Dispatch, March 19, 1889

Five Years in the Penitentiary -- In Good Spirits.

Moral -- VandalismMoral -- Murder

[Special telegram to the Dispatch.]

Eastville, VA., March 18. -- The trial of Samuel Roane for having fired, with intent to injure and defraud the Virginia Fire and Marine Insurance Company, valuable property in Cape Charles, in January last, belonging to J. J. Bunting, was called today -- Judge Hamilton S. Neale on the bench. F. J. Spady represented the Commonwealth and Otho F. Mears the prisoner. He pleaded not guilty. The fact of the burning, the prisoner's confession the day afterwards, and the fact of the building being insured was the only evidence introduced by the state, and none was offered by the defence. A plea for mercy was made by the defence and the case given to the jury, who returned in about five minutes a verdict of guilty, and ascertained his punishment at five years in the State penitentiary. The prisoner seemed rather indifferent to the verdict, and only said that he thought he would have gotten the term reduced to three years if he had been asked to make a statement to the Court. The trial of J. J. Bunting as an accessory before the fact will be called to-morrow. He will be represented by Hon. John Neely, of Norfolk, and William T. Fitchett and Otho F. Mears, of this place. Emotional insanity will be the plea of the defence. The case promises to be one of great interest, and will attract a large crowd from the surrounding country. Both Bunting and Adair -- the latter shot and killed Peter B. Smith last week -- are in the same cell, and both seem to be in good spirits. Adair said to-day that the murder was unprovoked, and that he had no just cause for shooting: that he was drunk and did not know what he was doing. He expresses great sorrow for the deed.