The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-21


pale him % per cent. of all the money
he collected IN Richmond he would have
( carried out His contract satisfactorily, At
Mrs. BASES house the question of the
debt hanging over the church WAS dis
cussed and II was agreed that the money
realized from the concert should be ap-
pied to the liquidation of that debt. The
pastor had frequently expressed n burn.
ing desire to pay Off the twelve hundred
dollar debt in one year ana may nave
done so at this conference Mt Mrs. BASES
when 4, was agreed that the proceeds
fro,, the Burton I.yceum concert were TO
be appIicd to the debt. The witness saw
,bc circular Burton had had printed. saw
and read the language that the entertain
ment was for the benefit of the poor,
In answer to questions by MI. Wise'
The witness admitted that mad as
n,neh MS a thousand dollars been realized
OH the concert the whole amount "ou,u
have gone to liauidate the church debt,
md not to help the poor. In answer to n
further question, witness after hesitation,
said he knew the circular said the con-
cert WIS for the benefit of the poor. DID
not order 1t destroyed when he saw 1t,
but did not authorize the printing or cir
culstion, Did not circulate 1t himself,
although Burton sent him large num-
her for that purpose.
Mr.. Camp Testifies.
Mr. W. c. Camp, of the American Ma
ticn nal Bank, was the next witness. Mrs
A. c. Burton and the two "neices called
on him the same day they did on ME-.
Sands 1t was some time between ths
18th and 18th of December. Saw Mr.. Hill,
the cashier, hand Mrs. Burton some
money. Then SHE went to the witness.
- a. t,n,. 1,,ct va
Mr. Hill and Mr.. Sands had just given
literally for our church, and wanted wit
ness to do likewise. Witness denied that
he had ever given IS. but said If 81 would
do her any good there 1t was" and laid
the bill on the little shelf at his window.
Then he turned to wait on customers.
When he returned to the window the
women had taken the dollar and gone,
leaving on the shelf ticket and the cir
cular. He threw both under the counter
w. a. Chesterman, the next witnesses,
was called on by the women and in the
usual way, he was touched up for s..
Gave his check. After Mrs. Burton got
his check. she threw five concert tickets
on HIS desk and then went out remark
Ink as they did so: 1--WE won't call on
ingly replied: II hope not Witness did
not use the tickets.
Check for Mrs. Burton"
Mr.. II. p. Powell gave his check for
s.. made payable TO Mrs. A. C. Burton,
for the Dorcas Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church." After the check was
taken the woman handed witness five
concert tickets. Witness later had pay
ment of check stopped.
Police Officer H. A. Amos was the last
witness He arrested Burton and the
women on the morning of December 18th
on the charge of being suspicious charac-
tiers. He searched the party and found
on Burton the fourth memorandum book
and many papers, also drafts amounting
to Sa50 and 1892 in money. The book had
nfty-odd names In 1t of people who had
contributed. The first name was thu.
of A. G. Burton and So was marked oppo-
site his name. The amounts opposite tina
names of the fifty-odd contributors footed
up $3.50; found very little money on the
women. only about 81 on all of them.
No charge of petit larceny had been
made when witness searched the whole
Lyceum; they We're only charged with
being suspicious characters. Witness re-
ceiVed his instructions by phone to go
to the Langley and arrest the party.
Ihis was the, last witness called, and
nj Hos the Commonwealth rested ITS
case.
Counsel for defenre asked for five min
utcs' time in which to hold conference
With witnesses. The court gave them
ten minutes. taking a recess for that
length of time.
Rests It's Case.
When Judge Witt again took his sea,
Mr., Pollock, for the defense arose and
said
May it please Your Honor, the Com
monwealth admits that A. c. Burton,
Mrs. A. G.. Burton. Miss Grayce Hamerly
and Miss Geraldine Edwards, tried for
petit larceny in the Police Court on De-
cember 10, 1905, at which trial the three
iast-naned We're acquitted. and A. C.
Burton was adjudsed guilty. are the same
parties referred to in the evidence taken
here; that being admitted. the defense
rests Its case, and will introduce no wit
nesses.''
1t was known that the defense had
summoned eight or ten witnesses. most
OF whom sIwere on hand. expecting to
be sworn and put on the stand and,
therefore. such a tame turn in this here
tofore sensational trial was not only