The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-02-07
SURGEON APPEARS
IN NEGRO'S BEHALF
DIR. Johnston Admits That City
Home Might Have Saved
Crawley From Death.
SLAYER SENT TO GRAND JURY
Wound on Head Resulted in
Death After Treatment at
City Home Hospital.

When James Fleet, colored. was ar
raigned in Police Court yesterday
morning for the murder OF Jessie
Crawley, another negro, on January IL,
a sensation was sprung by Gilbert X
Pollock, counsel for Fleet, with an in
timation that the defense would claim
that Crawiey died. not primarily from
wounds inflicted by Fleet. but from
lack of proper medical attention in the
City Home. Although DR.. George Ben
Johnston. chief OF the visiting stan
at the City Home. in a measure sub
stantiated Mr.. Pollock's assertions.
Fleet was sent on to the grand jury.
on the witness stand yesterday DR..
Johnston voluntarily declared that
Crawley's fracture of the skull might
not have proved fatal If the attention
given him had been more painstaking.
He freely assumed any responsibility
which might fall upon his shoulders.
and urged that Fleet be not tried for
murder. DR.. Johnston was not sum
moned to court as witness, but
learning from rumor what lines the
defense would take, appeared OF his
own accord to give the court fuii
statement of the facts surrounding
Crawley's death, in the City Home four
DAYS after he was strucA by rock.
DIR Johnstop's Statement.
81 am one of the surgeons attached
TO the City Hospital. and IL is my duty
to examine all serious cases" said DR..
Johnston on the stand. This man
Crawley was injured early in the
morning. l was called by telephone
and informed of his presence at the
hospital, and that he was not uncon-
scious. The next morning i saw the
man. He showed no symptoms OF
serious character. and l did not undo
the bandages that had been placed on
his head.
THE following day l saw him again
and still there were no unfavorable
SYMPTOMS Three days thereafter an
abscess formed on the brain two inches
in front of the spot where the skull
was fractured. I Immediately opened
the skull and drained til" abscess.
My purpose in coming here vol
UNFAIRLY is TO ask that the man who
perpetrated the act not be tried for
his Afe. There is an element of I'M
certainty in the victims death. Per-
haps if we had been a little more
painstaking his life might have been
saved.
II want to take all the responsible
ity that might rest >.pon me-"
Hit with Fence PaIing.
witnesses testified that following an
alteration on the night OF January II
at the corner of Duval Street and
Brook Avenue. Fleet and Crawley had
come to blows. Fleet finally picking up
a stone and hitting Crawley on the
head. Some evidence was to the erect
that Crawley had provoked the fight
by threatening Fleet with a fence pal
ing The coroner testified that post
norton examination had disclosed
fracture of the skull on the left side
of the head
Crawley, very weak, but entirely
conscious, was rushed to the City Hos
pital in the ambulance. following his
encounter with Fleet. Fleet was first
arrested for assault. but when Craw-
lev died four days later. the charge
was changed TO murder. The trial OF
the case in the Hastings Court Is ex-
pected to attract widespread attention.