Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1860-02-27

been indicted BY a Jury of tle-coh
lfry. and fouIId guilty of murder ii
I'm the first degree. in wilfnlIy, deiib-
Eerately. felollionsly and of malice
laforethougirt. killing and numbering
George W. Turner, Fountain Beck.
Eham, and others, and you have also
lbeen defended hy counsel 81 this
county, assigned to yOu st your re-
qnest by the Court. with an ability
! seldom eouailed, andsYith azeal and
lattention to every point in your case,
whether Of Law or Of fact, that could
not have been surpassed had they
been defending : citizen Of their own
comfy. sslss "a = - Is
You have been prosecuted With
great ability BY the counsel represent.
ing the Commonwealth, and with an
interest the magnitude Of the charges
required, yet in . manner the moot
fasfidious could notsexcept TO.
The painful duty is derolved upon
me to announce TINS publicly the
penalty the law affixes to the crimes
whereof you are found guilty.
When ] look on Your comparative
yonth, yohr genteel appearance, and
consider the mental agoDies you naust
lave endured dnring these protfacted
trials. / cannot help plying you |;
and could wish. If the honor and Dig
nifty Of Virginia. the security Of her
citizens and their property would aur
thofize it, that the law imposed a Iess
penalty than death.
The crimes inywhich you particfpa-
ted, and which were so tragical in
their incipient steps, if carried to the
extent contemplated by yon and your
taccomplices and associates in arms,
for horror and fraterual perfdity,
wenld have had no parallel in modern
civilization SINCE the Massacre of ST.
Bartholomew eve.
But t will not attempt to harrow
your feelings BY . rehearsal of the
scenes as Harper's Ferry in October
last; this is now 3 part of the history
of our common country, and will I
hope, for years to come, constitute its
darkest page.
! prefer diverting yonr attention to
your awfnl situation. ForsI declare
to yon that | believe yon ought not to
indulge in any hopes of pardon or
Communication OF your punishment, :.
or of the suspension of your execu-
ton, (lnless there is some error in
its opinions.s and there is none. |
think, } and to urge you to devote the
few days remaining to yon in9prepar-
ing to meet that Judge bafore whom
yous and l. yonr jurors and COUNSEL:
and all, must appear to render an &C.
count Of the deeds dona in the body
You who have been raised in the
Christian world have learned that
there is q gracious Redeemer, who
invites all, even the greatest Grimm
ais. to believe in Him, to repent Of
their crimes, and partake of the bless
fngs of His atoning blood.
Ifyon can realize yonr awful posi-
tion. anil call on the ministers Of our
holy religion, they will cheeFfuIly,
gladly wait on yon; they wflI.intruct
yon in the way that leads to life ever
lasting. They will pray with yon
and ryou; they will accompany you-
to the edge Of the grave. and coms5
mend you to the great Captain, ofour
salvation, in whom if you contide and
on Hiinrely, BIZ his ''rod and staff .
he will conduct You safely through
the ozark valley Of the shadow Of
death. y
He then proceeded tofentence each
of them to be hung publicly on Fri,
day, the 10th dayof Marcfsnext, be.
tween the hours Of ten O'clock A. NJ
and 3 P. M.
Immediately after passing sentence,
the Court remanded the prisoners TO
Jail. and the crowd drawn together to
witness the proceedings quietly dis
persed.
Sszsf