Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1842-07-28
10 The Editor Of The Richmond y hig,
SALT SULPHUR SrRIsas,
Al, ~ $50

James r.. Brown Judge of the Clrcuu Superior Court
,ftses together with the judgment OF the Court, which
has been obtained for publication at the solicitation OF the
bar and others The prisoner, Lucas has. for several
years past been noted outlaw, aud object of gene
raj dread and devastation to the community in which
he lived of extraordinary strength aud stature,
blood thirsty and yIndlctiye his character. suslsng
principally by habiua pillerng and dishonesty, FROM
which the dread Of no punishment. the preparation
Of any crime could deter him. The testimony, though
entirely circumslantia, left doubt his guilt aud
possibly airoclous OF hunicide was
cf pcrpeuatod. The deceased John Pol was poor Ia
bofer stranger 10 The accused travelling foot through
Tho county Of Giles. on his way homewards. with
small wallet on his back. and. probably. few dollars
in his pocket, which constituted the spc lndnccmcnt TO
his murder. The evidence placed him IN company
with the prisoner about halt hour before sunset,
nj which time they separated the prisoner remaining
behind, and the deceased proceeding bis journey.
In faw minutes however. he Is pursued oyerakcn-
drawn into place Of soltudo-ovopowored -murder
ed-robbed-and the body covered with bark aud leaves,
in which condition It afterwards discovered with the
scu fractured, and other marks OF desperate violence
on the thruat and elsewhere. The case was submitted
without argument and the jury. after retirement Of 10
Is minutes, returned with verdict OF murder IN the
frat degree On the 9th day Of the Court the prisoner
being again placed at the bar, asked he had any
thing say why sentence Of death should he passed
upon him; TO which lie replied. IN tremuous but dis
inrt tone of voice, he had nothing.
Tho Court then proceeded 10 pronounce the following
judgment:
..DAVlD U'CAS--You are avan placed at the bar,
and the question just a'ked nrms You fthc purpose
for which you are there On tho first ia, OF the present
term. YOU were indicted for the crime Of murder, and
jury Of the country, IN part selected by Yourself upon
full. fair, and, trust, impartial trial, IN the progress.
of which You had the aid of able Counsel Assigned you
by the Court has found you guilty Of murder IN ho first
degree. OF the correctness Of that ycrdIc who
heard the evidence, can doubtso clear conclusive
50 overwhelming The facts proved. al tending to
~slablish your guilt that your Counsel ingenious and
able rs they known be- faithful and zcalous as
they certainly are. deemed argument useless and
unnecessary, and submitted the the Jury on the
evidence alone. and they. aileL period only sufficiently
long enable them to Interchange opinions in relation
your quilt innpcence awful rs the duty 10 them,
and dreadful its consequences are Ia YOU pronounce
You guilty Vi one Of The hghos, crimes known To
criminal code.
Your case affords strong Illustration Of lc truth Of
The principle laid down by writers evidence. that II
IL possible for evidence, entirely crcunsanal in lis
character, to bring conviction 10 tho mind strong and
conclusive could DO produced by direct and positive
proof. No human eve YOU intlci the wound which
caused tho death OF your unfortunate victim, wncs
yed tbs deaii-sirnggc. No one siw HIM wrlthinp
and grsspag, and dying. under YOU murderous grasp
But lie, whose eye never winks and whose Justice
snmbers has enabled You TO be traced from the in
eepton Of your murderous design, TO The very period of
its consummalon, by circumstances conclusive that
none doubt your guilt. For myself firmly and
solemnly am convinced that yeu murdered JOHN Pun
that the conviction would scarcely be stronger if l. my
self had witnessed the act The evidence too discloscs
Of the cold booded, Deliberate and prcmcdated
murders, that the annals Of our criminal Jurisprudence
have eXhibed-coinmitted for gam irfliny and
ptnl in its amount aud character. that the mind slid-
ders in contemplating at how low price human life
msy be estimated. will not attempt detail the eyi
dsnceii is familiar 10 yonrsoli and all who hear me
cannot, however omit the fact, that, strong as wcrc
the circumstances, unconnceied with your conduct and
declaration subsequent 10 the commission of the crime
your guilty conscience, aud the very means which
YOU adopted TO avert suspicion, only added To their
strength and have, in your futile attempts to csc,pc ms
ice frightened the bands which had previously cnan-
gled you. Before proceed to pronounce the sentence of
helaw cannot refrain from speaking YOU Of the causes
which have brought you to your present awful aud
miserable state. IT, in the Of these observ
should appear 10 he unnecessarily harsh il must not be-
attributed To disposition TO cxu over one WHO'S mst
oiterng the brink OF murdcrers Grave or to wound
the remnant OF human feeling, yet thrubbinp in vour
breast Such motives will, trust, never actuate mel
For ypul feel pity and compassion--no that YOU arc
about to expiae a life of wckcdness and crime by n
death OF intamy and dissrace-No Justice demands her
victim, and was there one, more deserving of
his fate. offered up a, her aar,but that poor weak
human nature should have become corrupt and drora
died! fwhat shall say has tho effect of awaking you
in the slightest degree 10 of your condition or of
cauiioning any one who hears me. from ireadnp the
path you have trod will not have spoken in vain and
shan have attained the object at which aim.
David Lucas-ltls now eighteen or twenty wears
since first saw You. You were thon yonno man and
apparently, had not long been engaged in The ac so CON
cerns OF life But, though young you were even then an
offender against the law You then stood n, the bar
charged with petit larceny. aud l. as Clerk arraipnod
you, and witnessed your conviction and punishment
From the county Of Wythe, where this conviction took
place, you were brought to the county Of Ges-a sec
ond time tried, convicted, and punished for petit lar
cency-ahd without being released from your confne
nent indicted, tried and convicted of horse stealing and
sentenced to the Penentiary tor five years This con
iincment you underwent and were discharged Scarce
~, however, you released, before you were again
guilty Of larceny. and again Indicted, found guilty.
sentenced t. TIRES years Imprisonment in the Ptnten
returned to your native place. One would have reason
Inent, fit had not the effect Of reforming would at eas,
have deferred you from crime. Bu-no! Instead of
working any sauiary change in your feelings and prin
cples, punishment appears only 10 have hardened aud
made you determined in your vicious career At
the last term OF this Court, again found you criminal
charged with shedding t.e blood of yonr nephew On
that fcaslon, although the evidence certainly esab h
ed upon you the guilt Of mansaughtcr, | could not
help feeling some sympathy for your fate. and was graf
lied, when the jury, from mistaken view Of the law
and evidence, pronounced verdict Of mot guilty.
There was something in your conduct and manner.-
soneihng ia the depavity of your character
which made me hope, that lie who had proved himself
a. adamant 10 the severity Of the law might he stened
" lis meIces. ain hoped That very mercy which
trusted might reform, and which you hailed as a blessed
de'iserancc has under the superintendent of an all
wise ffveideEte been made the oi your dcstrr