Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1852-07-09

have even in this progressive age rarely been enacted
within The limits Of law abiding Commonwealth
when they shall tolerated by popular journals
sill more b. her lawful authorities her srCs may indeed
weep over her departed glory.
H,y ne thus freely traced tie history o! ChrstcIs caSc
&c v,r IN the Enquirer permit row gcnteneH 10 sup.
v from the Executive records lie portions you have omit.
i he'd nIendd 10 furnish Some extracts 'fom Tie iesi!
ry touching tho sanity .! me deceased, upon whose
,creu,s the case principally 10 'e n'n fcsrc
hr am u:wilng eacumacr your columns WIN "at"F
mi absolutely essential Lct it be tai "l'n 's:c t"utce
n(,r. The Court which condemned C:1.'ef, hS etS va"
nuc of ppa5Ie and aggravated murder Hip THAI Il"'
r,GuT TO TEv HIM This question nr.s&ds h:'" '"'
,.,j by Iia record -: whirn the acc"un: cna N'S
IN ynu oaT, Tic Plat June, give not tic si"ht Ha
lion I! that III subsequent aFr AFTER '.' ~
rIcrp rms oMssIoS and stated that chtarr taG teHH b-
y,uusiy ncqr ted, yUn od"l! The hcomtal O"I "'."
s tx 81 tli,icntv Let have the !uct fist, AS THEY
yp rpox THE RECORD ard then W. can &c cee li'"e
Of the arsu.ert. And here sgan VITA the sDie Vie" " -.
'.g vnp trouble will present The facts viii: all pracc"'ie
,y,v You could crafty more than by put:'sii;E
rh. entire record it rorc agreeable 10 yourselves
w. -,cord then si0,cs Tic DECEASED was wouE2sc on
m 29tl slarcn 1856 aai cird on the l2hl o April ! ht
e.. .u,umous ss;d . The 9Th Of April csns court -.
sier's TRIAL The first court met "a the Ism an! 90 I'M
h continued The 10 The ensuing tenn lhe net la'
, r,rc ur the 10Th Of = az. Chester tiled on 80
oi,ation rargna t!a The did oa, &c, ",iny aiI fha
tu.lv make an assault fE0s. l. " ilai- and han
cc t i.iy and iCl'ush teal WIN !E"n"n III -
rr y, Ran ,irn The snii Y. =. w. !; Hhr!1npon ui
,isrrr pleaded guilty; and sGadr witnesses "!s@
,n"On ,ataTc consideration, the Court were p rT;'"
that the SAID Chester not 2nty IN niHnrT ana inLI" "
n INC jncrnntlon Aforesaid against hi' = asS'd ihte
C,rr considered bv the Court tat he NC ut-is i
t:char ycd'oi tins pro.ecu'iun.' -
On the CAV following Ecw summons was lSsuea Iins
colrt for he trial nn charge Ct murder. -
The court which finally cndcHued NM me: On me 1T
Iur Tnc Attorney for the Commonwealth th Nsh ~
charging that lhc prisoner 'on ts 29th OF March
1886 tinniousy wIlfuiy deliberately, relc"i a;'e.ynf
II h.. malice ao:cthuu"h ola s'i,k, w l''n u, 's'
So Il eIunuuslv wiuy IND OF hS na.lc" aiortth 'usn'
eli, ard murder the said Thcmis T. Williams me pr,
nc1s counsel rendered plea 81 :"Itrr nrGI,ith "h'
The court trc,cd Ga The next day the court upon ma
said Chester was guilty OF murder in tt f"st degTee
!, - ,rue n. Won saw that FIRST
-u,A WAS rin ASSAULT WITH INTENT IN K!Li WHICH
IrpoE K You say, will coscEDE - ne TOTALLY nlF
rEnEST CHARGE FEaM THAT Of MURDER OF WHICH IHEs
rru WAS rnrSD GUILTY THE :uB-EQcESr TRIAL" c"'.
ccdr freely vry different ciats" ana very diFsn'
crime One may strike, with ln6n! 10 h ira nj ai :"
he strike with no intent 10 XIII ana yer Kill not ma
- vet the question:. The question Is Ian nan ne ~"
ly acouills! Of striking wiIh Ifcn: u k and after
wards br OF MURDER ~ lie st degree! NOW To
answer his il Is Only necessary - say that TO Constitute
mi, ,s IN the sf drprec-ar What is the Thing vi;
i deliberate and malicious mufdcr-hr STEHTIoS To- XII
i, an essential Ingredient. IL time since nal occa
sion To Csc very particular attenn to The c!rac law
very seldom since the year le5b-oul as inc "a" then
stoud should suppose liec could nave been dou"t
that ncquitla Of striking wit" intent Ia XIII was an "cqal
tai III wlu unl Deliberate murder, charged II nave pro
corded from ne blow. Law ohghi To b", COLI
mon sense Without Undertaking 10 speak confidently upon
In point on which you have expressed coairy npinnn-in
nv plain capacity does seclr confess, Inat II nan Is
not guilty -" the Intention 10 Kali. he cannot he guil;y OF
Intentionally killing. But ypa may be neh'' gen
,rr,,n a all. judge Danci ana HIS thfec as
soeia,es Wvndham Robertson, and his constitutional
.t,,ser and myself, every ge5lcman Of the probes
sion 10 whom have put III" question, may Be wrong
Granted gran.ed-but still believing. iis Or seriously dnEb
ing whether il might be- what snpud the aching Gov
have done Tell me, gentlemen, what would y"H nave
drc2 Al that day you knuw-hryrc The progressive De-
had become thoroughly enaOted Cl THE ONE MAS
POWER The Governor assisted by advisory Council
In still puer day Of tho Republic, he vas not thought at
liberty 10 sobcy their advice. On this OCCASION the Gnty
memte. Of the council then acting advised The repTeve OF
Chester ] had almost forgotten tell you he too is
Whip-but truth requires confession BE this rs il may
do you still think conforming that advice und rep.ev
ing prisoner convicted OF murder who had been lawfully
acquitted OF any mrer0us design, the conduct ui Leuen
ami Governor Robertson equally as bad Us that ct h0V
Johnson in retrieving Hatcher ? You can answer that
question: For myself slill decline making odiDns CON-
IA rspns will only that il the conduct OF Wyndham
bertson had been other than il was- believing that The
prisoner has been duly acquitted he had sueed him
IN he executed under void unlawful Iudgment-stIil
more il he had surrendered that "hgher law, which
rran,u.a under foot all laws Of God AMI man-hc would
have been If accessory murder, traitor 10 MS ttust
and u his country. .
Having shown this have nothing more 10 add, than to
REQUEST you will publish the suboincd letter III Chester
cnnos.l-tc advice ui Councillor MaclarnEG. which you
h,I omitted TO mention single sentence from The opn-
ion OF Wyndham Robertson in 1885, in the case o. Hum
ocy showing the principles oy which he was governed in
retrieving slaves condemned for murder Inc whole record
is Of course nj yonr service
~ Pnners which have Published any notice 81 Cm'scrs
ca, viii OF course publish ths such portions al least a.
may present all tho material !acts.
''1' r'--oN JOHN ROBERTSON.