Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-09-20
None Of the Testimony Yet Adduc-
ed Seems to Move Him,
COOL AND SELF POSSESSED
although re i; Facing Charge OF
rgurde or lie Acts II II was only OF
slight Importanco-A Jury Easily
secured, Only twenty-five nIcn
sun,unoned-Tho Trial Continued
Until To-day

s ~
The colored man Walter Scott. alias
John Smith. pleaded not guilty yester-
day in the Hastings Court to the charge
of numbering Mr.. Charles Wyatt, OF
this city. on the morning OF the gu
day Of August last.
He was brought into court, where
large number Of people had gathered
to witness the proceedings, secureiy
ironed and in charge Of Deputy Sherlit
Abbott and Detective West, Of Nortolk'
who. with Detective Sergeant Hepp Per,
have played an Important part III tie
capture Of Cotton.
He sat in the box and quietly looked
about. seemingly at his ease, ana III no
wise appearing to appreciate the Sc
robustness of the position which he
Counsel for the prisoner, Messrs.
w. H. Parker and l.. c. Phillips. as
soon as court opened, demurred TO the
Indictment on the ground that 1t con.
tanned two separate and distinct
charges, and the policy OF the criminal
law being in direct opposition to dupli-
city. the Indictment was repuSnant 20
Justice and right and should be
the motion for the State in opposition
to defendants counsel, and the court
overruled the motion to quash. to which
exceptions were taken.
The jury was then called. sixteen
having been summoned, out of which
twelve were secured-Messrs. Carroll
Bennett. w. Otis Beaton, John w.
Beaton and Leroy M. Robbins having
express decided opinions.
Other Jurors were summoned and the
necessary panel of sixteen was gotten,
as follows: l.. c. Long. c. c. Bilisoly,
Charles T.. Billsoly u. b. Bilisoly, ]. j.
Murphy, Joseph Loeb, William Ridley,
Clarence Moore, james Mclaughlin, -.
Hatton. j. Edward King. Arthur Y.
Thomas. Eugene Brinkley, George W.
Mooney. These jurors were stricken
off: l.. c. Long, u. Is. Bllisoly. Joseph
Loeb. Joseph NJ. Hatton. The others
who were examined were Messrs. Will
liam Hodges, III. II. Myrick, NJ l.. East
wood Edgar Smith and II. b. Shannon.
The first named gentleman proved 10
be a member of the Portsmouth Hook
and Ladder Company and the remain
der Of the number had opinions. which
they thought were too well fixed to
allow them to sit on this jury. so they
were also excused,
The jury to decide the fate OF waiter
Cotton therefore, will be: c. c. Bailey.
C. F. Bilisoly, j. ]. Murphy, William
Ridley, Clarence Moore. James Nc
Laughln. e. l.. Johnson, George Lamar.
T. Edward King, Arthur g. THOMAS,
Eugene Brinkley and George Mooney
The witnesses for and against the ac-
cused were then sworn and the eXami-
nation of them began.
Mrs. Mary Virginia Wyatt. widow of
the murdered man, was the first W.T.
ness called. She was calm and compos-
ed and in a clear voice told the jury
what she knew of the killing. She told
how she found her husband welterlng
in his own blood. and identified posi-
lively an iron coupling pin, shown III
court as the one found in the store at
the time OF the murder She could not
identify Cotton, she only seeing man
standing in the doorway OF her resi-
dence on the morning Of the murder,
with his back to her In a. STOPPING po-
sltion. She did not see his face. The
part Of her testimony in reference to
seeing her husband "strangllng with
his own blood" being very totc htrTE:
She says the crime was committed be-
tween and o'clock, nearer o'clock.
She also gave detailed account of the
situation OF the house and how the man
gained entrance thereto.
SAYS IT WAS A NEGRO.
Che was asked by Mr. Chas. T. Bland,
who is assisting in the prosecution, the
question as to what kind of looking man
1t was she saw in her house that morn
inf. Objections were made by counsel
on the other side. and the objections
we're sustained by the court. But In n
few minutes afterwards Judge Watts
asked Mrs. Wyatt lf 1t was white man
or a negro she saw. and she replyed:
= "a negro L am sure.
DIR. Gray Holiday told of his exam
inhtion of the deceased as City Coro-
ne1, and described the wounds, testify
Ing that the mans death was unques-
tionably caused by the blow behind the
right ear, and which was undoubt teddy
inflicted by a blount instrument such
as the railroad car pin shown in evil
demce might inflict.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
: Il The court here, at 2;15 o'clock. took
recess till $3.50 o'clock, when court again
convened,
Mr, Joseph Tagerson, Mr.. P. Taylor
order named, and they all testified to
/ seeing Mr.. Wyatt in the condition de-
sceibed, the robbing Of the store and
tho finding of the pin with blood and
human hair upon 1t, They corroboIated
Mrs. Wyatt's testimony as to the time,
or about the time, the crime occurred
Mr.. Owen Cosgrove said that to this
best Of his knowledge and belief he
gave Cotton a drink of water at his
place of business on the morning Of the
murder about 3 o'clock. He was not
positive, however, that he was the man.
He said his place Of business was about
minutes walk to Mr.. WAITS, and
about 200 yards In distance.
Leila. Watson, who lives at G22 Queen
street. testified that Cotton lived at her
house. and that he went out wednes-
day night before the murder and came
back about Thursday morning just as
the town clock struck 4, and left again
between and 9 that morning
Emma Britt lives at sl3 Queen street
ana she said that she helped Della
Watson to wash. and went there the
morning of the murder. She found Cot
ton there. He knocked around a half
hour or more. got his breakfast and