The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-19
SET BLANKS CASE
FOR NEXT THURSDAY
TRY MAN ACCUSED or THE MUIR
DER OF GEORGE
SISNALLS
WIFE. BEATER TO ROADS
JUDGE MULLEN TELLS WILLIAM
SPENCER SOME WOMEN ARE
PROVOKING, BUT NOT
THAT PROVOKING

PFTERSBrRG. VA, Sept. Is
The September term of the Hastings
court commenced this morning, Judge
Mullen presiding The grand jury
considered first the case of the Com
monwealth VS.. Waverly Blanks
charged with the killing of George
Nuunaliv. in which a number OF Wit
nesses were examined True bills
were reported in the case OF Blanks
and the case of Charles Scott col
ored charged with breaking into and
robhIng the liquor store OF ]. c. Shore
& Co, on Bollingbrook street.
Thursday, September 18th, was set
by the court as the date for Blanks
trial. and Monday. September 22d, as
the date for the trial of Scott.
True bills were also reported in the
following cases: Arthur Faison, cut
ting; Robert Anderson. felony; VIII
liam Green. stealing from the person;
William Spencer. wife beating,
The first case tried was that of the
Commonwealth VS.. Arthur Faison. col
ored. charged with cutting John Dan
lei Parham, colored, Faison was given
four months In the city jail and fined
$40.
william Spencer. a white man. was
tried on the charge of beating his
wife He was convicted, and the Jury
fixed his punishment at three years
in the penitentiary. In sentencing the
prisoner Judge Mullen said that IT
may he that women are sometimes
provoking. but that a man has no
right to lay hands on them. that there
was no reason to believe that this was
true of Spencer's wife, and his assault
upon her was entirely unprovoked
The court then sentenced him accord
Of ipr
viding that he be worked on the road.
Spencer is a native of Ettrtck. and
gave as an excuse that he was drunk.
His wife was beaten in n terrible man
ner necessitating the postponement OF
her appearance in Police court for
several days. The present Mrs. Spen-
Ger is the prisoners third wife. the
two former wives having died.
william Burrell and David Butler.
two eolored boys. charged with rob-
berry. were ordered to be sent to the
reformatory.
Two other cases of less Importance
were then brought before the court:
Jack Johnson, charged with mis-
demeanor. was discharged and the
case of Thomas Saddler. charged with
vagrancy, was postponed to some
other day in the term
In Dinwiddie Court.
In the Circuit court OF Dinwiddie
county. on Tuesday, the case of Jesse
Elam, colored, charged with highway
robbery. was continued to the Decem-
Der term for trial. Several months
ago two negroes late at night. held
up and robbed and assaulted F. M.
Kemna, a farmer of the county, get
ting considerable sum of money and
other articles from him. One OF these
was arrested, convicted and sentenced
to eighteen years in the penitentiary
at the last term of the court. Elam
has been identified after evading ar
rest for long time, and finally ar
rested by the police of this city.
Murray Smith. colored, a former en-
ploye of the Seaboard Air Line extra
force. .near Rawlings, Va. was brought
to the hospital in this city this morn
ing in badly wounded condition. Smith,
who seems to he unable to give = cor
rect statement of his movements from
the time he quit Brayane'e 8orce.