Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-15
GRUNDY GOES TO A JURY.
Evidence Heard That lie Murdered
Policeman Austin

The preliminary hearing in the Police
Court yesterday morning Of Albert Grun-
dy alias Albert Coleman the young negro
man charged with the murder Of Police
man Robert D. Austin in April, 1898,
proved very interesting, and resulted in
the sending of Grundy on to the grand
jury
When the case was first called yester-
day morning two Of the witnesses Of the
Commonwealth We're not present. JUS
tice Crutchheld said he thought it would
be best to continue the hearing Mr.
George T.. Wise, counsel for Grundy said
a continuance would be agreeable TO him.
as he wanted to get some witnesses for
the defence who were out of the city at
present. so the agreement was reached.
but later in the session IL was announced
that all the Witnesses who had been sum
moned were in court. Then the case was
again taken up.
GRUNDY NOT INTERESTED.
Grundy, the prisoner, is stolid, don't
care sort of darby, who seemed 10 take
really very little interest in the proceed
ings. He was apparently much less in
terested than the scores of attendants on
the session of the court.
The first witness called was Charles
Hood, negro man, who Is a well-digger.
lie resides in HenricO at Thirty-secOnd
and X streets. Hood said he met a ne
gro man about o'clock of the morning
on which Policeman Austin was killed.
Inc man he met was crossing a little
bridge in the northern part OF the city
near the Traction COmpany's power
house. He was stopped by the man. who
seemed 10 be excited and nervous, and
asked where the railroad company there
referring TO the Chesapeake and Ohio
made up its freight trains. He told him.
| The stranger then volunteered the infor-
NATION that h. had gotten into a shoot
ing scrap a little while before Common
| wealth s-Attorney Richardson, who was
/ conducting the hearing for the Common
| wealth ssked Hood If he recognized
! Gruulv ~ he man whom he met on that
morning. His reply was that he did.
| Alr ~ lie questioned the witness.
| The attorney was anxious TO know how
/ the witness could identity the prisoner
and Hood said that the man had a scar
on his forehead and light spot on his
! lip. The description tailed well with
| Grundy.
HE WAS SURELY THE MAN.
Arthur Thomas, also a colored man,
was then put on the stand. Thomas is
/ employed at a saloon on the northeastern
| corner of Fifth and Marshall streets,
heard pistol shots on the morning Mr.
/ Austin was Killed, and went to the cor
/ ner 10 see what was the trouble. tie
saw two negroes and a policeman, and
saw one OF the men firing a revolver. As
! he neared the corner he saw the men
/ backing away from the policeman, and
/ one OF them came running down the
street on tho same side he was standing
| and the other. a yellow" man, ran
along on the other side He had seen the
latter before. This man had been In tn,
| bar-room at Fifth and Marshall streets
on the Friday night before, and on ac-
count Of what he had heard him say hac
| noticed him particularly. Two men were
strangers. one said he was going tC
! Norfolk and go to sea. The other STATED
that he would lie around Richmond FOL
awhile longer. The last speaker wa:
| Grundy.
The witness was cross-examined by
Mr.. Richardson. who brought out IN,
| fact that he had been summoned befor,
TO try TO identify prisoners, but had neyel
| done so.
| Counsel for Grundy questioned the pris
| oner but dld not succeed I'm breaking III,
| line of testimony. Mr.. Wise tried Il
bring out that Thomas had been asso
ciating with Dennis Rowe, the negro pri