The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-06
A Verdict Given For Involuntary Man.
slaughter.
R. 7. THORP'S IMP aSSlONED SPEECH
The Fame woman's Testimony Impcached.
Ihe Prisoners Mother on the stand
But the Father strangely Did Not
Offer to Testify-still a Mystery.

was on the stand when court adjourned
on Molday night and whose evidence was
to be corcluded yesterday morning.
When she did come into court the judge
| sharply reprimanded her and imposed a
fine upon her and ordered the sheriff to
confine her in Jail if she failed to pay
her fine after her testimony was given In.
This woman was further cross-eXam-
ined and vas asked by counsel Tor de-
| fence If she had not told certain per
| sons when first approached on the sub
| icct OF the murder that she had neither
| seen nor heard anything that would I'M
picate any one IN the murder
she replied that she had not.
THE DEFENCE.
The defence then introduced their wit
/ nesses. Two of them both white and
/ reputable gentlemen testified that the
/ dav after the finding of tho body OF War
rem and just before tho holding OF the
INQUEST. that they had gone out i'm the
ueighborhood ami found the Fame woman
I and told her she was wanted as witness
| IN the Warren murder case and that on
! the way TO the place where the inquest
was held she was asked what she knew
about the murder, to which question
/ both witnesses testified that she said she
/ Knew nOtllnE.
Acting Coroner Dagger testified that
| this woman appeared very much fright
ened when brought before him and said
she WAS afraid to testify TO the real facts
| for fear of personal violence at the hands
| % the Rogers and that upon his assur-
| ance OF protection, even though he might
| have 10 place a guard over her, she said
| she would tell the whole truth and then
| detailed the account OF the killing as al
| ready given.
This woman's bad moral character was
| proven 10y quite a number OF witnesses
| and also her reputation as q truthful
person was shown TO be unreliable.
Two things Mr.. Thorp found it neces-
sary to do In trying 10 vindicate John
Rogers from the charge Of having muir
| dered William Warren. The first was 10
| break down the evidence of the Fame wo-
| man. whose testimony was SO damaging,
! the only evidence of a positive character
! that had been introduced before the jury,
the other being almost entirely circum-
| stantlaL
THE ACCUSED.
The other thing was 10 show that
! young Rogers was peacable fellow, and
that no could have had no motive in
the commission OF so diabollcal an act.
and that the dead man and the Rogers
The testimony Of Mary Fame being sue
cessfully impeached. Mr.. Thorpe proceed
ed TO introduce quite number OF wit
| nesses neighbOrs OF the two families,
who testified TO the good feeling existing
| between the two families, and that War
ren often visited at Rogers house. and
| could, therefore, have had no motive for
numbering his neighbor.
AT the close OF the testimony for the
defence the mother of young Rogers was
placed on the stand. She appeared fairly
intelligent
She contradicted very positively the
statement made by Mary Fame but In her
zeal for her child probably injured his
case. for she testified that she was easily
awakened by any noise however slight.
and that on the night of the murder she
was up most Of the night with a sick
| child. but being asked If she heard the
| firing OF the gun which killed William
Warren replied that she did not. and
was confident there was 40 gun fired
near her house that night, although War
rens body was found shot In the head
about one hundred yards from her dwell
ing.
A STRANGE FACT.
A significant fact. and one that arouses
| more suspicion than any other one cir
cumstance connected with the trial among
| the people present, was the iallure or
Tom Rogers, the father OF the prisoner
70 testify in the case. although he was
present during the entire trial ana could
have been easily examined, tor 1t would
seem hut natural that a father I'm his
overwhelming anxiety for the safety or
his child besides the strong affection ne
would naturally have for him would have
prompted him 10 have gone on the Wit
ness stand and TO have proclaimed to the
world in tones long and lond, the lhho-
cence OF his son if he could have done So
This seemingly unnatural conduct Of
| ,atber 10 his son, II he is innocent, IS
| unaccountable. The evidence is thai the
| Liling Of Warren was not premeditated'
| hut the general opinion Is that warren
| was killed by some one who snot Dlh TOT
| a thief. or II may be that the snot VIZ
| fred to frighten him and that "d''c"
was killed accidentally
II has not been shown that warren hac
an enemy in the world ,.-
The testimony OF the many Witnesses
examined leaves this case still great
| mystery.
| = BEARDLESS BOY.
The voung prisoner who IS about sew
| enteen wears OF age IS a be2rdiess boy
| rather OF small stature and has pleas
| ant EXPRESSION He has stood the strain
| 81 his trial with wonderful composure
| and anv one looking into his calm race
would not dream that he was the boy
| mon whose form all eyes were turned
| ana who now stands charged with the
| foul murder OF his innocent neghbor.
He has not been without the sympathy
| OF many OF his kinpeople, who have
| stood arcUnd hm during the trying hours
| OF his trial. The evidence closed yester-
| day about noon and the afternoon was
| spent in the arguments over the instruc-
| ton to the jury, which were quite lengthy
| and when given were not unfayorable 10
| the prisoner.
The argument commenced this morning.
I AEr. Thorpe was Commonwealth At
| torney OF this county for some fourteen
years and this is the first criminal case
| he has had to defend since he was States
| attorney and in the opening OF his argu-
ment this morning he spoke In tender
| terms Of the grave responsibility he felt
| IN having the liberty or perhaps the lie
OF his client in his keeping.
THB ARGUMENT.
The argument was commenced at 800
| o'clock A. NJ. and closed at 1870 Z. NJ.
to-day Messrs. Thorpe and Goode each
| consumed about one and half hours I'm
the delivery OF their arguments both Of
which were able
Mr.. Thorp made a powerful appeal 10
the sympathies OF the jury and In his