The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-08-11
"BREECHES LEG" IS
POINT AT ISSUE
Charles Fountain, Slayer of Bur
ney Bunch, Vsinly Tries to Ex-
plain Blood Spots on Over
alls-Appellste Tribunal
Refuses Writ of Error.
RIG HNON Nd. VA.-Special.,

X & n N q y ID, VA.-Special.-
Charles Fountains breeches leg has
gone up TO the Virginia Court OF APP
peals. but Charles himself will 20 70
the penitentiary for ten years.
The breeches leg in question was an
exhibit accompanying the negro's pc
tition for reversal OF the lower court
but being mere slice OF a pair OF
blue Jeans overalls. IT failed to i'm
press the appellate tribunal and the
judges declined TO allow a writ Of err
ror.
This means that Charles is knocked
out in the first round and must serve
his sentence without further legal ado
And Charles, who is a Louisa dark
ey about twenty years old. gets of
mighty lucky at that, for with some
blunt instrument he sent his friend.
barney Bunch, to the other world and
then swore he didn't do il.
IL is said by those who know that
Sheres woman in the caSe-eOme
Ewart denizen of the Louisa oakbrush.
but her name does not appear in the
record. on the contrary, the petit
tion seems to indicate that Fountain
incarpadjpsd his hands (and inciden-
- tslfy his "pants') with human gore
after he had saturated his ebony hide
with cider.
The crime was committed on the
night of December IL. 1909, near the
railroad track at Zion Station; in fact.
in the immediate vicinity Of what the
record cal the depot"
That evening Fountain, Bunch and
one LinwoOd James had had a merry
time at the house Of one William Jeffs.
who sold the juice of the apple.
Each of the trio drank his quart of
cider and then James separated from
his companions in order to pay his
devoirs to one of old Louisa's most
winsOme mahogany daughters.
After an hour or so Fountain drop
ped by for him and the two proceeded
TO Zion Station. While walking on
the platform in front of the depot,
James foot struck something.
The something was the corpse of
Barney Bunch. and investigation
showed CHASTITY wounds on the head.
Fountain, the last man seen with
Bunch. declared that the two had
paused a little while at the station and
that he had drowsed off, He VEN
tured the surmise that while he dozed
Bunch had been struck by a passing
freight, train, although the body was
found some distance from the track.
James and the alleged murderer
spicuous place, and the authorities
were forthwith summoned. Some one
later on, observing dark spots on the
accused mans overalls. asked him how
they got there. He explained that they
Were stains which followed the activity
OF himself and James when they shifted
the corpse, which left its red trail
wherever 1t was taken.
During the trial Fountain denied
that he had said anything at all about
the bloodstains on his clothes. And
hence IL came to pass that his pants"
got TO be sort OF side issue in the
fnQuisitiOn.
Fountain. feeling that the appellate
Judges might like to see for them
selves, filed one brooches leg as an eN-
hibition. His counsel also filed with
the record little batch OF photogra phs
showing the scene Of the crime. one
picture shows Sood-natured citizen
posing as the corpse.
Fountain strenuously insists that the
he n frrac a1f
and through his lawyer he maintained
that the Commonwealth has not been
able TO establish n corpus deficit"
This means, in plain English, that he
called upon the State first To tablisn
the fact that murder has actually
been committed, and then demands that
his own guilt be proved.
II appears that the Commonwealth
has answered his call-at any rate.
Charles will go 10 the penitentiary.
II is believed by those associated
with the prosecution that Fountain
slew his man with the idea OF placing
him on the railroad track, and then
porRtion. But the train came footing
along too soon for him TO consummate
his greWsome scheme. He made a
thorough job OF the murder, however
The popular superstition that those
VINO take human life avoid looking at
their victims, apparently does not hold
good in Fountains case. He and Jnn,es
after il had been found on the plat
form.
Clerk Jones. of the Supreme Court.
does not indicate what he Will do with
the derelict brooches leg. now that a
writ of error has been refused.