Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-04-21
TRAGEDY
~, trial Of Nary Abernathy Begun
Yesterday.
, potL.nD on THE STAND.
,-.lis of Ills Troubles with me
.,ompsons-The Question or Hc-
co,eriux the M"ney-A severe
naturalization.

c-o.s-ENRnination.
,,,pvv1LLE. VA, April @.-(Spe-
..',' .rsc Aprll term Of Prince Edward
--. commenced to-day at half-past 10
..,,.k. h.s Honor. Judge J. NJ crute'
,., bspcb. The hours Of the forenoon
oorsumed receiving a number Of
.,rents from the grand jury.
p. VAS very generally known that the
,, ~ Mary Abernathy, one OF the
-, vomen charged with completely in
~. ,.Brder of Mrs. Lucy Jane Pollard,
.,, iith day OF last June. would not
allied before the afternoon session,
,,. courthouse was crowded TO the
.-, almost Of suffocation by the
--,es who are allowed one half %
o.. rsom outside the bar railing, from
.ts time the doors were opened until
.t.v we're closed for the dinner hour.
,.,.-s was not very large crowd Of
.,.e psopie in attendance owing 10
o.. t.sy season with the farmers.
s.,.tly after the arrival OF the mid
J,y traln court was opened for the after
,,,. session. There were present Judges
,g.t..as and Mann, Mr.. II. q. Southall,
..s C5mmouwealth's-At Neblett,
.r f5~ the prosecution, and. Judge II.
"a Folraoy and Captain George ID.
Wise cf the defence.
AZ the time Of opening Of court Solo
man Naable. Mary Abernathy, and
p.key Barnes were seated before the
,er solomon had been brought into
.r-t in Conformity with the law re-
5erne his presence when any motion
Mas % be made bearing upon his case.
somons attorney, Mr.. Lancaster,
asked the Court to postpone the time Of
hearing q motion for a new trial for his
client Marabe until next Saturday. This
was readily granted by the Court, and
yarsole taken back 10 jail.
AN ABSENT WITNESS.
The Court then asked If the gentlemen
r,ir,sentiug both sides of the Mary Aber-
fa,hy case were ready. Captain Wise
asked that the witnesses be called before
Entering upon the case. This was done,
and finding that Grace Knight did not
lssr01d when her name was called, Cap
un Wise informed the Court that it
vosI Dol impossible for the defence to
g. into the trial Of Pokey Barnes without
ibis witness.
Captain Wise thought 1t best that this
witness be sent for In time for the trial
G, PoFey Captain Wise then stated that
d. would not be willing TO 30 into the
trial OF Nary Alternately unless coun-
eel " the other side would consent 10 ad-
ri, the written statement Of Mrs. Pattie
iaiturs. whose present illness prevented
Der answering the summons TO come.
Judge Mann said he could only tell
whether or not the prosecution would ad-
ur Mrs Bradburg's statement after II
w1s seen Captain Wise Immediately pro-
Elced the written statement and the
.osusa on the side Of the prosecu-
ton readily consented TO allow 1t TO 90
90 The fury. AS soon as this was settled
the Clerk begun 90 empanel the jury
from tic vsuire NJ sixteen, as follows:
w. s. McGfaW. T. +. Hunt. S. J. Allen,
T.. UIfCheT. \. r. Illon, G H. Dickinson,
Z H Anderson. W. K. Moore. W. Il.
lrfarl. George BOoke. Douglas Brown,
= q. Cary. j. II. Young ). W. Chick.
o.. j. u Carter. and j. $. Carter.
Tie usual questions were propounded
,y the court and then they were turned
,F,- 90 Captain Wise, who asked each
, ,ra s.garately II he had been reading
shout tle case, or had formed any sort of
opinion as 90 %.
Nearly every one Of them said he had
tal reports Of the crime. and Of the
,r.cous trials. but that he could sit
% this case unbiased and unprejudiced,
giving the prisoner fair and impartial
r.al Messrs. Wise and Flournoy went
,lt 0f TIE courtroom for a few minutes
b consult as 20 the four names 10 be
trTIcl from the list, and when they
filmed the following gentlemen were
'oil 90 stand aside. ". 4. McGraw, $. J.
allen j. Butcher and Douglas Brown.
The jury Was then duly sworn. Mary
ttsuttv was told 10 stand up, while
'.rF Thsckston read the indictment and
De charge 90 The jury. Mary showed no
l.-rs n emotion when the Indictment
charging her with the awful crime was
f-li The examination of witnesses was
ttD begun.
Nr e. S Pollard was the first put
uI.s tte stand Mr.. Southall asked him
90 tel al' he knew about the murder of
Dis wife BE said be had made an engage
utrt o. meet some parties on the lfth day
a. June at one OF his plantations at s
oHa,k n The morning. on his arrival
there DE- met Mr. Dump" Thompson,
,re ~ bis tenants.
Captain Wise: What Thompson?
Witness. Dump" Thompson
Captain Wise: Was that David James
thompson?
.Ewess. No sir. 1t was his brother
believe
WANTED HIS MONEY.
Then the witness was told TO continue
ts account II the murder. Said he: Il
iss-i him CThompson) for some money;
ae owed me $50. He replied that he did
h.t have it ] asked him to give me a
BOND he said he did not have time ]
ta him ! had plenty OF blank bonds In
uy pocket. and be had better take time.
T ] would turn the account over TO an
ih'er for collection"
w. Pollard thon went on 10 say how
~ rs way % his plantation he passed
through the premises Of Mr.. w. G.
thompson. and the latter came out and
t-net hm about a path. and came near
'rArs him. He then went on over 20
lf plantation. and met SIR. Clements and
Euu1gk with whom he transacted
f's business and gave the former a war
t-Li to serve on Dump Thompson for
ne So which was due him. He invited
.nt Clements 20 come over and take
ui1ar With him which Clements did
t.'r serving the warrant on Thompson.
Aitr o1ner himself. his wife, and Mr.
'lnetis sat on the front porch After
~ "ttii' MIS-. lplldIu ad'i Shc Was
t''f over 20 the store 20 exchange some
',i. ana be must ring the bell II he
'ei Per- After Mrs. Pollard left wit
Io' went out In the garden with Mary
ntiHe io 60 some work. About
.D,E he went back to the house after
'e snaps 20 replant with. While there
i'nf the bell for his wife. "As !
t N1cS % the garden" continued the
i'f. Il heard some talking out there
4 "o|hg through the palings / saw
was Mary Abernathy talking 10
m,.Y Barnes. said. What is