Serious charge.
--On Thursday afternoon
officer Crone arrested a soldier named
Jas. Smith, charged with stealing a
silver watch, a gold chain, one pistol, and $73 in money from another soldier named
Jno. P.
Townsend. Yesterday morning the parties were before the
Mayor, when
Townsend stated that the accused fell in company with him on Wednesday evening, and insisted that he should wait and they would return to camp together, as the road leading to their companies lie in the same direction.
After walking about the city some time they were joined in the neighborhood of the Danville Railroad Depot by another soldier, belonging to a Louisiana regiment, when the preposition was made by
Smith that they should all take a drink.
This the witness refused to do, whereupon they kept on down towards the
Old Market.
During the walk
Townsend (who has only two fingers on his left hand,) took out his pocket-book, and after examining some papers he had, gave them to
Smith to fold up again, as he was unable to do so himself.
The prisoner did so, but afterwards returned the book and papers to his own pocket.
Not liking such proceedings, he demanded its return, when, after some hesitation,
Smith took the pocket book from his own and reaching around
Townsend put it into his pocket, at the same time giving him a squeeze.
In an instant
Townsend suspected he had been robbed, and upon examination found that his watch and seventy-odd dollars in money had been stolen.
Knowing that no one else could have committed the deed, be grabbed hold of
Smith and his friend; but the latter drawing a knife, forced him to let go, and he escaped, carrying with him the watch.
Subsequently,
Smith made his escaped also, but was afterwards arrested by
officer Crone.
On the bed in the room where the prisoner was arrested there was found a pocket book containing seventy-six dollars in money and some papers.
The pocket-book was not identified, but the contents
Townsend claimed as his own.
Smith was remanded for indictment by the
Grand Jury of the Hustings Court.
