Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-26
POLLARD ALLOWED
BAH. BUT MUST CD
To MURDER TRIAL
Brother of Real Estate Agent
Said He Had Triedfor Long
Time to RepuISe Mrs,
Richardson

RICHMOND, Va, Dec. 25.-Over-
ruling a motion made by the com
monWealth's attorney that both
Thomas Pollard and ]. Mosby West
be held without bail pending grand
jury investigation of the killing OF
Mrs. Thelma Ham Richardson Oh
the night of December II, Justice
Ingram late today held Pollard for
the grand jury on a charge of muir
der and dismissed the case against
West. Pollard's bail of S10,0 was
permitted to stand.
West, however, was held under a
bond of $500 as a material witness
in the case.
The action was taken after the
prosecution refused to put its Chief
witnesses on the stand. The defense
likewise refused to call Pollard to
testify. Commonwealth Attorney
Dave Satterfield stated to the court
that he would not expose his case
during the preliminary hearing
and, when Justice Ingram sustalne
his position, Attorney Hiram w.
Smith, for the defense, announced
that he would offer no further evil
dence on behalf of his clients.
Held for Grand Jury
Justice, Ingram then announced
that Pollard would be. held for the
Hastings court grand jury, which
meets on January 2. He said he
could see no evidence sufficient to
hold West on the charge of being
an accessory and, accordingly, d1s-
missed the warrant against him.
That the defense will contend that
Mrs. Richardson was accidentally
killed at the home of her former en-
ployer was indicated at the hearing
today when RobeTt n. Pollard, a
brother of the defendant, testified
that Pollard told him shortly after
the shooting that Mrs. Richardson
tried to "get him" and that she was
killed in a scuffle for possession OF
a revolver. Robert Pollard said he
was summoned to his brothers home
by J. Mosby West, under bond as
an accessory in the .Woman's death,
and that when he arrived Mrs.
Richardson was lying on the lawn
in front of the house and his
brother was standing nearby with a
pistol in his hand.
Robert" the witness quoted his
brother as saying, that woman
came up here after me with this
pistol" The witness said he took
the weapon from his brother and
when he failed to feel the beat of
Mrs. Richardson's pulse, he asked If
any effort had been made to have
her taken to hospital.
Tried to Break Relations
He testified his brother told him
he had summoned an ambulance.
The witness stated he then told
West and others at the scene to take
the woman to the hospital in Vests
automobile, in which, West testified,
he and the woman drove to Pol
lard's home.
Robert Pollard testified that since
August Thomas Pollard chad tried
to break away from Mrs. Richard
son." declaring that on the day after
Thanksgiving he had discharged
her from his employ in an effort Ito
further repulse her"
When the hearing was called
Commonwealth S attorney asked that
the case against Pollard be heard
and that West be excluded from the
court room until called upon to. tes-
tify. The state confined its case tn
the testimony of Coroner Whitfield,
Jerry Jones, a neighbor of Pollard,
and detectives who investigated the
case. Upon completion of Robert
Pollard's testimony West was placed
on the stand, but recess of an
hour was taken for lunch.