Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-02
WRIT OF ERROR AWARDED
IN HARR|s0N-R RAMSAY SUIT
supreme Court OF Appeals VIII
Review Famous
Trial.
UNDER
DUELING STATiJTE
Harrison Secured Verdict OF $4,000
In Trial Court Because Owner of
Nestovcr Wrote Him Letter Warm
ing Him to Keep ON Her Place.

Appealing from n Judgment and order
entered in the Charles CITY County Cir
cult Court awarding damages I'm the
sum OF $4,000 to Hugh IT. Harrison. Mrs
Ciarice II. Ramsay yesterday filed "a
petition In the Virginia Supreme Cour,
OF Appeals and was awarded wr,, .,
error and supcrscdeas The pcti,iop
was iilcd by her principal attorney,
Richard Evelyn Byrd. former Sneaker
81 the House OF Delegates. direct
descendant of William Byrd. who was
founder OF Richmond, and builder ot
WeStover. which Mrs Ramsay now
OWNS and occupies.
Following GOODNESS In neighborly
relations between Harrison and his
i"'hiiy and Mrs. Ramsay and q letter
IN which Mrs. Ramsay asked Harrison
10 cease corresponding with her and
warning him. because Of his alleged
remarks. TO stay away from the post :
ONCE and her wharf Harrison insti
tuted suit for $4,000. Harrison's prin-
.ipal attorney was Harry II. Smith. Jr
After trial before Judge ID. Gardiner
Tyler, lasting week the fury found
Tor Harrison, awarding him 50, 500 dam
ages. Attorneys for the defendant not ed
an appeal. and ninety DAYS in which tn
tle the papers were given them Tho
verdict was returned on October 90
1914, and the appeal was filed yester-
day
SUIT INSTITUTED UNDER
tNTI-DUELINt: STArIIrE
The suit was instituted under tho
somewhat ancient and half-forgottcn
antidueling act. remembered and OBJ
served now only In the oaths To which
Office holders must subscribe
The appeal recitcs that IAN inspec-
ton OF the case will show that II is
unique In the annals OF the judiciary
history OF the State. 1t IL an action
by man against a woman for Insult :
ing words. Such being the gravamcn
OF course 1t was brought by the plain
TN against the petitioner under the
statute generally known as the anti
duelling act, and we will be pardon ed
Tor saying in the offset that there Is no
similar case In the annals OF American
Jurisprudence: here we have a strong.
vigorous man, twcnty-ciEht years of
age, coming into court and practically
saving that he was so much cnragcd
and inccnsed at the alleged words writ
ten or and concerning him that ne WAS
determined 10 avail himself of the
statute enacted for the prevention OF
dueliing. and 10 ask at the hands OF
IL JurE-not for any damages he had
suffered at the hands of this woman
Tor by his own admission there were
none. but for money. because Of his
outraged feelings"
WAS ONCE ENTERTAINED
At HtRRISON'S HOME
The paper goes on to rcc!tc that for
sixteen years Mrs. Ramsay had been
the owner and occupant of "Wcstovcr"
one of the most historic Colonial man
sions standing by the James River.
and that the plantation was once owned
by the ancestors OF Harrison Mrs
Ramsay was entertained at the Harri-
son home when the plaintim was n
small boy, and her interest In him was
such that when he became a man and
was married and a father she gave him
choice Jersey COW for his little child
Then, the recital runs, when she went
on journey to Europe she placed her
house In his hands and asked him and
his wife to occupy 1t against her return.
There was but one restriction against
the general freedom Of tho house--that
what she regarded as sacred-the pre-
cincts OF her own bedroom should not
be violated by an alien presence. But
the sanctity OF her bedroom was vio-
lated, she AYERS, and In that act began
the GOODNESS between the two families,
which arrayed them one against the
other in court OF law. Ensued then
n petty correspondence, the petition re-
latcs; there was trouble over wharfage
bills due to Mrs. Ramsay, and finally,
she says, she heard that he had threat
ened damage to the post office. of which,
she was the mistress
WROTE LETTER OF
WARNING TO HARRISON
She wrote a warning letter, telling
Harrison that his presence near the
post-Office would be regarded as a
menace. Harrison looked upon this
letter as n reflection upon his reputa-
ton. and he brought suit
Mrs. Ramsay asked for n change OF
venue. declaring that she could not get
justice in Charles City County: that
she as woman had not been able to
make friends among the men. whereas
Harrison. being man and having been
born In the county, could seek sym
pathy and support among the county
people. And because change of venue
was denied her. and because she re-
CARDS the jury's award as excessive,
and further because she denies that
malice In fact was proved against her,
Mrs. Ramsay makes her appeal from
the decision OF the trial court.
The case will come up for argument
n