Richmond planet., 1901-05-25


May 14sh, 1901.
Yesterday was the day fixed for th-.
hrst trial OF the colored people accused
OF murder in connection with the Rob
ert Charles matter, which occurred in
July last. Ten colored persons were
arrested and charges OF murder and
harboring Q murderer were preferred
against them.
Several weeks sgo, on motion Of the
counsel for the defense, q severance
was granted, but these three cases
against the accused for murder were
divided and made nine OF. The late
Judge Noise had appointed counsel for
the accused and the result OF the Sc
verance was that each of the lswy .rs
received separate trial for such OF
the scsused as they might represent.
W. Ii Handlin had been sppoin ted
to represent SilEs Ch aries aud Martha
Jackson, and it was desiC ed co try the
case OF these three first. Yesterday
was tho day fixed and the case came
sp.
The separate affidsvits or endict,
ments were pending against each OF
the accused that IL, for murder OF
Sergeant PJrteous, Corporal Lslly aud
Bloomfield or BrumHeld, Q boy who
WAS killed that fatal day. The dis
trict attorney nol-prossed the case
against the three accused as far as Ser
geant Porteous and Brumfleld were
concerned, holding that il he could not
convict the three accused of the muir
der or Corporal Lally, that it weuld be
9 waste Of time to seek to convict them
on the other two indictments.
The accused were entitled to thirty
six peremptory challenges and ths
state to eighteen. but the state did not
exert the right to challenge to and ap.
preclatable extent, and nearly every
Juror Who was not opposed to capital
punishment or to convicting on eircum
stantial evidence was rendered to the
accused. On the part of the defense,
the Gross examination OF the Jurors on
their voir dire Was extraordinary to
say the least, being entirely different
from any ever held In the criminal
court before. The attorney for the de-
tense went into aB examination which
Was lengthy, and, to o certain extent
quite strange. Amo7g the questions
propounded by the defense were the
following:
Are you married?
How long?
How many members of your family
are living
Where do you reside?
Have you anyaprejudice against the
Negro racer
What is your religion?
Protestant, what kind OF q Protes-
SAINT?
Are you are q citizen?
IL nsturaliEed, when did you arrive
ia this countrY2
II nAturaliZed, have you any preju-
dice against the accused because they
are nAtive-born
Are you educated g?
What schools did you attend 2
Did you graduate?
Did you study Latin or Greek
Did you study geometry or trigonom-
etry
What is your business
Are you very busy
II the juror replied that he was, the
/ attorney would say, "Well, we'll let
| you 60 then" If not busy, then the
attorney would say interrogatively,
We'll, then you could give US all the
1 time we want for the trial"
Do you believe Negroes your equal
If not socially, do you believe them
| equal in law
According to the golden rule, put
yourself in the place Of Negro, and il
| you were q Negro, would you be will
ling to be tried by white people 2
Do you think there is any race pre-
judice existing among ths white peo-
| pie against Negroes.
Do you believe in God
One witness, q FrenchmA was ask
| ed in French by counsel for the defense
Did you read VoltGire or Victor Hugo7
Do you frequent corner grocerie or
barrooms
Do you believed the accused are gull
| ty noW2
Where are you working
One juror said he WAS unemployed,
and council asked him, Whyh wHsn't
| working?
Since how long have you been mar
vied 2
You would be discharged If you got
drunk, wouldn't you?
Gan yon AFFORD to spare the time to
| give the ascused . full and fair trial
Whenever o Juror said that he wass
| the counsel would ask politely IL the
juror could spare the time, and II he
said mo-" then the eounsel for the as