South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-07-11
Sentence of Frank Walworth,

The ". York Parrieide- InPrisenmeat for LIE.
FRANK WALwoRrH, who was convicted
of the murder Of his father in the second
degree In New York, and the penalty for
which is imprisonment for life a. hard la
Dor 10 the peuitentiary, was sentenced on
Saturday. He was accompanied to court
| oy has mother, with other relatives aud his
counsel, Mr.. o Couor, contrary to expecta.
tion, did not make any motion in the case
10 the question as to whether he had Any.
thing to say why sentence should rot be
pronounced, the prisoner made no audible
response.
WHAT THE JUDGE SAID.
Judge DAVIS said WALwoRru, I have
never been called upon in my life 10 per-
form moro painful duty than the one
which devolves upol me now. After u
trial in which you have had tn. benefit of
counsel not surpassed, if equalled, in abil-
lty and learning, aud of . jury selected sub
staotlaliy by yourself, you have been con-
victed OF the crime of murder in tho second
degree The punishment Of that crime is
liked by statute. No discretion is left TO
the court Ii is severe, but, as the court
deems your case, il is none too severe. l.
separates you from your friends and your
taTiiy, and consigns you for life to the
STATE prison, from which you probably can
have no hope of escape, unless possibly, at
some future day, through executive elem.
eucy. The evidence in your case, 10 my
Judgment, fully justified the verdic: which
has been rendered against you, and | have
fearful doubts that it would no, have iusti-
he'd verdict of murder 10 the frs. degree,
Tor L cannot conceive what motives YOU
could have had IN preparing yourself, as
you did, with pistol loaded, coming to
New York, seeking an interview with your
father, AMI almost Immediately shooting
him down, except upon the idea that you
had deliberately determined that his life
should DO terminated by your hand.
hope, however, that tho Salrcher Of all
hearts can perceive from your conduct that
you were not animated by that prcmodita-
ton and delibcration which the statute now
requires To constitute the crime in the first
degree. The duty am 10 perform is rem.
dercd doubly painful by tho fact that YOU
belong to family hJnored and distiuguish-
ed both IN the civil and military annals of
your country. Your grandfather, on the
one hand, was, as has been tru'y said bv
your counsel, for long time the chief G.
! qnlty judge of this great State, and he left
a record for purity and integrity, and for
all the private virtues that adorn and ele-
vite man, second To none who have attain
ed so high a station: aud, on the other
hand, granifIther on the III he!'s sile
fell nooly fighting for his country on the
field of battle, anl left rccJrl Of which
all his descendants may well be proud 1t
ia with grief that feel bound to express
my sorrow that the memory Of thuse great
snI distinguished ancestors should not have
restrained you from the mmission of such
a crime as that Of which you are convicted.
Your poor mother had indeed great cause
10 regret her relations 20 the father whom
you have slain you also undoubtedly had
great cnuso to feel not only grievcd merely,
but ashamed and indignant Mt the long
course of outrages towards her and towards
his family but bad as he was, you were
not to be the avengcr of those wrongs He
had done nothing to forfeit bis life even to
the laws of his country, and least of all
had be done anything to forfeit his life al
the baud Of his own and eldest sol. When
| look back at that moment when you con-
stituted yourself his execu,ioner, aud slew
him in that room, with no one present hut
! yourselves, | cannot but feel that tha,
death must have been
MORE HORRIBLE THAN a THOUSAND
DEATHS
in any other form Called by You to YOUR
presence apparently for the purposes Of
peaceful interview, TO settle family Difficult.
ties, invited to a seat in your room, and
apparently almost Instantly confronted with
a weapon Of death in his own sons hands
what thoughts must have rushed upon him
at that moment, when he found that the
person whom he expected had come TO him
Tor the purposes Of a peaceful arrangement
what terrible thoughts must have ri he'd
upon him when he received the leaden
messenger Of death in his bosom from the
hands Of his eldest boz | shudder when
| think Of it, and think you ought to de-
vote your whole life TO repentance such a.
God only eau accep! fJr so horrible deed.
The sentence Of tho court is that yau be
imprisoned in the State prison ut Sing Sing
at bard labor for the full term Of your na-
lural life.
HOW TIE PRISONER STOOD TT.
The prisoner stood the trying ordeal with
firmness, without moving a muscle If his
features, and loft the court with his moth =.
er after the Judge had concluded. Mr.
| O'CoNOR, it IS said, is trying to induce The
sheriff 10 leave Wolwor,h IN the Tombs
for few dlys, that be may apply for .
pardon to the Governor
Whlln On L. rnu q, iha II MI. L.