The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-03-10
For the New Era and Old Dominion.
THE CASE OF HUNTER HILL AND
THE BEACON

.Hr. Editor In your paper Of the 2Slh ult.
l noticed that the Governor uf this State h ~
resPlted the unfortunate Hunter Hill until 10
seventh of February next
The announcement gave great satisfaction Io
all with whom ] have had The pleasure to c,,n-
verse ON the subject, in this. and the adjourn inu
countless and was much asionished To perce i've
IN the Beacon of the Sd inst. an article ,.on
demna,ory of the Governor for the course he has
pursued. am assured that had my old friend
~ The Beacon. been In possession of such pl.ufs
as have been laid before His Excellencv ai,per
tanning To the case. he would not have Gems ured
him for respitng Hill.
Gov. Mcdowell, just before he went ont of
office respied Hill, for the humane purpu Sc of
afiordng Hi's friends an opportunity of fc rxard-
ing him, or his in office affid;,v its of
facts, that his friends believed were mlrlp a,orv
and expressed opinion that there ere not
snilcient testimony against Hill on the trial To
hang him.
When Gov Smith came a,o office the Sc proofs
that had accumulated during Gov McDDwell's
administration, together with other te ST lmony
That had been forwarded 10 the capital, induced
Gov. Smith To respite Hill, until the arIy part
u March OF this year. Since that respite was
granted, and the people have thought m or e calm
~ on the subject many. very many, W no signed
petition 10 the former Governor to ha We Hill
hung, have since prayed Gov Smith To reprieye
him, and he has again respited him u the seventh
OF February next.
Among the papers that have been sent TO the
Executive, are the affidavits of several espec,a
BILE citizens of Nansemond County, that. lhev
had heard one of The jurors (rhomas Nj. Pierce)
empannelIed on the trial, say,-ony one hour
previous 10 his being summoned by the Sheriff.
. that his mind ,0ds made mp, and If he ,cas ON
The jury he ,oould hang Hill" This was said
to the byslanders, and sworn TO be 10 re VIM.
Sumner, Esq, j. p, by Wiley Ravsls,, Jethro
MIlleer, and VIM. b. Copeland but the fact of
such assertion was not known To HIPS able
Counsel at the time, or he would have taken ex-
cepiIons to such prejudiced juror Mr.. Thomas
M. Pierce IS, no doubt, good hone st man, but
his mind was prejudiced against Hill at the time.
as were those of seven-tenlhs of the inhabitants
of Nansemond County.
In all recent capital cases, that have been re-
ported IN this Country and England, where the
juror has made up his mind previous to trial as
to the guilt or Innocence of the prisoner, he has
not been allowed TO 90 into the jury box and
where 1t has been proved after the verdict has
been given, that one of the jurors W no sat on
the trial had expressed an opinion of II lie guilt of
the prisoner. preuiOns TO his being emf ,annelled,
new trial has always been allowed W illness the
case of Polly Bodine. tried in New Yo rk for the
murder of her sister in-law and child She had
three trIals-exceptions were taken Oh nvery trial
by her eminent Counsel, and new trll granted
each time; an attempt was made last winter,
to bring her to trial again, but after the whole
PANEL of the County had been exhs usted (some
eighteen hundred having been examined, who,
with the exception of two had made ND
their mlnds) she was removed to Orange County,
New York, for a new trial
Hunter Hills friends do not DENY that the late
Major Smith met his death at the ht,nds of Hill
but they do say,-and sufficient information
has, since the trial. been elected, to prove that
the wound of which Major Smith died, was
glven-if given by Hill Intentionally YIN self
deience-and they are convinced, that had Blox-
sofn, one OF the persons who is aledge ed 10 have
seen the fight, remained in the County of Nanse-
mond, and given evidence, and the two sisters,
jenkins. who saw the fight, been examined on
the trial, Hill would not have been con vi ced-
and 50 fully convinced are six Of the jurors who
tired the case, that there lOaS fight be tween
HIIi and Smith, that they have made aft davis
to the Governor, that they are now convinced
that there was fight. which. if they ha be-
lieved on the trial, they would not have re dered
verdict of guilty.
Mr.. Editor, did not, when commenced this
intend to have gone far into the case but
having high 0piniun of the Editor of the
Beacons toUe Of Justice. ! thought would row
what feeble light could tie subject.
Respectfully your obi servant d.
Suffolk, Va, March 6, 1916.
SENATOR HAYWOOD AND THE OR F.