The Daily Dispatch: October 26, 1861., [Electronic resource]

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Hustings Court.

--The trial of Chas. Murphy, indicted for the murder of Albert, a slave was concluded on Thursday night, in Judge Lyons's Court. The jury rendered a verdict of "guilty of murder in the second degree." and fixed the term of imprisonment in the penitentiary at five years. The prisoner's wife, who sat by his side when the verdict was announced, produced a painful scene in Court by shrieking and exhibiting other manifestations of extreme mental excitement. A motion for a new trial, on the ground that the verdict was contrary to the law and the evidence, was submitted by M. Johnson, Esq., one of the counsel for the defence, which was overruled by the Court yesterday morning, and the prisoner sentenced to five years confinement. To give an opportunity for an appeal to set aside judgment, the execution of the sentence was suspended for a period of forty days.

The cases of Charles Smith, indicted for forgery, and Harvey Wash, for counterfeiting have been continued to next term, sundry cases in which they have already been convicted of similar offences being now before the Supreme Court of Appeals for adjudication.

The case of Edward S. Gentry, involving a question of status, has been continued to next term, and the party admitted to bail in the sum of $500. The Mayor has decided that Gentry is a free man of color, requiring a register, while he claims to be a person of "mixed blood. "