes up the cudgeis for Greg
! and sharply criticises the critic.
Typographical Union. No. 90.
| Al regular meeting Of Richmond TYPO
| graphlcal Union No. 90, held last nght, lno IV'-
i.vinr nricers Mere elecLed for the enf .lhg Eear