New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-10-11
Sent to State Prison Sor Life for CcEarafs-
$50 ting Rape.
From the Roehe.ter Union. or. II


The case Of Rodney is one Of deep interest in the
vicinity where it occurred and has created intense
excitement. Rodney is native of Genevs, and
has always borne low and yIlainons reputation.
On the 18th Of Nay last he took possession Of A.
gentleman's buggy, and drove from Geneva few
miles into Seneca county. He called at several
houses and By artfuI stories endeavored to induce
parents to send their daughters to near Bsghbor,
who, he pretended was suddenly taken sick and
had employed him TO seek assistance. At three
places he was regarded with suspicion and sent
away but finally, calling at the house Of Mr.. Jede-
diah Person most respectable farmer, he so i'm
posed upon the father that he allowed his daughter
to accompany him. Rodney drove to a seelrded
place, where the girls cries could not be heard
and thers forcloiy ravished her more than once
The respectabity Of the gfrI, and the previous
character Of Rodney, Immediately raised such
storm OF indignation that the people were with
difficulty prevented from Iynehfng the author Of
the outrage. He WAS arrested, lodged in Canaan
daigua jail, and at the Seneca Circuit held ait Ovid
last week, he was arraigled and pleaded not
that Of guilty, and received the following sentence
The offence fer which you have been indicted,
/ and to which You have plead guilty. is one Of the
Diackeat IN the catalogue Of crimes, is held hy
many in greater adherence than murder itself. In
my own judgment, IL any crime deserves death, il
4 IS this one. Under any conceivable circumstances
\ it is detestabie crime; but under the circuna-
stances q this case II was atrocious. We are I'M
formed that on the evening of the 18th day Of May
i last, having taken possession without peyrnisson
Of some persons horse and buggy wagon, yoH left
fil1SU sriCF y0A llf aAa I'VE 70
the house of Mr.. Jededah Pierson one of the most
respectable farmers in our county and there under
4 the false pretense that some neighboring woman
Il was very sick and needed immediate care, you iii,
\ dnced him TO let his daughter, about the age or
seventeen years, accompany yon on what he sup.
posed was an errand of mercy. Having thus Iared
her from her house and taken her to place where
her cries could not be heard, you forced her TO
submit to the qualification Of your lust.
We can see now that it was indiscreet for Hr.
r Pierson TO allow his daughter To go with you, a.
q stranger to him; !; but the good man thought only
Z of the " sick neighbor who needed q wornariss
7 care, and doubtless the thought, up to the time
of the commission Of this crime never once crossed
/ his mind that there could be in the wide world q
a man who could visit his house with the fendiall
: purpose you did. The father has the consolation
that you did not and could not, pOllnte the mind
of his daughter; and that, notwithstanding this
great crime against her, she will be as much ra-
spected by all whose respect is valuable she has
;. always been. But this does not in the least paili
q ate your offense. Itis inc0nceiyahle by me how,
at the age of % yearsfor you say that 1t Is your
/ age-you could have reached such depth Of de-
y prayity as you have You cannot have reached it
:. by bound but you must have done it 90 through
9 a course of wickedness, commencing with the
a | days of your youth. Upon one so thoroughly de-
PRAYED words Of advice and counsel, at this time,
= would be thrown away. The Court are Of opinion
that you unfit to live in civilized Community
that you have forfeited all those rights which men
hold most dear; and that you should be placed
Z where no member of society will ever again stand
!. in fear of you. Our sentence is that you be con
fined at hard labor in the State Prison at Auburn
r for the term of your natural life. MA s .s4#s&