Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-03
TIE HENRIco coURT-HoUsE.


thorn I'm The bod, rolitIc Is yet a source
Of W0nd-rment anu pride 10 the thousands
who voted to build II. without any present
or future hope of being able In taxes or
otherwise to contribute q cent towards
the expense incurred. Perhaps, the Hen
rico opponents OF a new cOurt-house have
been Wondering ths lesson conveyed by
the cltys magnificent new temple OF JUS
tiCo. etc.
\ committee has been appointed by the
County Court To enquir- into the neeas-
sity for and cost Of a new courthouse
for the county, and il is understood 10 De
empowered to make final recommenda-
lions Dro and con. Some information
about the Henrlco court-hOuse may be VI
nr.s,nt interest TO the readers Of the Dis
match. Very considerably over "A century
ago such builling-the iirst-vas 10
Gated al Narlna, on the James, some
ten or more miles below this city. the
then capital of the county. which, as
thfngs went in those days. Was u conild-
erabIe settlement. with some public spirit
and enterprise and many bis expectations
over 100 years since, the courthouse
iau. etc. of Ilenrico was removed 10
Richmond. b. accident Of location the
courthouse was placed partly IN twenty
second street az the corner or Main. 10
remedy this defect, in 1855, the building
was taken down and re-erected on thr
iau lot southwest corner OF twenty
second and Main Mr.. isaac n. Godulh
was the contractor, and the new bulIlihs
cost about $500 IL was joined on 10
bullding already on the lot. The mate
rlals we're Of brick, the style "tcclau
temple. with four pillars in front ana the
size about 4jxG0 feet. II was a neat put
not gaudy edlhce.
This building was destroyed by ilre on
April 3. 1866. and was rebuilt ana irst oc-
cuped in June, 1851, when justice y%onn %
Nettles held an examination on 'eloi
phillips. charged with wife-murder.
Other trials held in the Old court,house
were as follows: Mary Anderson 'co'oIe"''
convioted OF sundry cases OF house-plih-
~ and sentenced TO be hanged. This
yyas in Reconstruction times. UNDERWOOD
acting as United states Judge hai Ihe
,,risoner before him. and discharged her'
After this lanes /. l.ittlepa2e, OF hhs
William county, was tired ioI lois~
The accused was prosecutor by a. W
,rbo,nas and defended by T.. j. DOugiass
Iohn Il. Young, George i. Ha~, l.. u.
Montague. and Lemuel Hart OF west
Point. Prisoner was first tfled ana con-
yicted in King William, ana carried III,
case TO the Supreme Court VINO oiaH'ea
n new trial, wnen the case was removed
IN Henrico on a change OF venue. 1he
cCr,,erv alleged against Littlepagc was
nern.trated i'm the shape Of paper writ
inge alleged TO be signed by one Miiis,
deceased. and which prisoner attempted
To utter through the connlNance or the
widow. on his Henrico trial Minor was
.Iudge. ana prisoner was convicted on
his appeal Judge Wexford, Of the Circuit
Court. awarded a new trial, IN whicn ne
WAS also convicted and sent 10 the peni-
tentlary for two years. All the counsel
that appeared Tor the prisoner, except
George T. Haw, are now dead Ater ms
first conviction IN hehiico deishuaht
claimed TO be stricken with dumbness,
and this pretence he kept up for six
ronths AFTER his last trial I.ittlepage
arnI,fd IN Governor kemper for par
don on the ground OF his atfiiction. IL
annaar, that Kemper must have had deal
inss previously with deaf people for his
Evcellency sent the penitentldry physi-
ci,r and a posse OF doctors 10 the county
taii 70 examine the deaf man. and taking
Tittlepage into one OF the jury-rooms
cove him ether. when his dumbness left
him. He refused TO marry the Widow
Mills afterwards.
Tn 1877 Crawford Alley, from the upper
,,art NJ Ueurico, was tried for felonious
asss,lt on a female. IL was very ex- ,
citinr case. prosecuted by G. W. Thomas
~ rhostain White and defended by
o. n wise and j. Il. Young. The con-
',,c,io, was for simple assault. with a Z
iail sentence.
In 1855 Barbara Miller and Charles II. 4
7 90 (coloree) were tried for numbering the =
husband OF the former, near Hungary. \
tong trial ended in their getting Lee hang
ed in August and Miller In September. (
1883.
David Anderson tcolorei. In 1856, was
tried fer felonious assault on Rev. VIII
liam III. Hall and wife. After conviction
the Sunreme Court allowed a new trial.