The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-22
LITTLE COURTHOUSE
TANNED WITH SPECTATOR.

tomorrow 10 near the remainder or
the trial
LITTLE COURTHOUSE
TANNED WITH SPECTATORS
Court convened promptly at 10
o'clock. Counsel for both sides were
present, and tho principals were in
court. AS expected, the little court
house was damned with spectators.
while the yard was alive with bustling
humanity.
The defense won first blood. when
Judge II. Gardiner Tyler ruled that n
demurrer to the declaration was per-
missahle at this late day. The advant-
age, however, was more than counter
balanced by the overruling of the de-
murrer itself.
Argument on the two important legal
points occupied the entire morning
session, and counsel for both parties
bitterly contested every incn of the
ground. At times, clash was i'm
minent, and recurrence of an episode
OF three weeks ago, when .Rfchnrq
Evelyn Byrd and Irving L. Campbell
came to blows. is eagerly looked for
ward to by the male contingent of the
audience.
Twentyfour men, composing spe-
cial venire summoned by Judge Tyler,
were summoned in court after the
noon recess. One was absent and an
other disqualified by being summoned
as Il witness. Two others We're dropped
because they had signed certain afti-
davits in regard to the motion for n
change OF venue.
From the twenty prospective jury
men, sixteen We're drawn by lot. and
came the elimination of four by the OPP
posing counsel. The vcnirc of sixteen
eiigibles follows: c. a. Green, w. II.
Gearhart, l.. Haxall, John christopher,
Hayden, John w. Avery, Alex w.
Binns. Il l.. Christian, II. G. Curtis,
John l.. Parsons. II. r.. Graves. George
Il. Potts, G. NJ. Southall, +. w. Binns.
Jr.
From the list. w. IT. Gearhart, Robert
Hayden, B. L. Christian and II. T.
Grover were stricken.
Before the answer Of the defense was
filed with the court. MIR. Smith asked
leave to make II slight change in the
declaration. This was done by insert :
ing clause stating that the letter had
been received by the plaintiff.
The defense offered three pleas: gen.
eral issue, justification and privilege
The latter plea is the most important
II being for the purpose Of showing
thai the letter was written Cor the
reasonable protection of life and prop
erty, as well as the protection of the
post office. The alleged insulting
words, 1t Is contended, were iust!fa BILE
being written and published by the
said defendant in the protection of her
b'oPS'ey tiit pIoiItIlE
10 her care, and that the words were
fair and bona fide comments on the
conduct OF the plaintiff. ana were with
out malice or possible to construe as
insults tending to violence or a breach
of the peace.
Objections to these two special pleas
were offered by Mr.. Smith, who made
"a motion to reject them. This was
argued in chambers. and the decision
will be made tomorrow morning by
Judge Tyler.
CITES LONG SERIES
OF ALLEGED INSULTS
Counsel elected to make short ad-
dresses to the jury. II being impossible
20 start the evidence to-day. Mr.
3 Smith opened the arguments. stating
the cause of action. after reading the
declaration, including the letter which
forms the basis OF the suit. Mr.. Smith
said in part;
I'm the spring of 1911. Mrs. Ramsay.
who we shall prove to be a very rich
woman. left Charles City County and