Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-05-10

cONvIrTfoN AND SENTENCE OF JOHN CAR
PGETER, cOLoRED. OK THE CHARGES cP |
BUpGLAKY AND INrENTTo COMMIT RAPE !
Wednesday week John Carpenter color |
ed, was tried before tine Kent County
C lurt on the charges OF burglary and
uleut to commit iaps. The DsldwdrsdH
/ reports the case as follows -
The day wa set apart fol the trial Of
! John Cdrpeuler (ncgrO) for burglary with
| intent 10 commit repe upon the person Of
F'zl j. johnson, a white sul, the
daughter Of DArlu Johus =, who ut the
time of tue commission of tue offence,
one wear age, vas hue thirteen years Of
u..r. shit is -l.al for her age and very
good looking. The idrts in the case. as
proven by the State, are tRat John
Carpenter. who lived at Mr.. Cleaycrs,
near Camden, haif-mile from where
Mr. JoAuson lived. took from Nr. Clea-
( yrr's Il ladder, carrying il to Mr. John
/ sous, placed 1t against tue house, hoisted
! llr window OF The Second story at TIE
1 dead hour OF night, and entered the room
where the lir was s.erplug, with the i'll
teution Of outTaging ner person. shs
was awakened hy the feeling OF Il hand
upon her breast; when Sic rau down
stairs With her little sister, and called
Ae' father, telling hlm some Que was in
The Dom. she returned With her father
% her ruom aud there saw Johu Carpen
ter under her bed.
Burglary at night, with intent to conf
init rape, is punishable by death. THE
exact Language of The law is "If any
person shall IN the night time, break and
enter into the dwelling house Of another
person, with intent to commit murder,
I 1. t..r -
ecuted or not, he shall be deemed guilty
OF burglary and felony aud shall suffer
, death" TIE State had a very strong egae.
John Carpenter, It appeared, told negro
boy named George Wharton that he in
tended to commit the act Wharton's ties.
. limony was corroborated by others as to
the dOings Of Carpenter. The exact Ian
guege of the testimony is not tit fol
publication. Attorney General Charles
/ b. Lore, Esq, and George II Bates, Esq,
, Deputy Attorney General, appeared fol
the State, and George V. Massey, ESQ
for the defence. Mr.. Massey undertook
!, the defence without single witness OF
. his side, and made a powerful eli fo
I. his client. For one hour and a quarte
- he held the assembly in almost brealh,cs
silence as he made appeals " the jury 10
,, the life Of Carpenter.
The Attorney General followed, backel
: by facts and testimony that Insured
e verdict for the State. The shrewdnes
and ability displayed by the Attornr,
y General in bringing the facts to light
:, ELECTED admiration from all who hear
~ his argument. The Gaze vas given I
o the jury at about 6 o'clock, .. m, aud i
-, -, twenty minutes they returned with
Il verdict of guilty. The verdict appal
a.. emily had no effect upOn the prlsOnc
sc Carpenter Is a very black negro, with
- harsh, hard ana ugly countenance h
r. looks would almost convict him of an
L. heinous criiae; he gave no intimatio
that he realized the position 10 which Il
verdict Of the jury placed him thong
1t would be charitable to believe that h
ed calmuess was not produced from indfie
ence so much as from ignorance. u
ay Thursday at II O'Clock, Carpenter vi
ok brought Into court to be sentenced. II
nu prisoner still maintained his stOliditi
of stood up, and when asked if he had an
ier thing to ray why sentence should not
M prOnOgucel upon him. answered In
ire manner bordering on recklessness, tn
oh ht believed h. mad nothing to say. I
an. Court then proceeded to sentence Bit
m. substantially as follows:
on. Jphu Carpenter, stand up; You ha
ner been arrniered aud tried for an otien,e
mic very grave character. You had the
u-e lection OF your own jury. twelve imp,
The tui ard respeet be ciigens Of II
5 he county. and after ii fair trial. condu
ced By able counsel who did all that lugeuU
Mr.. aud talent could command, after d
on constellation you have been conyici ed
-el burglary viii intent TO commit RAJ
ieh We wish YOU to understand distinc
au- you are to die. You can expect
.e a mercy at the ands Of any earthly pow
M Nou are . suf,r justly fer your crr
lie Your only chHuce is 10 address yours
lex. to your Maker 10 forgive you Of y,
led sins, which are many. We advise yOl
NE fh nix Of thi repent Of yoar slus. .
. IA sentence Of the Court is that you, JC
wa Caip-nt-r. be now taken from the bar
fer Che Court 10 the common jail Of
va. county from whence you cam, and th
had be- Sept in safety NJ tl Friday the 9
re dly Of Juue, 1878, AID between 10 O'cl
tied I'm the forenoon, and 4 0'cuch In
AFTERNOON Of thai day, yon be taken f
be ther CT TO come place within the prec
ar5, of The prison aud he hanged by thr u
- Until you are dead. Aud may God Ii
ven mercy OIL GU immortal ruul.
died Carpenter zen arkyd to TIE she
mic. while on his way back to the Jail,
, to he wished De- .as to be hung to II
N.Y. row " that ha was uothing but a H.
likely 10 be plucktd any day.