Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-10-11

der, and more than death cannot be inflict
Ell by human Tribunals.
But in the sight of tkat God who gave
you life through him whose life you have
taken, the murder of parent cannot but
be vieweda as exceeding in atrocity, beyond
| the comparison, any other crime which a
human being is capable OF committing.
| This aged man, from whose loins you
sprang, aud under whose roof you enioyed
protection and support, chided you for
| your idle and dissolute life, and that not
with more severity than your habits and
conduct required.
| You did not deny his accusation, that
! you lett INN III extreme age to labour not
only for Lis own but Tor your comfort and
Subsistence while you wasted your time
IN Idle and vicious pursuits. Instead of
listening with becoming silence ndrespect
TO rsproaches SO well deserved, anG with
resolutions to amend your life; with the
ierocity OF savage or beast of prey, you
sprang towards the instrument of death
and with remOrseiess Jury buried it In the
bosom OF your father, and even after this
fatal blow, winch pierced the fountain OF
life itself, was struck, you dragged the
poor victim OF yoar brutal rage across he
room, and gave aim another cruel and pro-
| badly mortal wound, with the same dead
| iy weapon.
the sanguinary deed, SD unnatural, so
barbarous, could lot have been committed
b. one whountll then had passed life of
| lnnocence, and virtue but scenes of blood
must have been familiar to you, and hui
| man life must have been your sport.
The evidence on the Il al furnishes am
pie reason to believe that II your savage fu-
ry mad noe been intercepted, you would
before this have eXpIated as far as you
could by any human act OF suffering, the
death oi the same old man, who being en-
titled 10 your love u respect, has been the
object OF your ierociOus and unbridled pas
lsOns.
The idle, dissoIute and vicious life YOU
have spent has no doubt hardened your
heart and stiiied your conscience but it is
to DC hoped you know there is world to
come, and God whose tribunal is more
awful than that before which you nave APP
peared, and whose anger If not appeased
Dy sincere contrltlon you cannot stand De
fore.
Employ then the season of life which
may be leit you, i'll searching your heart
ald III repentance for all the crimes you
| may nave committed Tor they are ali
known to that being into whose presence
your last horrid deed has hurried you.
Even now II you call upon him in Gin
certify OF heart, he may forgive you, the Sa-
viour Jesus Christ may intercede for you !;
| and the punishment which the law is now
about to award may be the last you will be
called to suffer.
The sentence of the law, which accor-
ding to the solemn duty imposed upon them,
the court now declare, Is that you be re-
| moved from this bar to the prison from
whence you was taken, that from thence
| you be carried to the place OF execution,
where you shall be hanged by the neck UNI
! til YOU arc dead.
Aad nay God Almighty of his infinite
grace, have mercy upon your soul.
BY the evidence It appears that on the
evening of the 26th Dec. last, the prisoner
having spent the day from home in idle
ness and dissipation, returned home be-
tween and 9 O'Clock. That the deceas-
ed, man nearly eighty years old, reprov-
Cd him for his idleness and neglect OF duty,
and complained of the hardship of being
Obliged IN his old age, to provide provisions
aud fuel for the family, and to support his
son in habits OF protligacy and vice, and
| threatened to have him :. taken care ol.''
This reproof, so well merited by the pri-
soner, was answered by some angry and
insolent remark and by an inquiry if the
deceased meant to have a quarrel = To
which the deceased replied, if this was
| quaITeling he did.-The prisoner then said
it was best to have it settled directly
and thereupon instantly rose from his
chair, seized butcher knife from shelf
and plunged it into his fathers side. Not
satisfied with this, he dragged him across
| the room, seated him on chest, and gave
| him another savage and mortal wound IN
his bowels, whereupon the old man fell up
on the floor and instantly expired. While
the prisoner was in pursuit of the knife,
and belize he had reached it, he received
blow upon his head from the deceased,
with small pine stick and il was at
! tempted on this ground to reduce the Of
| fence to manslaughter.
The prisoner was very ably and elo-
quendy defended by Eli'P. Ashmun and
Samuel Howe, Esqs. and the prosecution
was conducted on the part Of the Common
| wealth with great ability, By the Solicitor
General. The trial lasted the whole day,
and the cause having been stunned up to
the jury in humane and impartial man
nor nv fhp Chiof Tuafico fl,o,, ..,4,,...,I .