The attempted robbery and murder at the Spotswood Hotel.
--An examination was had yesterday at the City Hall, before
Recorder Caskie, into the circumstances attending the recent attempted robbery and murder of a boarder at the
Spotswood Hotel.
John Moore the defendant in the case is a tall, well formed, and rather intelligent looking middle aged man. He was charged on the docket with having, on the 14th of February, feloniously and violently assaulted
Armon Jacobs in the night time, at the
Spotswood Hotel, and after beating him till.
He was nigh extinct, robbing him of $1,000 in
Confederate States Treasury notes, $630 in
Virginia and
North Carolina funds, and $15 in gold.
It appeared that
Moore and Jacob scraped an acquaintance while journeying to the city from the
South.
On the 14th of February the cars arrived in
Richmond, and they mutually resolved to stop as the
Spotswood Hotel.
Prior to this
Moore had made himself acquainted with the fact that Jacob was in possession of funds, and the idea had no doubt presented itself to his mind to possess them by fair or foul means.
In pursuance of this plan,
Moore carried from the cars one of the heavy iron pins used in coupling the train.
When he and Jacob had retired to the same room at the hotel, and Jacob was, to all appearance asleep,
Moore commenced operations by an attempt to abstract the funds of his companion without his knowledge.
Finding that Jacob was on the watch, he commenced using the from pin on his head and face.
During the operation
Jacob struggled violently, and
Moore only got a small portion of the funds in his possession, the rest being scattered on the floor.
The noise made by the robber and his victim caused an alarm to be raised.
which ended in the capture of
Moore after a stout resistances.
Jacob was found on the floor insensible with his head so belabored by the iron pin as scarce to resemble a human being.
One eye was forced out on the side of his face, and blood ran in streams from his head, his mouth included.
In the latter
Moore had endeavored to introduce part of a pillow case, in order to staff the cries of his victim.
From the evidence of the witness, given as well as his feeble state of health would permit no one could doubt but that he had, during all the time of the attack on him, a real zing sense of what
Moore hoped to accomplish, and was determined to thwart him if possible.
He grasped his money with the tenacity of a dying man, and the first words uttered by him after recovering his consciousness was in the shape of an inquiry as to its safety.
The
Recorder, after hearing the evidence, committed
Moore for a further examination before the
Alderman's Hustings Court on the second Monday in March.
