The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-11-18

Some time before court convened
yesterday morning the Hastings Court
room was filled with spectators, drawn
there through interest in the riot cases
that were under consideration. The
sergeant announced that the grand jury
was adjourned until Monday.
Counsel resumed argument on the
plea OF abatement entered by the de-.
Tense, and the matter was deferred
until o'clock In the afternoon.
The case of D. n. Mitchell. which was
set for yesterday, was called and the
following jury from Lynehburg called
up: w. q. Coleman, Robert Schank, e.
8. Thornhill, G. A. Mckinney, w. P.
Dillon, l.. G. E6inger, w. l.. Norman,
w. r. Claibourne and j. N. Moon. The
case was postponed until Monday, No.
vember 81, and the jury was ordered to
return at that time.
In deciding that the grand jury was
legal one, Judge Woods said:
upon an inspection of that portion
Of tho records Of the court entered at its
October, 1893, term, setting forth the
organization OF the special grand jury
summoned for said term, it appearing
to the court that said record doth not
fully set forth all the facts, the court
doth, upon its own motion. amend said
record in accordance with the facts
which facts are sworn to by r. FL.
Wright, deputy sergeant, in the pres
ence of the court, as we'll as being in
the knowledge of the court itself It is
therefore ordered that said record be
amended and the following order en-
tered nune pro tune as of this date, Oc-
tober term. 1893.
"The nine grand jurors ordered to be
sum moned as special grand jury at
the September, 1898, term of this court
appearing, and Charles Lunsford being
excused by the court by reason of being
over 60 years of age, and G. l.. Stevens
being excused by reason of sickness, a
venire facias was directed to be issued
summoning j. o. Hobbs and j. f. Wing.
field, whose names were furnished by
the judge of the court to servo on the
special grand jury, and on being re-
turned executed upon j. o. Hobbs. but
not upon J. F. Wingfield, he not being
found in said city, and j. o. Hobbs duly
appearing, A. M. Nelson, foreman; John
| D. Carr. G. r. Henderson, J. o. Hobbs,
r. L. Boswell, w. I. Thomson, A. j.
Davis and G. G. Shockey, were duly
sworn special grand jury for the body
OF the city OF Roanoke, who having re-
ceived the charge retired to their room
to consider the indictments"
The following jury was impanelled to
try the case: G. T. Lukens, w. M.
Wood, j. W. Lake. R. A. Houl, j. Il.
Overstreet, R. Il. Waugh, Joseph Shelor,
W. D. Lewis, T. B. Wade, Lanier GRAY
V. r. Green and w. A. Caldwell
The case for the nroaQcutfOp uoo
briefly stated by Roy B. Smith, and for
James q. Richardson by A. B. Pugh and
for the other prisoners by Brand & Stat
ford and Edward Lyle.
The trial of the accused persons,
Walter Davis, D. D. Kennedy, A. Perry,
Thomas Burt. James G. Richardson, S.
w. Fuqua and Brown Myers, under the
Indictment charging them with INSIDE
meanor, was taken up.
The following witnesses were sworn
in and asked to retire from the room:
j. @. Wallace, j. B. Traynham, w. B.
Mahoney. Geo. r. Dyer, M. c. Morris,
w. G. Baldwin, w. G. Aiken. L. John
son, A. 81. Griffin, w. j. Rigney. 8. Fl.
Groves, G. Organ. j. FL. Williams, G. f.
Sisler, Z. FL. Gold, j. G. Rawn, w. E.
Schanks 81. c. Norman, Geo. q. Ligh,
Geo. FL. Dyer, j II. Walthall, P. Lockett.
G. @. Smith, j. L. Curtin, E. e. White,
w. P. Moomaw, R. B. Norman, C. C.
Watson, j. T. Austin, e. K. Woodward,
w. j. Ammet, M. II. G. Gordan, j. c.
Davenport
The first witness introduced was Will
liam e. Baldwin, who stated that the
first ne saw of James G. Richardson on
the night OF the riot was in the hard
ware store of Nelson & Myers. Saw him
five or six times that night. Heard him
address crowds in an incendiary manner
and tell them to break open the hard
ware stores and plocure guns and dyna-
mite and kill the soldiers and blow up
the jail. He also saw d. D. Kennedy
and heard him tell the crowd to dispense
in small gangs to search the town and
lind the negro. He also heard Mr.. Rich
ardson say that Mayor Trout ought also
to be hung.
who testified that Richardson headed
the attack made on the Jail. Saw My
ers in the hall Of the courthouse and on
the street, and heard him making decla-
rations.
Sergeant j. B. Traynham was then
placed on the stand. He described how
the soldiers and officers were stationed
and also the attack on the jail. He did
not see any OF the accused until after
the firing. After that he saw Brown
Myers In the jail looking for the pris.
oner. There were twenty-five OF them.
Mr.. Richardson also went through the
jail, and demanded of him to open all
the cells that he might see IL the pris-
oner had been removed. He couldn't
recall the words used. but he was max
ing threats against the prisoner. and
said they were determined to hang the
prisoner.
S. w. Fuqua came to the jail inouir-
ing after Thnmaa Smith and annaad