The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-12
ANNE RS7 NEGRO
TO GRAND JURY
Evidence Not Strong, But the
Prosecution Scores
Point.
MRS. BROWN ON THE STAND
Tells Of the Assault But Docs
Not Identity the
Prisoner.
MRS. BROWN ON THE STAND

,spocinl to The Times Dispatch)

(spocinl to The Times Dispatch)
AMHERST, VA. October 11.-The pre-
1mInary hearing OF, james Watson, the
negro barber, on the charge Of criminaly
assaultlng Mrs. Frank W. Brown of this
place, OH the night Of October !, 1900,
took place before Justice W. B. Henley
IN the courthouse, at this place to-day.
Tho witnesses were examined In q room
from which all persons except the court,
the prisoner, the stenographcr, tho law
.crs and the newspaper reporters were
excluded. The Commonwealth was repre-
sc nted by commemorative Attorney Otto
L. Evans. Mr. W. X. Allen also ap7
pea red in the same behalf. Ex-Judgc z.
J. Campbell represented the prisoner. a
stenographer, employed by the prisoner
,.,aa present to take down the evidence.
The Common wealth did not examine but
three OF tho dozen or more witnesses
which it had summoned. These were MIR.
1rown. the husband of the assaulted Wo-i
man. Mrs. Brown, the woman assaulted,
and John Brstow At the conclusion OF
the hearing stlic Justice announced that
there was a strong suspicion OF CUNT, ana
that he would send the case on TO the
grand Jury. The prisoner was sent BACK
to T,ynchburg this afternoon, from which
mace he was brought over by Deputy
Sheriff Henry L. Higgenbotham this
morning. for safekeeping. Mrs. Brown
did not appear in court until the case
was ready for trial. She is a young
woman, twenty-three years OF age, ana
quite good looking. She seemed very
neryotig and stated that she was suffer-
ing from the blow received on the BACK
OF her head and that her hearing nao
been affected by the blow. as her ear was
constantly dischargng. The moment Mrs
Brown came into the room she fastened
for several seconds. What conclusion
she reached as to his being the man did
not appear, as she was not asked 70
identify the prisoner as her assaiiant.
y veyer. on cross e1a animation. she ad-
Z e, d that she had stated on the night
,r i they told her that Branch's dog
mad gone to the house of Watson. that
she had said that Watson was not the
man, as the man who committed the as
sault was darker than he. The evidence
of Mr.. Brown was that he ana MS VIE
left the house about the same time, sne
going to milking and he TO water his
horses. AS his horses were drinking at
the we'll, which is about three hundred
wards from the house, he saw his wife
going on TO the COW lot. He brought his
horses back to the stable and just before
he reached the stable hestmet, watson
coming up the lane from the direction
where the assault was, committed. Brls-
tow testified that Watson. after Brown
met him, came into the barber shop and
stayed only minute or so.4 and then
4 49,. 1.oN1 n hum
the alley in the directlonSof the scene
of the assault Mrs. Browns evidence
was about the same that has been be-
fore reported. She says that the man
came upon her SO suddenly that she
noticed him scarcely at all. When she
came to herself she was lying In the
bushes When she raised herself, and
seeing the light at Watson's cabin. not
fifty yards away, called for help as loud
ar she could. No help came, and she
crawled in the direction Of home, and
was still crawling when her husband
found her.
The prisoner questioned. Mr.. Brown as
to who saw Branch's dogs go to Wat
sons house. and 1t Is possible that an
effort will be made to prove that the dogs
did not go there. as 1t is said that this Is
claimed by Watson's wife.
It must be conceded that the case
against the barber, as shown at the
hearing o-day, was slim. What the
Commonwealth has up Its sleeve no one
can tell. 1t has been claimed that Wat
son could prove an abb. No effort to
do this was made to-day. The defense
seemed more disposed to rely on the
weakness OF the case of the prosecution.
The prosecution has at least scored one
point What 1t will be able to prove at
the trial with the evidence It now has
and which may be received remains to
be seen. THE grand jury will be con-
vened Monday.