The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-25
EXECUTION OF
John s.. W OR MLEY

the law John 8. W0rmiey was executed
Chesterfield Court House, Is miles south .
this city, for the murder Of Anthony i. 10
bou, Of that county, on the 17,hof July, 1881
Our readers will generally remember the pa
,iculars Of the murder and The causes which
led TO II. Robou was the son-in-law Of worm
lev, and had been married TO his daughter
about Two years. A separation had laker
| place, aud suit for divorce, brought by Ro
biou, v as pending at the time of the murder
| The two families resided in the same neigh
borhood, and at the time Robiou was shot he
/ was passing the house of Wormley, along a
! public road, lying on his back on the top Of q
| load of plank which he had gone for with his
wagon to a neighboring saw mill that evening
| As the wagon was passing the door of Worm.
| ley's house, he advanced towards the road and
fred muske,, the ball passing through the
body of Robiou, killing him instantly. Since
the subsequent DAY, now nearly two years, the
murderer has been lying in Chesterfield Jail.
After long delay in procuring a final trial,
he was at last found guilty, sentence passed,
and the day of his execution fixed in April
last. This judgment was suspended for the
purpose Of awaiting the result of an applica-
| lion TO The Court of Appeals for new trial.
Failing TO obtain new trial, he was again
sentenced and the time fixed for yesterday
by the Judge for his execution. A week
earlier was named by the Judge, tthe Nth
inst.,) but the criminal requested that the
time might be extended a week, in order to af-
ford him an opportunity to inform his friends
in Kentucky or some of the Western States,
of his fate, and to afford them an opportunity
TO visit him, before his execution, if they de.
sired to do so. The Judge granted his re-
quest, and yesterday was the finale of the
tragedy, brief account of which we will has
lily give our readers. A large concourse of
people, estimated at not less than four thou
sand attended the execution. At the early
hour of 8 in the morning the crowd began TO
assemble, and continued to swell until the
hour of IL o'clock.
We never witnessed the same number of We
hicles and horses brought into requisition
upon similar occasion the greatest ankle
iy was exhibited by all present TO witness every
incident in connection with the final proceed.
ngs in a tragedy which has SO long excited
the community in which ii occurred Addi-
tional interest was impaired to the execution
by the fact that the murderer was a man of in.
telligence, of wealthy and very respectable
family and connex ions, who had been educated
for the law. He was As years of age few
days ago, tall, we'll made man, of about 100
pounds weight, of finely shaped head and fea
lures, black eyes and dark hair slightly mixed
with grey. The whole impress ofihe man be.
spoke high origin and intelligence.
When we reached the Jail, at an early hour, a
large crowd surrounded the door of the cell where
the prisoner had been so long incarcerated, and
where there was a guard with m l,kets stationed to
keep back the pressure, which was very great to
get glimpse of the criminal There were three
spiritual advisers, Reverends Nixon, jones and
Fre1d of the Methodist Church, together with two
sheris in the Jail with the culprt, where the con-
solutions of gion were being Administered
These being concluded. after Ii o'clock. amidst the
greatest excitement, the criminal emerged from his
cell, accompanied by the ministers of religion and
those of the law. He wore black cloth frock coat,
pantaloons of the material, black silk waist.
coat, black silk Northumberland, black silk hat,
and had on pair of handsome boots He
walked with calmness and deliberatien to point
at the entrance of the courtgreen, and took chair
which had been provided for him. Here, from an
elevation farther religious exercises commenced
A hymn was first given out and sung, number of
the bystanders uniting. Next followed prayer,
Cd kv Of Oh
hours length, by the Rev Mr. Nixon, the text being
in Proverbs 2sth chapter, 18th verse. The crmi-
nal sat Immediately in front of the sacred stand,
and exhibited remarkable ease and composure dur.
ing the whole time.
At this point the ceremonies continued for near
ly two hours at the conclusion of which the priso
ner called the Rev Mr. Friend to him, and after con.
versiug with him few minutes, Mr. F. again
mounted the stand and stated that the prisoner
wished him to say that the crime for which he was
soon to die, was not committed with malice afore.
thought, nor was 1t committed through the instga.
ton of others; was 1t true, had been charged
against him. that lie had, at different periods, killed
three or four men; he had killed but one man
except Robiou and he should die without enmity
towards any human being, but at peace with the
world, and In the full hope of pardon and peace
with his God
Mr. Friend added, that in making these declara-
tons he was convinced the prisoner was candid,
and he (Mr. FL being familiar with the facts of the
death of the individual alluded to by the prisoner,
he would further add that he should have acquitted
the prisoner of any criminal intent on that occasion.
At the conclusion of Mr. F.s remarks, the prisoner
asked for pencil and paper, which being hsnded
him, he commenced writing, standing erect and
holding the paper in hs hand, which exhibited the
remarkable fact that his nerves were perfectly
steady and free from any excitement After writing
in this manner few minutes, (what we understood
to be notes of what he intended to say at the gal
| lows,) the Sheriff turned to him ami asked him if
he was nearly done. "Are you waiting for me-
I'm readyf" was the prompt reply of the prisoner.
| He was then conducted to a wagon, a short dis.
lance off, ascended therein himself, and accompa-
MED by those who came from the prison with him
about two hours previously, and followed BY the
crowd OF spectators, moved off to the gaows
which had been erected in field, on the skirt of
forest, about fourth of mile west OF the prison.
/ Hare SHo f,fs,