15 July 1876
On Sunday morning last Rhoda Fewell was arrested at Manassas by officer Wallace Hixson on the charge of assaulting his wife on the night previous. He was tried before Justices Whiting and L. B. Butler, who sent him to jail for 12 months and in addition imposed on him a fine of $50. He was taken to Brentsville on Sunday evening. On Tuesday, his counsel, C. E. Nicol, esq., obtained a writ of habeas corpus from the Judge of the County Court, which was heard at 4 p.m. on that day. The Judge, after hearing the arguments of counsel, released the prisoner on the ground that the Justices had no right to try a case on Sunday. The Commonwealth was represented by the Commonwealth's Attorney, E. E. Meredith, es., assisted by Judge Sinclair. The Commonwealth's Attorney as soon as the prisoner was discharged had him rearrested for the same offence and brought before Justice A. W. Sinclair, who sent him on to the grand jury and put his bail at $500. Fewell was unable to give the bail and consequently was committed to jail. He is also under arrest upon a peace warrent sued out by Mrs. Fewell.[Lucien "Rhoda" Fewell is probably best known for the infamous 1872 murder of James Clark at the Brentsville jail. A Civil War veteran, some have theorized that Fewell's "anger management" issues were symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ("PTSD"). ~cgl]
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