The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-31
.S0L0MON'S
CASE WILL
Be ARGUED
Matter Likely to Go to
the Jury To-Day.
DEFENSE WILLING
TO SUBMIT CASE
Feel Absolutely Certain of
sheriff's Vindication.
FIRST SPEECH BY
MR.. GEORGE BRYAN
Chances Are that the Matter May Be
Concluded Early in the Oay-A1
the Witnesses for the Defense
We're Not Put on Yester.
day-summary of the
Testimony Adduced
Feel Absolutely Certain OF
Sheriff's VindiCdtiOn.
FIRST SPEECH BY
MR.. GEORGE BRYAN

So IA, as tho testimony itself IS con.
cerned the trial of Sheriff Simon Solomon,
OF Henrico county. for alleged malfeas-
ance and rnisfeasance Of office. Is at an
end. Each side has concluded It's case,
and this morning bright and early the
argument will begin. BY the early after
noon perha ps the decision Of the jury ana
court will be reached.
That this decision will. be anything other
than an acqnittal of the defendant there
is at this time no good reason TO oeieVe.
The gentlemen of the prosecution declare
roundly that they still have strong case.
and that they entertain no fears, but the
many believe otherwise. During the day
and a half consumed by his witnesses, the
sheriff has succeeded In forging, link by
link, chain OF evidence. in which 1t is
difficult tn fnE y serious flaw. 10 say
the least 1t Is a very strong defense that
he has made. and In the opinion OF many
persons he has, long ago, won his case.
There can, therefore, be slight doubt OF
the opinion OF the jury. and when this
opinion Is formally expressed to-day 1t
will cause no surprise that II is Vindica-
ton OF Mr. Solomon.
The Testimony Yesterday.
The confidence OF the counsel for the
defense is manifest. About o'clock yes
terday they rested their case without
taking the trouble to examine bunch
OF witnesses still on hand. Mr.: Carter
announced impressWely that they had
utilized but about half the material at
their disposal They didn't need the re-.
mainder: they had cleared up the prose-
cution already.
No specially new things were brought
out yesterday by the defense In the ex-
animation OF the minor witnesses with
the exception OF the fact that the sheriff
was not responsible for the unprotected
condition Of the gap Of $50 feet between
Lombardy Street and the county line. in
which gap the trouble began. A Rich
mond police officer. who was stationed at
Lombardy Street during n portion OF the
DAY, testified that he and his colleagues
knew perfectly we'll where the real county
line was that they recognized their duty
to protect the aforesaid gap. and that to
the best of their ability they performed
this duty as long as they stayed there
Furthermore, he said he understood that
the soldiers knew the exact loca ton Of
the county line something was said about
1t during the day At all events. If they
did not know they could very easily have
ascertained from the Richmond policemen
present These statements effectively
removed the responsibility from the shoul-
ders Of the sheriff
But the star witness OF the day, OF
course, and of the entire defense, for
that matter, was the defendant himself,
What he said is told pretty fully be-
low and he said great deal His recital
was clear, positive and connected, and
the cross-examinhtion, on the whole, pass
ed over his head harmlessy. Starting
with the nth. the first day of the strike
he told in detail everything that happen
ed up to the night Of the oath, when he
applied for troops, and his statements
coincided in all material points with
those of his chief witnesses, He justified
the position he had taken with references
to the military by declaring as the Com
monwealth's attorney had done that there
was no disorder in the county; that he
had no right to call for troops until he