From the Richmond Dispatch, 3/4/1863, p. 1, c. 5

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 Jacobs ??? 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 Jacobs was on the watch, he commenced using the iron pin on his head and face. During the operation Jacobs 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. Jacobs 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 stifle 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 realizing 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.

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