The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-06-03

OF the county, the night oi Malch 'lui
was held Tuesday at Buckingham
Courthouse. IL will be recalled
that Mir. Forbes, then over eighty years
old, was alone with his daughter at the
time of the fire, and the fatigue, excite
ment and exposure caused his death.
Charles Forbes, one of the accused, is a
son Of the late John =. Forbes.
The Magistrate Court was already
in session when the prisoners, in charge
of officers, arrived from Farmyille.
No case iu buckingham In "a decade
has caused ~ much excitement, and a
large crowd was present
Magistrate 4. G.. Garrett, Jr, +. V.
Anderson and G.. ]. Taylor occupied the
bench, and their appearance brought
back 10 the memory Of many ola citi-
lens, Olden times, when the court OF
associate Justices Of the peace was a
very important tribunal.
Mrs. Woodbridge, wife Of the accused,
came in early this morning with her
hfteen-year-old daughter, and they
occupied seats i'm the bar before the
court was opened, and remained during
heprogress of the examination. When
her young son, who had been also ar
rested in connection with the same
charge, came in, in charge Of the OFF,
Ger. she wept and shook his hand.
The attorneys for the pro 'ecution are
f. W. Hubbard, attorney for the Com
monwealth. assisted 10y A. +. STROBE,
who has been employed by the Forbes
family 10 and Mr.. Hubbard. Hon. II.
d. Flood and Judge J. VI. Crute are for
the defence.
The case against Dan Woodbridge
was called first. The young man is
charged with having a hand in the
burning, The only witness against
young Woodbridge was a Miss O'Brien,
and the two were schOOlmates. She
said John Woodbridge told her that
Charlie Forbes, one of the accused, left
home at ! o'clock in the night, and he
dan Woodbridge told her Of the things
that were said, and said that If Charlie
had had any sense he could have saved
the buggies; that when he found ont
the things were on fire, he left.
Young Woodbridge looked cheerful
and does not seem to be worried about
the charges agains. him.
The examination next related to the
charge against f.. G. Woodbridge, the
/ first man arrested. Edlow Spencer, who
arrested Woodbridge, at his home Sun
day, a week ago, and was the main
witness against him. He said in sub
stance that he heard that his cousin.
Charlie Forbes, had been murdered, and
that nothing had been done looking t.
the arrest of anybody charged with the
burning, and that he went up To Buck.
mgham from FaTmville to search fol
the body of Forbes. He heard when
he got in the community that Charlie
Forbes had come back.
81 could not find him, 81 witness said
81 went to Wooldrdge's, and he cam'
out to the carriage. ! asked where
Charlie Forbes was. He said he die
not know. that he had been trying Il
find him. said a buggy from Ap
pomattoX brought him near here Satur
day morning lie said Forbes ha'
nothing to do with the burning.
"Who did il, then Q" ! asked.
He replied: i don't know.
'Then / told him I would have {,
take him. He said he would 90, an,
that he had been expecting his arres
for several days. lie remarked that h
had said he would help lynch the mar
who did the burning, but had no ide.
that he would ever be caught. On tn
way TO the jail he said Charlie FOrbe
was four and a half miles Of this place
Forbes post office. He would not te.
where Forbes was. lie said he wOuli
not tell where he could be caught, ant
called for pencil and paper and wrot
doWu in a note book as follows:
"Phone Winston Mckinney, deput.
sheriff Of A%ppomattox depot, to see 10
Harvey, aud find out positively abou
Charlie Forbes, and 90 on by Joe Coin.
and Jones old place, there are three {
US: you have me, now get the Others
Before we got to Farmville, he SAL
the shoes he had on when arreste
made those tracks.
"a pair Of Wooldridge's brogsns wa
exhibited in court. A measure take
of the tracks applied to them fitted e'
J actly.
Spencer said the accused said Cha
lie Forbes, got him into this. Witnei
h did not know whether accused referre
e to his arrest or the burning, but said
had telked too much. He showed e.
% element, end was very nervous whe
arrested he attempted to read a lett
and was too nervous to complete j
He went i'm the house, dressed and to.
the youngest child good bye. Woo
= bridges wife said: "Charlie Forbes ga
3 his father money in the morning, an
. came back that night aud got IT," III
' husband told 90 her to hush.
j. The accused was not looking we
when he arrived at the Courthon
- from Farmyille, but seemed
j. brighten up and took a keen lntere
i'm the examination Of the witnese
He himself at one time wanted to tai
+ a hand in the cross examination OF
witness for the Commonwealth.
u The charge against Charlie Forb'
e who f. a son Of the victim Of the disa