The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-22
Triple Execution I'm New Kent
County--The Last Act I'm the Grant
Tragedy--An Interesting Narra-
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NEw KENT @. H., VA, March 10. 1858.
AT an early hour this morning. q vast iauititude
assembled to witness the execution of Major Nor
ris, Henry and Dick Bradley, the murderers of Jas.
y. ursn5; few minutes past 10 O'Clock A. NJ, the
sheriff, John s. Lacy, Esq, with his deputy. Cbas
Hewlett, Esq, proceeded to the jai, for the bur.
pose OF removing the chains from the prisoners
and TO shroud them In robes of black eambrjs.
when they were led eut of their CELL Capt Brax,
ton Garlck, with the Troop, escorted them 10 the
gallows. ~ ~
On their arrival, the Rev. George n. simeoe. ono
OF their spiritual advisers delivered very solemn
shu Impressive sermon. At the conclusion of this
ne prayed very feryently. They were then ask "a
II they had anything to say. Henry and p,ck s,;d
sney were prepared to meet their God Major
aiorris said he had fallen victim to the srallows
,hroGgh the persuasion and advice of his friends
ne adtaonished those around hin, nsvor - ,.Iasa,
too much confidence in friends
ihe halters having been properly adiustefl To tbe
Deahl ana their necks when they first .scapded to
the seahold, the fly was drawn from the ctyon ana
at IL o'clock VI. they were launched int a,ani.
The night preceding their execution Wa an,ia.y;
10 prayer and supplication At Intervals tbcr
sang the very meancholy hymn comua,cjn,
" iark from the tomb!" As gazed throuoh tbe.
. oh s,ates OF 'he prison WINDOW into their cell, 7
conid but feel sad at SO woeful spectacle.
Thus the last act of this bloody drama ha, hao,
, performed. and the curtain, l trust has f.lien
never to rise on a similar tragedy in New Kent or
| sisewhere. This is the fourth execution which
nsI "
that beieil the county in lTST
"hiie upon the subject of executions nv mind
,nSoiuntarIy reverts to the depiorable es,ructioI
Oh the clerks Office, together with the county i,i
The former contained all the records and mill
papers of the county, which had teen denositad
there for preservation from the creation Of A.
county, in 1904. up TO the time of it's being CON
sumed by tire, which occurred on Sunday I,ioht
tue loth OF July, 1851 As this is one of the most
calamitOus incidents connected with the history nj
New Kent, purpose giving the readers of the bis
patch a summary of it:
John Price Posey, lawyer by profession fo-
the commission of a misdemeanor, was arrested
and committed to Jail; but before the tima or
rived for his trial, friend of his (Thos Green ,
broke open the Jail at night, and posey made his
escape. by tradition, / learn that Posey had n
very valuable payer in the clerks Office which h,
wished to destroy, as it was to affect him mate ri
ally in ptcnbiary manner lie made an old ser
want, named Sawney, who belonged to Gen Cham
berlayne, accompany him TO the clerks Office aid
jail. Upon their arrival there, he ordered Sawney
to apply the torch first to the JAIL and soon u.
this accomplished, the Office was set on fire
/ and burned to the ground, with all the records
aud papers belonging thereto. Sawney was ar
rested and sentenced to be hanged, but was re
commended to the cemency of the Executive b,
the tribunal before which he had his trial
Posey was arrested for felony, but refused per
| emptoriIy TO be tried by the county court. He al
legged that he not within jurisdiction of the
court, as the members thereof were not legally
commissioned and qualified pursuant to the law.
of the land; and also, that no commissions Of the
peace OF oyer and terminer could Ge produced in
court or could they be found in possession of the
clerk, with the records, or in the Office Of the
county, for all had been destroyed in the Office ht
had set fire. But after filing this bill of excep
tiohs and with all of his legal astuteness he could
not eXtricate himself from the punishment he &c
Justly merited. He was tried by the Gerera
Court, at Richmond, and doomed to die the death
Of feion. Yours, DYKE.