Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-10
|ND|CT CHAMBERLAIN
FOR BROTHERS. MURDER
GOocliland County Grand Jury EX.
pected to Return True
Bill To-day.
MAY PosTPoNE HIS TRIAL
Understood That Commonwealth and
Defense VIII Join in Motion to
Continue Case to Be Heard at
Special Term.

DR.. Asa W. Chamberlain, in Henrico
County Jail. is expected TO be Indicted
to-day by the Goochland County grand
jury for the murder Of his brother,
Judge Albert p. Chamberlain. whose
horribly mutilated body was found cut
into several pieces on the premises of
DR.. Chamberlain in that county on the
night OF October IS, after az five day
search.
Sheriff Sydnor. in whose custody DR.
Chamberlain has been since shortly
"fier his arrest, will leave with tie
prisoner on the 10 o'clock train for
Goochland this morning Attorney
Harry NJ. Smith. Of counsel for the de-
fense. will not go to Goochland for
the proceedings Of to-day.
:. regular term OF the County Cir
cuit Court convenes tomorrow. with
Judge John rutherford presiding. 1t
was expected until last week tina; the
trial OF Dr. Chamberlain would begin
in this term. Both state and defend
ants counsel. however, will petition
Judge rutherford for Il continuance
tc special term in January. and there
IS no doubt that the petition will be
granted. The special term will have
10 convene early in the new Year III
order that the Trial may be completed
before the beginning Of the 1915 Nir-
Einia General Assembly, OF which
Louis .. Wendenburs. special counsel
for the State. is member. The Lcgis-
lature opens January 6.
The trial OF DIR. Chamberlain prom
ises TO be one OF the most interesting
in Virginia for many years. Both he
and his dead brother were prominent
in public life i'll Iowa, whence they
moved to Goochland County about
three years ago. Tie dead man was
Il corporation lawyer OF Des Moincs.
Or. Chamberlain operated chain OF
drug stores in Iowa for several years
before coming to Virginia. The latter
purchased a large plantation in Gooch-
land County and employed his lawyer
brother to superintend it, 1t was the
expressed intention of both To build up
q large landed estate.
DEAD MAN VANISHED
AFTER GETTING JUDGMENT
So far as is known the brothers
lived contentedly together for two
years before any friction arose. Fin
ally. however, they did disagree: and
the disagreement is responsible for the
| ioctor's arrest following his brothers
| death II is said that the brothers de-
cided to part because of inability to
! agree: that the doctor owed the judge
! several hundred dollars. and that it
vas necessary for tho judge TO resort
/ to the courts to force collection Of the
debt.
/ II was soon after the court ordered
! DR.. Chamberlain to pay his brother
| the account that tho judge mysteri-
I ousiy disappeared. Judge Chamberlain
| had made many friends among the
| pconlc of Goochland during his life
among them. These friends were curl
| ous to know what had become OF him.
! They were certain that hc would not
| have departed from the county before
| bidding them goudhy. The more curl
GUS asked the doctor what had become
| Of his brother. lie is said to have
! stated that he had, on the night of
| Monday october -, paid the judge
the sum ordered by the court: that at
! that time Judge Chamberlain had ex-
pressed his intention or leaving imme-
| diatcly for Wyoming, and that he had
not seen him since.
| Judge C.hambcrlain's friend. we're
| not satisfied with this explanation.
I They suspected foul play. and immedi-
| ately began search, which ended will,
the finding Of the judges dismembercd
body buried under fenco posts and
Continued on Fourth Page.)