Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-17
JAMERsON CONVICTED.
One Of Three Persons Charged With
Arson Found Guilty.

One of Three Persons Charged With
Arson Found Guilty.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
FAIRFAX c. H.. Va, August 10. 1897.
Edward Jamerson, one of the three men
under Indictment for burning the barn be-
longing to Constant Ponnet, near Alexan-
dria, was tried today and found guilty.
He was sentenced to seven years in the
penitentiary.
1t was half-past 1 o'clock before the
grand jury was through with It's work,
after which those indicted were arraigned
and time for their trial set. When the
Jamerson case was called it was nearly 3
o'clock. The crowd in the court room had
been interested spectators of the morning S
proceedings, but the chief attraction was
in the arson cases, and when Edward
Jamerson was brought in and the jury i'm
paneled the throng crowded around the
bar. The interest in this case was largely
due to the fact that a great deal of the
evidence which would be adduced in the
other cases would be brought out in the
first.
Mr.. c. V. Ford, the commemorative at
torney, in his opening statement, gave to
the jury description of the lay of the
land in the locality of the crime, and then
went over the evidence he expected to pro-
duce. Mr.1Thornton, the attorney for the
prisoner. gave the outline of the defense,
which was that Jamerson was forced at the
nozzle of pistol to commit the act.
The first witness was Mr.. Pounet, who
testified that the amount of damage done
him was 500 $780, and that the fire
was kindled from some waste, a sample
of which he showed to the jury. He knew
nothing as to who was guilty Of the burn
ing.
Robert Colvn, the night yardmaster Of
the Pennsylvania railroad, testified that
he had missed some waste from box car
on the night the barn was burned. He
knew nothing. however, as to who took it.
George II. Chichester, one of the accused
was the next witness. He stated that
he, with five Others including Burnett and
Jamerson. had been out fishing the day
of the fire, getting back about or 3 o'clock
in the evening. Burnett and Jamerson
were talking OF going to a. festival. Then
they started with nshing tackle as If going
fishing. AS they passed box car he no.
ticed Jamerson get some waste out of the
hub. He followed them to the boundary
of Mr.. Ponnet's place, then stood and
watched them, He saw Jamerson strike
match and set fire to the waste close
to the barn. He did not report the matter
to Ponnet for fear of being knocked in
the head, but walked with Jamerson back
to Alexandria.
He told Mr.. Brawner and also Sergeant
Smith. He assisted in the, arrest of Jamer-
son. He was summoned as witness
against him the opext, marning and after
the case was heard they locked him up
also. ~ ri
Mr. johns Striqer, al Washington re-
porter, the next Witness. then gave an ac-
count of a confession which he heard jam
erson make in the presenpe of Sergt Smith
and John Hall. He confessed to having
committed the crime and said nothing then
about any pistol, or coercion. Hall and
Smith corroboratsd his testimony
A number Of the witnesses were asked
about Chichester's reputation for truth and
veracity. The answers were very reluctant
ly given, but the. trend of the testimony
seemed to be that.it was bad.
Richard Burnett, the other party charged.
was the only witness for the prisoner. He
stated that he saw Janierson and Chi
chester soon aftef the fire, and that Jamer-
son told him that Chichester made him do
it by threatening to shoot him. The case
was given to the jury about $50 pm
The verdict is received with general sat
isfaction, but Jamerson Is considered the
least guilty Of the three. He is a negro.
and considerably younger than the other
two. who are white. The Burnett case will
be the first tomorrow morning. Court will
begin at 10 o'clock.