Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-06-28
Gbc Dailp Diroinian
From the Richmond Dispatch. June 25.
Execution Of John y. WOrmley.

Chesterfield Court House, Is miles South of
hs CITY, for the Murder Of Anthony I. Ro.
hiou, of that county on the l7th of July 1851.
Our readers will generally remember the par
ticulars of the murder and The causes which
led TO it. Rohiou was the son in law OF Worm
| ley. and had been married 10 his daughter
about two years. separation had taken
! place and suit for divorce, brought by Ro-
hiou, was pending at the time of the murder.
The two families resided in the same neigh.
borhood and at the time Robiou was shot he
vas passing tho house of Wormley, along n
public road, lying on his back on the Top of n
load of plank which he had gone Tor with his
wagon to neighborlng saw mill that evening
As the wagon was passing the door OF Worm
ley's house he advanced towards the road and
fired musket, the ball passing through the
body of Robiou, killing him instantly. Since
the subsequent day, now nearly two years, the
murderer has been lying III Chesterfield Jail
After long delay in procuring 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 Application to the
Court of Appeals for a new trial. Failing to
obtain a new trial, he was again sentenced and
the time fixed for yesterday by the Judge for
for his execution. A week earlier was nam
ed by the Judge, (the 18th inst. but the Grim
nal requested that the time might be extended
week, in order to afford him an opportunity
to inform Lis friends in kentucky or some Of
the Western States of his fate, and 10 afford
hem an opportunity to visit him. before his
ecution, If they desired 10 do so. The Judge
granted his request. and yesterday was the f.
male of the tragedy, brief account of which
we will hastily give our readers. A large con.
Course of people, estimated at no less than four
thousand, attended the execution. At the ear
y hour of 8 in the morning the crowd began
to assemble, and continued TO swell until the
hour of l2 o'clock.
We never witnessed the same number Of We
hicles and horses brough, into rrquisiton up
on similar occasion; the greatest anxiety was
exhibited by all present to witness every In
cident in connection with the final proceedings
in tragedy which has SO long excited the
community in which it occurred. Additional
interest wns impaired TO the execution by the
fact that The murderer was a man Of intelli-
gence, of wealthy and very respectable family
and connections, who had peen educated Tor
the law. He was 45 years Of age few days
ago, q tall, well made man, of about 1870
pounds weight. of finely shaped head and fea-
lures, black eyes and dark hair slightly mixed
with gray. The whole impress of tho 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 80 long incarce-
rated and W h, re there was guard with mus
kets stationed to keep back The pressure which
was very great to get a glimpse at the crimi-
al a. nj 1aIx RpU
erends Nixon, Jones and Friend, Of the Meth.
odisl Church. together with Two sheriffs, in the
Jail with the culprit, where the consoaons of
religion were being administered. These be-
ing concluded, after ii o'clock, amidst the
greatest OK citment the criminal emerged from
his ,ell, accompanied by the m nisters of reli-
gion and those of the law. He wore black
cloth frock coat, pantoloons ofthe same mate
rial, a black silk waistcoat, black silk neck
handkerchief. black silk hat. and had on a pair
Of handsome new boots. He walked with
calnlness and deliberation 10 point at the en-
trance of the court green. and took a chair
which had been provided for him. Here from
an elevation. farther religious exercises COM
menced. hymn was first given out and
sung, number of bystanders uniting. Next
followed prayer, which was succeeded by an
ADDRESS Oh dDOuL an HOuT ny Lho iseN'
Mr.. Nixon, the text being in Proverbs, 2sIh
chapter, 18th verse. The criminal sat imme
diately in front Of the sacred stand, and exhlb-
tied remarkable ease and composure during
the whole time
At this point the ceremonies continued for
nearly two hours, al the conclusion of which
The prisoner called the Rev. Mr.Frend to him,
and after conversng with him few minutes.
Mr.. +. again mounted the stand and stated that
the prisoner wished him TO say, that the criRe
| for which he was soon to die was not commit
ted with malice aforethought. nor was 1t com
mitted through the ns' ignaon of others; nor
was it trde, as had been charged against him.
that he had at different periods killed three or
four mon, he had killed but one man except
Robiou, and he should die without enmlty to-
erds any human being,but at peace with the
whole world, and in the full hope of pardon
and peace with his God.
Mr. Friend added that in making these dc
clarations he was convinced the prisoner was
candid, and he (Mr. F. being familiar with the
facts of the death of the individual alluded TO
lu tba or;soner ba would further add that he