Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-07-14


from its fangs. Governor Floyd enterec
the portals OF that mansion, buoyant will
hope and noble aspirations for his coun
try's veal and honor : he departed hence
with proud and naughty mien, but brand
ed by this city with the gravest charge
of both public and private wrong. AnC
no less than two committees were calleC
for, and raised as an act of justice to al
injured man, during the past winter, t
vindicate his fame and rescue his private
reputation from the busy hand of calum
my and detraction. But enough an
now done with the city of Richmond anG
the mob.
Now, fellow-citizens, had the abuse anc
condemnation of the Executive for this con
scientious act of legalized clemency, stop
ped with the rioters of Screamersyille and
Butchertown, would not so far forget
what was due myself and you, as to stooI
to vindicate the act of Communication or the
message of the Governor from their foul
aspersions. But this excitement, COM
menccd as have shewn in the City Hall,
has taken wider range, has extended it.
self beyond this city mob and reached a
different circle of society. Like the waves
and commotion produced by the fall of a
ponderous body on the surface of a
smooth sea, the circles Of this excitement
deepened and widened until it reached the
politicians of the little counties adjacent,
who became desperately excited, and with
unwonted patriotic zeal censured an act
which they did not understand, and con-
demned a message which for want of ca
pacity they could not comprehend. And
by a strange political freak which some
times operates on deliberative bodies, the
House of Delegates followed in the wake
and adopted two resolutions, with pre-
ambIe in which the facts contained in the
record of the case is misrepresented in a
material point and the obvious meaning
of the message of the nth of May grossly
perverted. Under these circumstances,
it is due to the Governor, the people OF
the State and especially is it due to the
NOrth-Wes and his native county, that,
at least, the facts of the case should be
properly understood. Bear with me, while
l record another chapter of the Hatcher
First, as to the testimony in the record
furnished the Governor. There is no
conflict in this evidence. 1 will give the
substance of it.
Jordan Hatcher was hired slave in a
tobacco factory in Richmond. Mr.. Jack
son was his overseer. "Mr. jackson looked
at Jordan's stems and found fault with
him about them, and asked Jordan if he
had not told him not to have dirty stems
on his bench, and said he would whip
him Inrflop coiI ho LoI fo1I
and that he would try and do better if he
would not whip him. Mr.. jackson said
he would whip him about it first. and
make him do it. Mr. Jackson did cut
Jordan several times with cow-hide, and
Jordan caught hold of the cow-hide and
asked Mr. Jackson not to whip him any
more. Mr.. jackson told him to let go the
cowhide and come out by the StoVe, and
Jordan did SO. Mr.. Jackson attempted
to whip Jordan again and did give Jor-
dan several blows with the cow-hide,
when Jordan caught hold of the cow-hide.
Mr.. Jackson told Jordan to let go the
COW hide, but Jordan would not let go
and Mr.. Jackson kicked Jordan, and
they had tussel, and Jordan pushed Mr..
jackson off and picked up the iron poker
and struck Mr.. Jackson blow with it on
the forehead. Mr.. jackson fell on the
floor when he received the blow, and Jor-
dan Immediately ran out of the room
down the steps, dropping the poker on
the floor. Mr.. Jackson got up almost inn
mediately, and ran down stairs after Jor-
dam" The iron poker was produced in
court and identified: But the size or
aceight of it was not proven, nor was it
proven that it aOGs a sCeapOm from aChich
death m,gAt probably ensue. This is slave
testimony, and it is all there is touching
the corpus deficit.
Shortly after the blow, a physician was
called in, who says he found Mr.. Jackson
with slight wound or cut on the fore
head-saw no evidence of any serious in
jury, and thought bathing in cold water
was all that was necessary. He saw him
again the next day, and at glance saw
that he was suffering from severe injury
to the brain. An examination of the
wound was made on the second day, and
it was found that the skull had been bro
ken and portions of it forced in upon the
brain an operation was then perfol med
On the third day Mr.. Jackson died
This is the sum and substance of the
evidence contained in the record of the
trial, and on this evidence the Hastings
court of the city of Richmond found him
guilty of murder and pronounced upon him
the sentence of death. Under the law
the slave condemned to death cannot be
heard on a writ of error before any ap.
pellate Judicial tribunal. But the law di.
rects the testimony to be taken down and
it with a complete record Of the case sem
to the Governor, obviously intending thai
he shall er o6fcio review the record and
not permit sentence founded on an erro
neous verdict to be carried into execution
And in addition to this, the Constitution
and laws, by express provisions. clothC