Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-31
DARK FOR Me-" !"
SAYS PHYSICIAN
HELD FOR MURDER
DR.. Chamberlain Protests
Innocence of Charge
of Brutal Crime.
NO SPECIAL TERM
FOR SPEEDY TRIAL
Feeling in Goochland County at
This Time Such That De-
lay Thought Best.
PRISONER CoNsULTs COUNSEL
County Coroner Says Experienced
Hand Butchercd BODY OF
Judge Chamberlain.

II am innocent Of my brothers mur-
der" and "1t looks dark for me-" are
tho only statements officials have been
able to get from DR.. Asa p. Chamber
lain. In Henrico County jail, charged
with tho most brutal murder in the
history of Virginia, and in which the
Chamberlain. was the victim Or.
Chamberlain has been in Henrico Jail
since late Sunday night. when he was
carried there by Goochland County Of
ficcrs following the finding of his
brothers horribly mutila,ed body
buried in pieces at several points In
his yard, ten miles west of Gooch,and
Courthouse.
No further important developments
in the sensational case came ycster-
day. Goochland officers stating that
they believed they had sufficient evi-
dence to convict the accused man. IT
was stated definitely that the murder
must have occurred at Judge Chamber
lain's home Monday night. October 90.
According to the doctors own story
at the time of his arrest. Thursday,
he went to his brothers. house on that
night in answer 10 a letter the judge
had sent demanding payment OF an ac-
count due him The amount OF this
account Is said to have been sl4oO
The brothers had agreed TO a compro-
mise. through which the judge was
to receive $1,000, according to the doc
tor,
COLORED COOK TELLS
OF DoCTOR'S MOVEMENTS
Dr. Chamberlain says he paid the
account, got his brothers receipt for
1t and bade him good-by. 1t being the
judges intention he said, TO leave for
Cheyenne. Wyo.. that night. The last
he saw OF the brother. he declared.
was when he left the house with a
suit case.
The theory Of the Goochland officials
is that the doctor really did pay the
account, and that while the judge was
engaged in counting the money. he
either struck him with n heavy cane
or choked him to death. They express
no doubt as to DR.. Chamberlain's q
guilt.
Dr. Chamberlain's negro cook de-
late Monday evening"; that he ate little
supper, and. contrary to his custom
followed her out into the yard when
she started home. She says she saw
q wagon standing by an outbuilding.
and that beside the wagon was a dark
object. She started to investigate fur
ther but was told by the doctor that
the object was merely a pile of hnr-
ness. She says the doctor paid her
$50 that night. what this was for
she did not say.
EXPERIENCED HAND, HE
SAYS. BUTCHERED BODY
DR.. L. X. Leake. coroner Of Gooch-
land. says that he is convinced that
an experienced hand butchered the
body Of the dead man. The legs. arms,
head. the heart and lungs looked as
II they had been removed by skilled
surgeon, he said.
It Is stated. too, that the fence post
holes in which parts of the body were
found had been prepared several days
before the murder was committed, and
that there were holes in Dr.. Chamber
lain's stables that looked as II they
had been dug to receive the body.
DR.. Chamberlain's expressed theory
that his brother may have been way
laid, murdered and robbed by some one
who saw him receive the money Mon
day night Is not credited in Goochland
There. neighbors OF the men are as
thoroughly convinced OF the doctors
guilt as II ne had been pronounced
guilty by jury. The web OF circum-
stances woven around the old man Is
too strong, they say. to permit doubt
Feeling Is intense against the accused.
It IL not probable that any special
term Of court will be called for i'm
mediate trial for that reason. 1t would
be extremely hard to get an unbiased
jury In Goochland at this time
HARRY NJ. SMITH. JR., MAY
DEFEND CHAMBERLAIN
Dr. Chamberlain was told yesterday
morning OF the finding of his brothers
body. He is said to have expressed
regret and horror over his death and
the mutilated condition Of the body.
He yesterday consulted Murray NJ. Nc
CURE, an attorney who represented him
In a civil suit brought by his brother
last May in Goochland Mr.. Mcclure
told him Of the finding Of the body.
He has not, however. consented TO rep
resent the doctor In this case. Harry
M. Smith. Jr, OF Gordon & Smith. has
also been. asked to represent DR.. Cham
berlain.