Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-05
THE JUST Ri,WA OF ViiTtlNY.
" Thongh hand Join Ia hand. 'he iclod shali 20
pdAished."-hoLr BlBLI.

From tic Charie.foP Car Cdceffc.
THE CONFESSION or RICHARD FRANCIS.
Al The Court of Oeneri SESSIONS narnwe District,
Faii Term is,G. Rictar4 f1aacis was Convicted OF
horse stealing and eSec0Icd OF Tie Zs of Decein
Der following.
For soc line after his conviction he appeared tn re-
gard his approaching fate niL ,s most perfect iGdeT
be pardohed by the governor, Annat a wees before hs
execution he desired TO see lii. Trot tie sheriff VI The
dstric of whom he cnluiicJ whether tese was any
sohto nope Tor parton be'nE answered M e HelGiife,
he eUt hitl.t iy and ,Lat time hts execution.
lac continued 10 pray almost necessarily, and apgarsniy
"l'h m'Sh ieIFeer On the Cay pfeccaiS las execution,
lie sent again for hr. rU;ti huni he informed that be
wished 10 make confession OF the crimes of which lie
hadbeen .'1ity adding t.at b. doing so, he could, TIC
drought oie wA mere resignation. pspSr ard uk be-
ing pf"curedahd another genieinan called In lie related
Is fOlloRs:
That he 3 years OF age tile son of Richard
and .ary Francis. and was horn 10 y. Carolina, from
which State his parents removed oS Carolina SOON at
Ter h brih HS youth WAS spent id ieness ignorance,
folly aud Tie hTst crime of magnitude of which
he Was guilty was the stealing vi horse of his uncle
hended tried and convici,d hut pai doned b. Gov
ehor Aston, on condition that lie woGld enlist in the
naval service-that lie MAS accordingly conducted on
onaId the snnoolt cutter G1Fcr, stationed at George
town, under tie command of Captain Mok where he
NAMED about year that ia company with other
saiofs ne deserted anu came 10 Leland Creek IN Cole
ton District where lac had some friends and relations
and where he remained, Un hearing he advertised
as oesereItSt ne tbeh directed his course towards
Florida ia company with isaac Saus, his Nfe's uncle
that IN passing through Bryan county, Georgia. ,aey
came ACROSS inau Is ing drunk and asleep on Jerks
Bridge. Black or Sill Greek they threw Tie uan
from The bridge ,uo the took along with them
HE horse which was feeding a ile distance OH The
water under the bridge did not appear io be foot
deep but tie space between and the top The bridge
was between 20 aud IS feet aud the hoiou covered
with logs and ruhsish. They heard tbe the
water ara struggle hgNlat became Ofhim afterwards
they never understood. Outhc Altamaha river he fell
IN company with one Thomas jones with whom lie
esec II ihe commission OF theft rphaeTy, and y'lla'ny
OF every description that during The time he was with
Jones, which was about ID months, they robbed many
petsons anu houses 81 money, watches 3nd clothes
stole 10 horses and negroes all ot which they 10
the spanards IN Cast florida one OF the negroes who
Deiohs'u saio 10 Mr. Beck, they stole from Becks
Ferry, ON the Savannah River; the other fiom Jas
Cssweil, IN Tatne county, Georgia; that while IN CO.
partnership with Jones, ne stole On his account
morse from Mrs liarve ct BGllock county that himself
Jones aud one Lewis Randall associate theirs met
ri 81 Mary's with man of the name Of Johnson and
two others of the name OF Wiausou-aftcr spendiay
some time N drinking aud gambling t0rstIcr uuaIei
arose Between The two parties johnson threatening
iniom against them, they drove Oh Tie Wi.lansons
with clubs, knocked Johnson down threw HIM INTO the
river and escaped INFO Florida from ibence they went
INTO The Greek Nation and weie sometime employed in
steailr cattle and horses from the nhiaMs. which they
dsposed0f in Georgia. While in this employment they
killed Two lpdans, and of their party was shct
through the ann with rifle bali.
Fiat he afterwards engaged substitute in the Geor
ga militia aud having served two months Savannah
ne ueseItea WIN view o eniistina III the s. service
Withthat intention, in going MONTGOMERY in company
with sergeantof It. ruTpins he possession Of the
seScants horse, saddle, bride and pistols and MAKING
oil TO Sunpter District S. {. sold the horse &C 10 one
Charles Richardson, for 40 dsisrs-tiaJ on the Four
Holes, he stole mare from an unkuoyn ,crsnn lrh
he exchangedin Barnwel District and stole horse al
the 10 Miles House, tile road leading Charleston
TO Columbia which a few DAYS afterwards NEAR civ
DanrS Ferry, he exchanged with waggOner FOR another
horsethat near Hudson's Ferry on the savannah Xiv
err he engaged 10 work for man. and going savan-
nal on raft Of his employer lie LEFT the raft at Ebenc-
GER returned aud stole his employers horse came 10
s. Carolina apprehended aud committed 10 Jail al
Coosawatcbie from whence he discharged in con.
sequence Of the prosecutors appearing. lie then
stole stock of cattle in Collcon district which he sold
at S'ann's Bridge and for which lac was committed to
jan III Jacks"hsbofO Whiletherc, hearing that he was
10 he prosecuted by James MaiIard fur horse stealing
ne DfokeJaii, escaped and stole mare, colt saddle
piuie from tIe plantation OF Mr.. LeraX on the Round
y, which e sold on BriaT Greek Geprgia and went to
Florida Being there furnished by Thomas Jones aud
Lewis Randall with two horses, he returned to Georgia
70 sell item, hut being closely pursued by some Suaui
ards he was forced TO leave az the Saint
Marys the other he left with Jacob arer sud UenTy
Branch on The Aamaha, 10 self. That ut Riccborough
he stoiea hHTse which he sold Jacksnnhntous fGpor
galhe then To Carolina and al, lie uis,t or Inc
ith OF August, 1916, IA the company friend (Ahnn e
declined haming) approached The village OF Eafnwe he
remained 10 sight of the village holding the horses on
which he about to die He was Informed that the
mare which Mallard charged him with stealing was one
which he had exchanged With Mr. Ioper II So he oh.
served that he did not steal her hGi received
change for horse with knowledge however thai he
had been stolenIhat lac had many secret friends DIS
persed through the country between SuInpter District
aud the St Marys that they had sever before
MN III adversely hut that since bis last confinement
he had not heard from any of ihen and did not believe
that they had made any attempt IL assist him at those
ne called his friends had imposed on him keepina him
between them and the halter they rriV,tev co,tena
ctd ahd encouraged hiin aud pTofied by lis vliainy
while he was n!iserably destitute Of food and cotbiup
that lie had been four times married. and had two wives
county, Geo.
TO bad company and his own ignorance, he ascrihed
the dcpravy of his mind. lie bad often experienced
computations Of Coincidence but believing his situation
desperate both in this world and the next these sens,
vicious career.
He much agitated while making the above state
ment; but on concluding, grew calm. A minute
or two afterwards, however, his discomposure of mind
returned with greater violence. His whole frame be-
came suddenly cOnvused his couienauce evincne the
greatest mental agony. Becoming little more cOUDos
I'd, e observed, that he had omitted the most alrocous
act of lis life not Intentionally his was TO dis
close every thing tie could recolIcct lie thenmade sew
eTal attempts to proceed bHt Was unabiethe power Of
ueIlnce had entirely forsaken bin His agitation meg
suTabiy subsding, e desired that he mif attended
the morning, wien would conclude his comics
siln.
In tie morning his appearance was muchmore compo
sd. tie observed that daring tie night lac had conyeTsed
WIN The other prisoners niue subject that laid heavy
On BIS mind tic preceding evening which bad giyeu him
great rciief. leibe said, tbat after de ciing hon the
chtef bOAer, a. staed ABOVE. one ~ Tie sailors who
deserted atthe same iime (wbo.e nanc Nure) and
himself came to Charleston, Were hey remained ahunt
twO weeks while there huTi ~ observed that I've knew
man by the nam Of Blake ship pCntcr hy trade
who had money Of which lie proposed rob hin AMER
some enaury they discovered where Blake lndpcd en-
tered his bed chamber ~ late hour OF The night found
linn aiOie with 4 candle bnrninR sriIed him Nv The
throat, by Choaking etd hin from crying out, and
demanding hE money, he pOintcliO small frank, which
together with tie union tnnate 0uncD they carried
the street. where tley chDaAcd tie DEATH and a.
tcE tdhn" eoiu NhltH httu MS pocket, iheN raised
CRATE and deposited the ipdt n u the drains tire
town. intlc trunk ihrf found two hundred and forty
dollars in nonFy. iIaucs thfu made OF for Island
Creek, related above. Mufe spobc Of Bake per
sonw with whom he dcfuanttd aid francis believed
them both To he from the NOTihwafd.
Howas attended by clergyman ~ Tie railcws. and
prayed With much eatDesuea As tic shefi struck the
beard uudcr lbs feet hr cxcah4cl sueict, loud
to heard by several 81 The yrtsntcts, hough Rpps-
renily addressing mmsrd--' woes Nst'fs IS lie
nanWhp stole the horse Wsstsse Wstsss 0f EsluGut
District s the iah vhu brought into a r'y troubles
Tie Lord have mercy On Us The Load Lave mercy
u5w
Extract u letter ron Ug. Jc6e'son, 10 gen