The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-08

The Scenes when DIR. Galentine was
Sentenced His Speech and the Re-
marks of the Judge-The SObs Of
sympathetic Women.
[From the Cleveland Plaindealer Of Thursday.l
At 8 O'Clock this morning court opened,
pursuant to adjournment, and in q few
minutes Galentine entered the room in
charge of sherih's deputy. He took his
accustomed seat, his pale face and weary,
nervous look indicating that he had suffered
much since the verdict of the jury was
made known. There were but few persons
In the courtroom at the time, but among
them were half dozen or more women,
some of whom had been regular attendants
upon the trial.
For a few minutes after Galentine's en-
trance he sat talking occasionally to some
friends about him, while a portion Of
the court docket was read by the clerk,
preparatory to adjournment for the term.
The reading finished, Judge Paine called
upon Galentinc to stand up, which he did,
his arms folded across his breast. The
Judge announced to him the verdict of the
jury, and inquired if he had anything to
say why the Judgment of the court should
not be pronounced upon him. Galentine
replied Us follows:
GALENTIHE SPEAKS.
81 have but little to say except to return
thanks to the Judge and jury for the fair
and impartial trial | have had. Although
bitterly provoked, although my thoughts,
words, and acts have been cruelty misinter-
prctcd. can say that ] entertain no malice
againstthc prosecutors. / will not attempt
| to conceal the fact that longed for and eX-
pccted IN acquittal-not for my own sake,
| for now life has but few favors for me, but
other than personal consideration led me
to earnestly long for an acquital-a par
| alyzcd father who is now aged; tender
| mother and loving brother and sister,
who need ME now more than ever, and a
young, darling, tender child, whose future
needs my tender care and guidance. Such
considerations led me to earnestly long for
an acquital.
| 81 have carefully watched all evidence
| in the case, and have honestly and earn
estly endeavored to recall to mind all the
occurrences of the last two. days (previous
TO the homicide), and nH solemnly say,
and | call Almighty God to judge me if L
do not speak the truth, that | cannot now
recall more than / have related of the cir
| cumstances connected with the affair up to
| the fatal shot. Now, in conclusion, wish
| to return my thanks to the counsel for their
noble friendship, and the able and satisfac-
tory manner in which they have conducted
my trial. and to Sheriff FraZee and his wife,
and to the jailor, for the numerous favors
| / have received ut their hands. am now
ready for my sentence"
While Galentine was speaking several of
| the women present sobbed aloud. When
| he ceased. Judge Paine read the sentence
"The unhappy and criminal circum-
! stances which have eliminated in your mel
ancholy situation have so recently been the
subject of thorough judicial investigation
as to render it unnecessary, If not impro-
per, for me on this occasion to relate them.
| 70 your own mind they must be painfully
| familiar. and the public has been surfeited
with their indccorous and demoraliZing de-
tails. shall, therefore, only refer to such
of them as to my mind justify the conclu.
sion at which | have arrived as to the
amount of punishment l feel it my duty to
| inflict.
that you killed DR.. Jones was admit
ted; and also satisfactorily proven on your
| trial. II this was done purposely, and OF
deliberate and premedtated malice, you
were guilty of murder in the first degree,
and Justly incurred the penalty for that
crime. This would he your crime, how
ever overwhelming the provOcation for,
although the laws under some circum.
stances Justify or excuse taking human life,
murder is Interchangeable. No circumstances
justify, excuse, or modify it.
1.-The only defence relied upon on your
| trial was that you were at the time insane,
land IN consequence incapable OF criminal
act, and the real issue in dispute was whe-
ther at the time you took the life of DR..
Jones YOU were thus irresponsibly insane.
| The issue was attempted to be sustained in
| your behalf by IN array Of witnesses sell
! dom listened to in Il criminal case, and by
argument Of unusual ability and ingenuity,
aud was met by about the same number of
witnesses and ability in argument. and the
! jury, after mature deliberatlon, found
| against YOU on that issue.
"If you were responsible for your acts at
the time you killed DR.. Jones, see no
reason to believe you were not two days
before, when you declared your intention
! to take his life, and purchased pistol and
| practiced for that purpose.
Il conclude that the jury must have
found that ut the moment when you fired
the pistol you were in possession of such
sanity Of mind as to make YOU responsible
, for your acts, but that the great and sudden
provocation of the moment so overwhelmed
! you as not to make you responsible for de-
! liberation and premcditation. If this was
their finding, the strict logical consequence
would be Il verdict Of murder i'll the second
degree. But | presume the jury, in the
] liberal exercise Of their legal right in cases
OF doubt, and in consideration that the pro-
vocation WAS so intimately connected with
domestic troubles growing out of the sup
posed or real intjGeli!y of your wife, and
| the difficulty of accurately measuring the
effect of such trouble on the mind, named
: the crime mansiaughter.
| And yet | cannot, sitting here, made
responsible by oath, and feeling responsible
| 10 society for a faithful administration Of
; the criminal law. shut my eyes to the fact
! that days before the conSummation ofy your
crime you deliberately contemplated taking
! the life of Dr.. Jones, and made the ordira-
! ~ preparation to do so.
! u have said this much, and might say
more, in reference to my reasons for re-
garding your offence as found by the jury
! to be a very aggra tated case Of man-
; slaughter.
| "Your intelligence, former good charac-
| ter, and social position might by some be
! regarded as reasons why your punishment
| should be mitigated, but to my mind these
agencies having all failed to secure your
! obedience to law should rather increase than
! diminish your punishment.
! "But it is unnecessary that I should eX
! tend these remarks, and it only remains for
me to perform an unpleasant duty and pro-
nOllnce your sentence, which is that you be
! taken from the bar of the court to the Jail
Of the county, and from there to the peni-
tentiary of the State, and that you be there
in confined and kept at hard labor for Pc
riod of ten years. and that you pay the cost
of this prosecution. 1t is no part of your,
sentence that you be kept any portion of
the time in the dungeon OF the prison."
Gaentine listened attentiyely to the SEN
tence, his face exceedingly pale, and ter