The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-12-25
DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE.


communication vas convicted at the Superior
Courr vi Chest,l Geld, tor the murder Of ElbeIt
MO.by ofPow hatau county IL Appeared nom
| the evidence (near 81 witnesses were examined
o. the nial) HAT hv mad p,e,Isu,ly had mn in.
tercoursr with llusby wife--that, To slion his
passions fuller scope, he had combined with VI. s
slnye to make way with hnn--had decoyed him
TO a secret spui--a heIe the slave and hInaelf
had lalles upon aud nun Iered Mosby-not with
! out struggle; ior the shave received several
wounds in the renconire. These wpsn1s excl.
ted susplc on, aud led To confession On the
part Of the slnvs. Tie last WIS sentenced TO
death in Powhatan but Mendun appealed 10
the last General Court for Writ of Error and
new trial The Court refused tue application,
! and he sentence oi death was TO be carried INTO
effect ON FRIDAY next. The following gives the
catastrophe OF Mendom
For he Enqui .r.
AN AWFUL AND HokRID AFFAIR.
On Monday, the a teentb instant most aw-
fIl and ho,rid affair happened in the all of
Chesterfield nopiIsoners, Joseph Nhtetord
/ snd Robert hendum, who were confined IN ial.
under sentence of death Tor murder, which s.n-
lrncc va, To have been carried INTO execution
on Friday next, dele, min i To pu, nm end 20
their existence by committing suicide The
jallor, rs is the usnnl custom, gave them in ra-
1orS Ia shave. ana after shaving themselves, the
said Whlelogd emalked 10 the guard aud his
FELLOW ~ soners, ihNi he rrVer would be carried
10 the gailows TO he made spectacle Of for
thousands OF people and then deliberately drew
the razor across MS throat several times, aud
gave 10 hinseIfa severe wound, but Of which
wound he iii survives, ard the same is not con.
,dered fatal by ,he physician sho WIS sperds
callsd 10 his assistance atd he mny yet 1--we to
pay the penalty of the violated lsF- of his coun.
try, for which ne is seniencrd 60 die
The case of Mendun WIS far more unloriu-
nate, OF raih,s Fortunate he accomplished his
designs with GOODNESS aud hrmness--evcu with
| q at so,i Of 6rmncss thai would IN Enrienl times
| have done honor to n Ro,nnn patriot he with
! the utmost deibeIation. tool. IA knife lbat had
been clandesinely Conveyed INTO the Jail to an-
| other prisoner. and. placing The handle thereof
against tine wall, forced himself with vecrce a
gatnsi thu pont. ahd gave 10 himself "A wound in
| the lower pan at Ihe breast about four inches
decp but believing his noi 70 ba sufficient 10
, end his miserable tie, he took the rnaor he ad
/ To sh we with ani y .c2ruiing ms face 10 the
! glass 20 see with more certainty where 10 give
me trial strokp, lac drew deliberately and care
! tuli ~ the same place several times and with
J the left maud drew the hcsh down 10 give great
effect 10 each stroke, and IN fey rondS fell
| and rGpireu ~ithoul FlOan.-Ail tins happen
aned IN ne space Ola lew sec nds, and before
| the kegs Of TIE inner apartments Of the Jail could
be procured bu M the view o. the guard snd
! several Other persons who had collected NJ the
jail ihe,e two other p, Sohels in the a
! par,nanl wdh W nitetotd aud Meudum, but uei-
ther of them could be prevailed on to prevent
| them from carving their desigus Iuto execution
| ---one OF them, however, at the earnest request
| OF snnte ~ the bVatandcrs, 81 one time advanced
towards Mendun for tive pup So of getting the
rA2oY before he commenced using II on MS
throat but Wntef ord. Notwithstanding his own
situation. for ne had then cut his GUu Throa
took TIP a small stick aud gave him bow, and
told him TO stand OF and not to 90 uear-Meu.
DUN ais ordered them rot TO come near hun
| hendum has invariably denied being guilty ol
the murder OF which he was convicted uOtwih-
standing the numerous, clear, aud mduJnabe
| circumstances given IN evidence against him
such circumstances as could not have eft a
shadow of doubt upon the mind Of any one who
has heard taem he has confessed though that
pocket pistol found on the ground where the
murder was committed, and dirk found near
the ssme place, were hIs, hut refused 10 tell how
the same went out Of his possession. Whtcto,d
still insists that I've killed Anderson in sclt-de
fence.--A Coroner's Inquest has been held Ovel
the body OF hendunb, At the Teqnes; Of the Jail
or. aud the iury, IN their report. say, that In,
said MPndum voluntarily and ielooIously kiIlet
aud murdered himself.
December 10th, 1928.
| exAa-