Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-11-02
EXPECT BLUNDON
CASE TO GO TO JURY
TODAY; WIFE HEARD
ielpmeet, Like Her Hus-
band, Is Cool on
the Stand.
PROSECUTION CHARGES
ACCUSED ROBBED BANK
Allegation Coupled With AS.
sertion That President
Fired Building.
ro COVER TRACKS. ADVANCED
Fhnjor Rear. for Governments. and
Judge WILCOX. for Defrnne,
Conclude Argument

~ That III. Gordon Blundon. former
3Prcsident Of the Commonwealth Ma.
ktional Bank. OF Recdv!l!c. Va. no,
Hcniy robbed thst institution. hu,
iiho act II on tre to cover up his
&'rhnsactionS. war the charge made
8py counsel FOR the government Ia
! arguing the case before Circuit
Jndxc G, a. Woods. acting for Judx.
ID. Lawrence Gronc-, in the United
8Statcs District Court here yesterday.
lhis assertion came In the fac. of
Il Testimony O' Mira susie Norris
Hlundon. wife or tho accused, tina,
= her husband Was In the house from
Sundown sunday until he went out
to tho hrc on Monday morning
Both Major Paul W. Kcar. United
8statcs distric, attorney. and Letter
Farsons, assistant. contendcd that
the testimony In the case. which had
been In progress since last Monday
= u week ago. was sufficient in their
i opinion. to convince the Jury tina,
Blundon had robbed the bank and
that ne set nrc TO tho building TO
cover mp his tracks"
VIII 60 to Jury Todny.
With argument by counsel FOR both
sides well under way, IN. case viii
! certainly 80 to the jury before court
! adicurns this afternoon. Major kcar.
y
4 Thomas IL. Wilcox. ot Norfolk. Of
counsel for the defense. completed
their argument yesterday. and Mr.
Parsons was interrupted AT i:3O
o'clock. the usual hour for adjourn
ment, Mr. Parsons will conclude
mis- morning and probably viii be
followed ny Hiram Smith or State
Senator Thomas Downlns. for the
accused. and Gallon B Jones, assist
TAI lsuty
probably viii close
Instructions to the jury VIII be
given BY Judge Woods at the con-
clusion OF argument. and dclibera-
ton ty that body viii begin.
The appearance Of Mrs. Susie Nor
ris Blundon on the stand. and her
testimony In behalf OF her husband.
was the outstanding feature OF the
trial yesterday While the Supreme
Court ha. ruled that n wife Is an in
competent witness in case in which
her husband is the accused. the gov
ernment attorneys withdrew objec-
t!on. and she was permitted to tes-
tify.
Witn~s. Cool on stand.
Like her husband yesterday. Mrs.
Blundon was cool on tn" stand ana
showed no evidence Of confusion
She answered all questions asked hcr
clearly and directly. Her testimony
followed that OF Colonel Hiram
Smith. OF the defense counsel. who
took the stand In contradiction Of
conversation declared TO have taken
place between himself and g. \. Cop
page. father Of Granville coppaGc,
cashier OF the defunct Common
wealth National. who stated on the
stand that Colonel Blundon had
asked him 20 persuade the younger
CoppaEe to admit the possibility
that ne might have left the door OF
the banks vault unlocked on the
afternoon preceding the night when
FIRE destroyed the bank building.
Mrs. Blundon acknowledged over
hearing conversation between her
husband and the elder Mr.. Coppage
relative to the vault door. She tes-
tined that Mr.. Coppage asked Col
onel Biundon the direct question:
"Will II be criminal negligence II
Granville admits that ne left the
vault door open?" to which she de-
clared her husband answered. I'm
less the intent was there. ! do not
think II would be criminal negli-
gence." Mr.. COppage then expressed
worry over the matter, continued
Mrs Blundon.
This followed tho testimony OF
Colonel Smith that in the course OF
the former trial Of Colonel Blundon
Inst January in the United States
Continued on Page 8. Col. 2.)