The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1904-01-19
'CRISMOND CASE.
The ex-Clerk on the Wit
ness Stand.
SPEECHES FOR BOTH SIDES.
Mot Guilty" the Verdict on Two
More Counts.

Mot Guilty" the Verdict on Tw'
More Counts.
Court convened Friday morning a
$50 O'Clock at SpOtsylvaDia {. h II
the CrismOnd trial, when j. i. III Cris
mond. the defendant, took the stand
who was examined as to the law an'
method OF keeping the record OF the tal
on deeds. Wills. Administrations, etc.
from 1898 to 1908 lie was cr"ssex
amined by Mr.. DeJarnette and occupied
the stand for more than two hours
after which W. q. billiard, counts treas
urer: w. ii. Harrison and Il. L. Dickin
son were examined MIR. billiard WA
subjected to short examination only
which developed the fact that he had
short talk with ex.Clerk CrismOnd bef0r,
he left the State. The defense here rested
it's case and Mr.. Fitzhugh asked thu
court to give to the jury the same in
structions given in the former cases. Mr.
DeJarnette for the Commonwealth, ask
ed the court to give the same instructions
asked for by the Commonwealth at the
same time. which the court refused to do
and gave instructions asked Tor by the
defense.
Mr.. DeJarnette then opened Tor the
prosecution 10 speech OF one hour, IN
which be severely criticized the ificial
acts ofex Clerk Crismond. He then went
into the examination OF the evidence,
claiming that the facts proved Systematic
withholding OF the States money dur.
ing his whole term oil Office. He closed
his argument with an earnest appeal Tor
q conviction.
Mr.. +. W. Coleman, the junior counsel
for the defense, followed in an argument
OF half an hour lie read and explained
TO the jury the instruction given hy the
court, aud at once plunged into The ar
gument. He severely criticised aid ar
raigned the report Of the investigating
committee, stating that the committee
men, in part. admitted the report WAS
faulty and unauthentic, and that many
charges made against the ex'clerk were
without definite and legal authority, and
that they wonld not swear 10 its ac-
curacy or correctness. lie then took up
the matter OF fines, deeds, willie, admins
trations. &c, and produced many evi.
dences of error. substantiated in each
case by proof. lie closed his argument
with an earnest appeal to the jury to
bring ia a verdict OF mot guilty.
Mr.. St Geo. +. Fitzhugh, senior coun-
eel Tor defense, followed in a speech OF
forty minutes. lie began by saying he
deeply regretted that he did not have as
his opponent one whose hair was as
white az his, for had such been the care
he was satisfied the Commonwealth,
after hearing the evidence Of its own wit
nesses. would have asked the jury Tor a
verdict OF not guilty. He stated that
the prosecution had become 30 terrified
when they learned OF the line OF defense
that all had fed To the woods except
one. and he became so Mortified thst he
had taken his bed, and in hall hour =
time was being attended by five physi-
cians, and even at the present time his
physieians produced to the court a GER
tiicate stating he was in such mental
condition that il would not be sale for
him to come out Tor sixty days. ii paid
his respects to Commemorative Attor
ney Graves in scsthing terms, stating
the accused was bounded by Graves, O
man who, by the evidence of twelve good
and reputable citizens, men VINO had
known him all his life and who have
lived in his immediate neighbOrhoOd since
/ his childhood, they would not be
lieye on oath. He stated that had thu
court appointed two county court clerks
instead OF three young lawyers such
state of affairs would not now exist
He stated that the Commonwealth anC
County were not behind the case tha'
they had been settled with and wer'
satisfied. and that one man alone wa
behind the case, and that man was LEI
J. Graves and that Graves WAS tryinl
TO poison the minds OF the people bJ
paying for 800 extra copies OF rept r
10 be put in print and circulated at hi
expense and cost, to prejudice tn
feeling OF the people against tn
accused. and that he was using
the machinery OF criminal procedure &c
crafty his malicious intent to persecut'
the accused and secure his own pulitica
preferment: that he. as the Common
wealth's attorney Of the county, wal
afraid to get behind single one OF th'
indictments, and that the paid attorney
employed by few men, had gone out
of the case, he thought, in disZust
WHY ia Graves at the back OF this? Pur'
malice lie said that CrismondS short
age grew out OF the fact that the deed
nreeented in the clerks Office Tor RECORD
had not been recorded in the oroer II
which they should have been, and henc'
had not been reported for the period il
which they properly came; that Cris
mond was worth ten thousand Le'
Gravess; that Crismond had lived auC
built up good character, and that con
tradistinct from this, twelve responsible
men in Spotsylvsnis County, who's
lives were above reproach, had sworr
that Gravee' character had beef
bad from boyhood and that tbel
would not now believe him on oath HI
read from Scripture the beautiful nara
tive OF the woman whose transgTessiol
Jesus Himself had forgiven, and aske'
that those who were without sin should
first cast q stone at her. He statet
that the Commandment that thi
woman had violated took prtc denc
over the one iorbidding theft in that tn
seventh commandment, Thou shall no
commit adultery" was followed 10y tn
eighth Commandment which says, Tho
shalt not steal" He closed bis masterl.
speech with an earnest appeal 10 tn
Jury to liberate accused from the odiun
OF supposed guilt, by returning the cour
a verdict OF mot guilty
Mr.. DeJarnette closed in speech Ct
few minutes asking for a conviction, AN
the case was given to the jury, who d
IL minutes rendered a verdict Ct 10
guilty.
The same verdict was rendered IN
short time in the trial Of another ndici
ment against the accused, charging hlr
with embezzlement OF State taxes IN az
count oil delinquent lands, and IN lir
was reimpeneled for the trial oil 1.-THE
cases in the a6me cause.
Just before court adjourned for Dime
Attorney DeJarnette stated to the cour
that DR.. ]. d. Pulliam Informed him tina
Mr.. Graves did not desire to have an
witnesses placed on stand In supportti'
his cbars, ter for truth and yerac ~, bu
preferred to let it remain without b In
oonfrodictad