Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-06-12
an,l -wara

We have beer a good deal Interested by what
we have heard OF the fate Of this young man,
recently tried in the County Of Randolph upon a
charge of murder, found guilty of voluntary
manslaughter, and sentenced to ltlres years i'm
prisonment in the Penitentiary. Ward is now
about twenty five or six years Of age, aud has
borueas high character for integrity, sobriely,
and orderly behavior, as any young man in any
community. lie has been a good and du!ifu
son, and devoted brother. Since he was
eighteen years Of age, he has been the sole sup
port Of an aged father and mother and of a
lovely ycpug sister Ia delivering his sentence
I'VE are iniormed) Judge Camden said he had
nothing TO say by way OF reptimand TO the pri-
soner-ihat he hal borne good character, and
had done only wha, almost every man, situated
as he was, would have done hat his conduct
tafter the fatal ARRAY, in which be had stabbed
George Il Long, was worthy Of all continental
lion--lhat it was, his painful duty 10 pronounce
the sentence of the law upon the finding of the
jury; and that never before had he pronounced
sentence ppon prisoner Of unstained reputation
And for " ha; did a Randolph jury find Ward
guilty .? For nficting, Oh the Slh of Ociol,s,
last, Oh George H. Long, wound, with poek
ct knife, of which wound Long died on The 18th
of the same month"; The wound was ina;ctea
under the l"....owiin.g circumstances Long was
s'rors, rubust man, six feet high, and weigh
Ing 1870 pounds. Ward is small, slender man
Of much less strength and weight. Ward bad
bought al sale of Longs, on the 9th, some
wheat, and went on the 9Th to see about it
when he saw the wheat lie complained to Long
that it was not clean Long said il was as clean
as the sample-Ward said it was not. Warm
words were uttered. At length Ward said he
thought Long had more honor than TO lei such
wheat go from his barr. Therenpon Long
caught Ward by the shoulders and pushed him
around. Ward ST uck Long once or twice owe,
the shoulder-Long kicked Ward-a scullle en-.
sued, during which Long, the strong mat, col
Wards head under his left arm, and whistle
had him in that position. bending down over
him and pressing him 10 the ground, Ward
stabbed Lorg with his pocket knife. Long
stick and struck Ward over the legs Feeling
sick, Long pulled Wards head from under his
arm, ca,ehed him by The hair, and toll him 10
stop, which Ward did. Long then unfastened
his clothes. and when Ward saw the wounl he
said, sl.ord. George, pity you from the bot
tom OF my heaft--wbai can | do for you ~
He then helped Long to the house and laid him
on his bed and went for neighbor-then for
the doctor--came back with he doctor and
evineed all the sincere grief Of one who had
done the deed with fearful necessity. This
was Long own Statement, 10 some Of he Wit
nesses. To Others he said he had caught Ward
by the throat rushed him back and i,tnmed his
head against the fence--that he was 10 blame,
aud hoped The Lord would forgive HIM Wards
head was bruised and wonnied in several places
the blood ran cut 81 his ear that night and
next morning his left arm was disabled for sew
efal days; his neck was very unc., bruised aud
swollen, SO mnch 81 that he could not button his
shit nexi morning. From the liref, Ward SAFE.
Long had rushed upon him, struck him with a
club and that be had stabbed him in sli.dei,nee
No one saw The ARRAY The parties we're alone al
the BAN. They had been friends from iheir
childhood and had never hal dispute Ward
was advised to fly=-he had the opportunity 10 DO
so. mol having been arrested uhtl he fourth day
after the ahray. He declined to avoid an inves.
legation of his conduct. The jury. acting no
dopol upon The nlea, that every prisoner is pre-
snmed TO be guilty until he proves lis innocence.
Found him guilty. There was not shadow o,
proof OF any malice or lll-will on the part OF
Ward towards Long. We tinders laud an appli-
cation for pardon will be made II we have
received tolerably correct impression Of the
facts IN The case, we 'asi The Governor will
neyerpefmii Huh A. Watd TO eater the Peni
ienliary.