Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-18
THE TRIAL OF PRICE.
rur SLAYER or HALL CARTER IN
COURT.
re IS COOL AND COLLECTED.
,,.ov witnesses for the Prosecution
pxamined-The Prisoner Acknowi-
Iced the killing 90 Several of
rhcm-Tired OF Buiidozing,

rARMvILI.E. VA, August 17.-fspe-
,.s,-The case of the Commonwealth
...inst Mr.. Thomas w. Price for the
.-,r8er Of young Hall Carter. on July
..., last was called for trial in Prince
,.suard County Court to-day. All the
illnesses and attorneys were present.
.,,ert Mr.. w. c. Franklin. who had gone
m 90 the Republican Congressional Con-
,.r8on. al stanton. The jury was Sc
,.-e from the first venire Of sixteen men
..umoned. which was a great surprise
d, many. who had believed IL impossible
Of, md from among so few residents OF
che county twelve men who had not
made Up their minds as TO guilt or inno-
csnce Of the prisoner.
The following are the Jurors: J. J.
owen. j. l.. Weaver. w. NJ. Gillian. c.
A. Morton. W. r. Drumeller. S. A. Bon
II. Prucc. F. II. Redd, J. n. Foster. and
y. W. scott.
Without a tromor the aged prisoner
STOOD up al the command of Clerk Thack-
SION and faced the jury, while the dread
fl words OF his arraigmncnt were heard
with hreatbless interest by the large as
..mb.aee. The usual demurrers were
catered by the defence. all Of which were
promptly overruled by the Court.
u was not long after court opened be-
fore the first witness for the prosecution
WIS put upon the stand. and by half-past
O'clock this afternoon the Common
wealth had rested. and the defence be
San. Judge Mann announced that the
defence had arrived at the point when
they desired that Mrs. Price, the invalid
wife Of the prisoner. should be allowed
10 testify, and as the evening was nearly
over he suggested that the court adj
f1lrn until tomorrow morning. He said
r. would be impossible for them to con-
c.u6e with Mrs. Prices testimony to-
day. and he thought IT would be much
the better that she only be required 10
come into court once. This was agreed
TO-
THE FIRST WITNESS.
The first witness calrd was Mr.. Theo-
dore Carter, father of the murdered man.
Being examined by the prosecution, he
made the following statement:
Il was at home feeding hogs on the
morning Of July 18th last, about an hour OF
sun. when Spencer Hill rode up and said:
gdr. Price has killed Hall. and he says
you must come / got on Spencer's horse
and went at once. When / got to
jim NortOn's his wife. Frances, told me
Han was dead. QIere witness showed
great emotion, which he tried 10 over
Gomez i got down 10 Jim Norton's and
ran through near way TO Mr.
Prices house when l got there l found
my boy lying dead. Mr.. Price came IN
the room and said Thee, / have shot
Hall I have killed him j said: Tom,
] had rather 1t had been me you killed.
I next found myself standing by Mr..
Prices wagon in the yard. The thought
struck me than 10 call Mr.. Woodalfs
people. they being the nearest white
people. 1 started out from the place,
following for Mr.. Woodall. ] had got,
] reckon, fifty yards from the house
when Mr.. Price remarked, There Is no
use Of following and carrying on that
way. ] have killed him. My reply was
Tom. I expected something, but nothing
Ike this. If Hall had listened to me he
would never have come here His reply
vas was tired Of the d-n Carriers
bulldozing me, and II you cut up l VIII
kin YOU. id d-n you I went on up the
road still calling for Mr.. Woodalls peo-
ME. until exhausted, / sat on log. /
then waited for Mr.. Shorter TO come up
and went back with him TO MI Price g.
Spencer Hill a colored witness. claim
ed 10 be the only person present when the
shooting occurred. was the next and most
important witness for the prosecution. He
testified as follows: when ! came in the
house Mr.. Price was on his bed fussing
after Mr. Hall Carter. Then l went out
TO the spring. Mr.. Price had got up anc
come into the coOk-room, and was SUI
cussing with Mr. Carter Mr.. Carter was
getting breakfast. He cussed Mr.. carter
and Mr.. Carter told him not 70 cuss him
Price told Carter that he would not only
cuss him, but would cut his d-n -
out. Then Price jerked uO butcher
knife and started for Carter. The lattel
terked up a chair. and made Price put the
knife down. Then he stood in the room
tin Carter put breakfast on the table anC
then Carter sat down at the table, ahC
Price went back 10 his chamber Next
heard was Miss Kitty prices wite)' ask
ed what he was going 10 do with the gun
Mr.. Carter Jumped up and started for the
door. Next l heard was the report OF the
gun. Then Mr.. Price came down into the
cook-room again and caught hold of the
arm OF Carter and asked If he was hurt
Miss Kitty asked NE if Price had sho'
Hall. and | returned no answer. but Price
replied. Yes. / have killed him. Mr.. Car
ter who was not quite dead, asked me u
60 for his father
DIR. TALIAFERRO.
Or. Taliaferro was called. In answer tC
questions. he stated that he held the post
norton examination over the body OF
Han Carter. and found a wound about one
and three-quarter Inches in diameter, car
rying away about one and three-quartel
inches Of what he counted and supposed
10 be the eighth rib, about half way De
tween the median-line front and Dehlnu
Mr. Edward Shorter, who arrived on th'
scene about three-quarters or an houi
after the killing. testified that Price ac'
knowledged the killing. and said he was
tired Of the bulldozng Of the Carriers, aho
that he shot Hail Carter as he went ou'
Of the door,
Shorter also testified that there was a
knife lying on a chair in the room III
which Carriers body was. and Price salu
Gle tried TO cut me with that knhe. ooh
he Kitty?" After / had been out OF doors
and gone back. continued witness, Frlce
said. "see something about carter
money. for he drew $500 yesterday ano
81 is somewhere"
A negro named Womack testined tha'
TWO weeks before the killing Price com
planned OF Carter's working his morse 700
hard and said. Before he shan KIN my
horse III kill him. for he has not oohe
what he promised"
Charles H. Cook testified 10 Prices say
ing he was fixed for Carter, and }. \
~ 81