The Battle On
April 25, 1896
Summary
Mary Abernathy’s trial, one of the famous Lunenburg Trials, begins.
Transcription
Farmville, Va., April 20.
The trial of Mary Abernathy charged with the murder of Mrs. Lucy Pollard began today. The Court-room was packed to suffocation by a surging mass of humanity. The prisoners had elected to be tried separately and Aunt Mary Abernathy’s case was gone into first.
There was a great desire to see the famous lawyers for the women. They had won such signal victories and their abilities had been commented upon to such an extent that the desire to see them was contagious and every body seemed to afflicted with it.
Hon. George D. Wise, one of the ablest criminal lawyers that the Virginia bar has ever produced, with a quick strike made his way to the court room.
Nothing escaped his steady eye.
It was he who went to Lunenburg C. H., in the midst of the most intense prejudice against his clients, took those who were most strongly in favor of hanging them and proved that they were entitled to the change in venue which an unwilling judge granted am the-prisoners were hurriedly removed to Farmville. Va.
…
After considerable talk it was decided to send a telegram to Fort Mitchell to have Grace Knight sent on at once so as to be present in time for the trial of the case of Pokey Barnes, and the work of impaneling a jury was begun. A venire of sixteen men was summoned, composed of substantial farmers of Prince Edward County. They were called before Judge Crute four at a time, and the usual questions asked of them as to whether they had formed or expressed an opinion which would prevent them from giving the prisoners a fair trial.
Each one replied that he thought he could. One of them, Mr. T. Butcher, in answer to a question said that he thought that it was a bad case.
Captain Wise: “Mr. Butcher, have you read the daily papers about this case?”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Wise: “What papers have you been reading?”
“The Richmond Times.”
Captain Wise: “And you have not former not expressed an opinion one way or the other?”
The witnesses said he had read the Times regularly, but that the evidence in the cases had been so conflicting that he had not been able to form a decided opinion one way or the other. When he had said he thought it a bad case, he explained that he meant the murder was a bad one, like those committed by W. H. Holmes, about which he had been reading. He did not mean that Mary Abernathy’s case was a bad one.
Captain Wise took each prospective juror in turn and put him through a course of questioning. Mr. N. D. Dillion, when questioned, said that he had been reading the Dispatch.
“Did it make any impression upon you?” asked Captain Wise.
“None whatsoever, sir,” replied Mr. Dillon, “I looked upon it merely as a newspaper report.”
Mr. J. S. Carter, under questions from Captain Wise, finally admitted that he had said it was a “horrible murder,” and that “if the women were guilty they should be hung.” Despite this, however, he declared that he was absolutely unbiased and could give the prisoners a fair trial.
…
Captain Wise cross-examined Mr. Pollard about his trouble with Mr. William G. Thompson about the path, to which he had testified, and finally got him to admit that Thompson had said he would kill him if he went across his lot again. Captain Wise then took up Mr. Pollard's account of the robbery, and by much questioning got Mr. Pollard to admit that beside his money, a number of pillow-cases, and some of his wife's dresses were stolen. The witness seemed unwilling, and Captain Wise said: “I wish you would be particular and tell the jury everything as nearly as you can."
“I will," said Mr. Pollard, "for I see you are mighty inquisitive.”
“I am the most inquisitive man you ever met in your life,” said Captain Wise.
…
“Were the women arrested the night of the robbery, Mr. Pollard?” asked Captain Wise.
“I don’t know, sir.”
“Don’t you know that the officers went to their houses that night, unlocked every chest and trunk they had, dug up their hearths, and found nothing?”
…
The trial of Mary Abernathy charged with the murder of Mrs. Lucy Pollard began today. The Court-room was packed to suffocation by a surging mass of humanity. The prisoners had elected to be tried separately and Aunt Mary Abernathy’s case was gone into first.
There was a great desire to see the famous lawyers for the women. They had won such signal victories and their abilities had been commented upon to such an extent that the desire to see them was contagious and every body seemed to afflicted with it.
Hon. George D. Wise, one of the ablest criminal lawyers that the Virginia bar has ever produced, with a quick strike made his way to the court room.
Nothing escaped his steady eye.
It was he who went to Lunenburg C. H., in the midst of the most intense prejudice against his clients, took those who were most strongly in favor of hanging them and proved that they were entitled to the change in venue which an unwilling judge granted am the-prisoners were hurriedly removed to Farmville. Va.
…
After considerable talk it was decided to send a telegram to Fort Mitchell to have Grace Knight sent on at once so as to be present in time for the trial of the case of Pokey Barnes, and the work of impaneling a jury was begun. A venire of sixteen men was summoned, composed of substantial farmers of Prince Edward County. They were called before Judge Crute four at a time, and the usual questions asked of them as to whether they had formed or expressed an opinion which would prevent them from giving the prisoners a fair trial.
Each one replied that he thought he could. One of them, Mr. T. Butcher, in answer to a question said that he thought that it was a bad case.
Captain Wise: “Mr. Butcher, have you read the daily papers about this case?”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain Wise: “What papers have you been reading?”
“The Richmond Times.”
Captain Wise: “And you have not former not expressed an opinion one way or the other?”
The witnesses said he had read the Times regularly, but that the evidence in the cases had been so conflicting that he had not been able to form a decided opinion one way or the other. When he had said he thought it a bad case, he explained that he meant the murder was a bad one, like those committed by W. H. Holmes, about which he had been reading. He did not mean that Mary Abernathy’s case was a bad one.
Captain Wise took each prospective juror in turn and put him through a course of questioning. Mr. N. D. Dillion, when questioned, said that he had been reading the Dispatch.
“Did it make any impression upon you?” asked Captain Wise.
“None whatsoever, sir,” replied Mr. Dillon, “I looked upon it merely as a newspaper report.”
Mr. J. S. Carter, under questions from Captain Wise, finally admitted that he had said it was a “horrible murder,” and that “if the women were guilty they should be hung.” Despite this, however, he declared that he was absolutely unbiased and could give the prisoners a fair trial.
…
Captain Wise cross-examined Mr. Pollard about his trouble with Mr. William G. Thompson about the path, to which he had testified, and finally got him to admit that Thompson had said he would kill him if he went across his lot again. Captain Wise then took up Mr. Pollard's account of the robbery, and by much questioning got Mr. Pollard to admit that beside his money, a number of pillow-cases, and some of his wife's dresses were stolen. The witness seemed unwilling, and Captain Wise said: “I wish you would be particular and tell the jury everything as nearly as you can."
“I will," said Mr. Pollard, "for I see you are mighty inquisitive.”
“I am the most inquisitive man you ever met in your life,” said Captain Wise.
…
“Were the women arrested the night of the robbery, Mr. Pollard?” asked Captain Wise.
“I don’t know, sir.”
“Don’t you know that the officers went to their houses that night, unlocked every chest and trunk they had, dug up their hearths, and found nothing?”
…
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Liam Eynan
Citation
“The Battle On,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed February 19, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1675.