The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-18
AGRAYSON MURDER
ON TRTAL FOR ms LfFE WITHOUT
WITNESSES TO 7HE CRIME.
Judge padgetts First Experience on the
Bench-A Handsome Residence
Burned without Insurance.

INDEPENDENCE. VA. Jan iI-Spe-
cial.-COunty Court adjourned Ncohts-
day after having tried the cause OF lne
CommonwcaIih against C. l.. Cox, Tor
the kiiliLg OF John Roberts on 'Hc .v 80,
day Of July last. on Potato creek, al .,l S
county 1he trial lasted seven days, ana
attracted large crowds from uilcTeh'
sections Of the county -.
The State was represented by my ~
torncy for the Commonwealth anu Juusc
jackson. OF Wythevinc, while the de-
fedant was represented by Captain kob-
crt Crockett, of WytheVille; AieNanaeT
Dickinson. OF Marion, and MesSfs. IaI-
son a Carico. Cornett, Perkins, Cox
Fulton. and Bourne. OF The local bar.
The State was ably represented ana so
was the defendant
Tho history of the crime which is al
legged 10 have been committed by Cox
MAS published some time ago IN your
paper. but for fear that some OF your
readers have forgotten the circumstances
j will briefly refer 20 It, -
About the ist day of July last G. T..
Cox. a mineral man. came from sugar
Grove. Snlyth county (at when -IdtS
he had succeeded in discovering a lcsu
mime. by Invitation 10 TINS county 10
prospect on the Farms OF Mr. kchaiu
Halsey aud others. VINO reside on fotato
creek. Mr.. Cox took board with Mr.. ita'
sey, and al once set about 10 prosDcc
on the farms i'm the vicinity he iouHu
lead on the lands OF Mr. EnOch Hash.
On the 10Th OF July Cox. IN co 9.atpal,,
with Jimmy Halsey, a son OF ilcnia."
IIAsey. went 10 Piney Creek Dost-oilc,'
and returned by way OF the Govern
ment distillery. which IS situated heaiy
on the Virginia and North CaIoilsa m M,
AS Cox and Halsey came up 10 ne ~
tillery warehouse it seems that hooeits
walked up 10 Cox. saying. Nou are ~,
very d--n man L am l9rklns ~. IN
and Roberts had never met beloie m
a few minutes Roberts invited Cox Dehihu
the house and said:
A NEGOTIATION.
Il understand that you have two goou
pistols Let me see them. hin,
Cox handed one OF The pistols 10 nm.
and Ronerts handled IL 80 cdfei'ssiy mat
Cox saiu. BE careful. anc took me
cartridges out In little while ROBERTS
handed me pistol b3ck 10 - az" -
went 80 the front of the buluihE IN
short time Roberts invited Cox behind the
house again and asked. Nhat II yvui
business hercT' Cox said, II am MN
eral man. Roberts answered, on
know that YOU are not mineral maj
but a woLll-he detective. Tnert IS a re-
ward haHglug over my htdu, anu VIII
be d--n II any tcnder-toot can come IN
the front OF the building. Cox IN a snort
time started mp the road toward klchaiV
Halsey's. Roberts followed. Ihey sot
together and walked up the mn slHr -.
side. When they got up the road abOu'
2JO yards Roberts, the defendant says'
slipped his hand In his inside coat pocket
took his pistol ont and put II ia his pants
pocket after he mad done TINS ne salu
10 Cox II dropped my pistol back !on-
der in The grass, pick IL up for me. COZ
said. NO YOU didn't. l saw you put IL
in your pants pocket.
Al this Roberts said "No. d-n you,
didn't drop it, Here 1t Is. whipping il
out OF his pocket. ,,....
down at the warehouse. some 80 yaius
of, say that they saw Cox ana ttobeTts
separate. that Cox ran mp tne nv lC
ward Mr. Halscy's. and that kOhertt
ran down the hill toward the warehouse,
and as he ran they saw something bllbbl
flash in the sunlight. which they TOOK
Roberts got 10 the gate. some go yards
from the warehouse, anQ turned que
west 20 a large white oak tree where
they suppose ne stopped.
Cox went 10 Ira Halseys and asker
him for a horse 10 20 L. Marion Ira tOlu
him that he had none that ne c0nlu
spare. Cox then asked where DICK faI-
sey was. and on being told that ne was
over at the lower bottom. which Hes JUST
below the disullery on the east Cox
started over 10 the bottom 10 see MN.
lie took the near way. A wagon hauilns
shingles from a point Just east of the
distillery to the barn OF Ira Halsey' let
Halsey's Tor another load Of shingles
sufficient time before Cox. so that the
driver. another man with the team, ana
Cox reached the top OF the hill near the
same time. The two men say ihdi Cox
looked OH both sides OF the ROAD, ilat
they looked. too, and II any one iad been
at the tree where The witnesses staining
at the warehouse said that Roberts nau
stopped they would IN all probability
have seen him. Cox followed the wagon
until il got 10 the warehouse, where lie
was asked about the trouble in the woods,
above mentioned, about an hour before.
lie replied that Roberts tried 10 KIN hin'
and If he did IL again he would XIII him,
or something 10 this effect Cox found
that Dick Halsey had LEFT the lower bot
tom. and he started back across the hili
60 get his dinner. AS ne opened the gate
Roberts VINO was about ten steps 10 the
west. said. Come here, Cox. let's make
friends" Cox replied. Certainly. 4 am
always willing TO do a thing Of this
Roberts was on his knees. his right hama
between his right thigh and right leg,
and his left hand between his left thigh
lie said to COX. Give me your right
hand" and when Cox extended IL Rob
erts jumped 10 his feet, jerking his pistol
from between his right thigh ana leg,
saying Now, d-n YOU have got you.
Cox knocked mp the pistol and fred at
Roberts twice in quick succession; then
walked out 10 the gate and halloaed for
those at the still-house 10 come up there;
then back toward the body 10 see If u
was alive. then back 10 the road and over
10 Ira Halseys where he told what he
This was about o'clock IN the evening
That night he went TO Smyth county and
negotiated fer surrcndering TO the alf-
thoriies His reasons for going here Were,
as he stated, 80 that he would be among
his friends.
The nearest tNt-WithcSoc9 10 the klllilS
were $50 yards off ana were not able 10
testify as TO what actually took place.
The prisoner himself being the only one
TO testify on this point
The Jury took the case at . o'clock
TUESDAY evening, and were discharged
Wednesday morning. having failed 10
agree This case VIII De retired at the
March term
This was the first time that Judge Pad
gett ever held court, he having been re-
Gently appointed TO the position by the
Legislature. lie presided with fairness
and ability.
The handsome residence OF Captain X.
O. Bourne, four miles east Of this place,
was DESTROYED 10y fire Tuesday night.
The fire caught IN one of the upstairs
rooms and spread rapidly. Furniture and
an went up I'm the flames, nothing was
saved. The loss Is estimated at four or
Ave thousand dollars no insurance.
sPOTSyLJ4NIi BRIDGE BONDS.
IL. A.Il