The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-25
The Sentence Of the Fire-Fiend.
HILDREY PAGE. THE CHESTERFIELD
INCENDIARY. TO BE HUNG ON THE
LAST DAY OF APRIL.
THE PRISONERS CONFESSION.

OnS more scene, and the drama in which
Hildrey Page, the negro boy incendiary ol
Chesterfield county, has figured so conspicu.
ously, will be brought to close. He Is to
be hung on Friday, April 30th.
| On Tuesday the accused appeared again
in the Chesterfield Circuit Court in the Gus.
| tody of the sheriff, when his counsel argued
| the motion made on Monday for new trial.
The motion having been overruled the pris.
| oner was returned to. the Jail in this city
Yesterday atsnoon be was again carried over
| to Manchester, on this occasion to be SEN
fenced By Judge Weisiger.
The Clerk: HiIdrey Page, stand up.
The prisoner rose and looked the clerk
| steadily in the face as he read the verdict OF
the jury:
owe the jury find the prisoner guilty
under the third count OF the within indict-
ment-ViZ.
"sFor burning certain other house, q
barn. and stable of +. q. Ruffin on the 10th
of July, 1874, at the hour of 2 O'Clock 10 the
night, the same being au clubhouse, not ad.
joining the dwelling-bouse nor under the
same roof, but some persons usually lodging
therein at night-to wit: Philip Epps, Viii.
liam Otey, George Preston, William Caring.
ton, and Carter Booker"
The Clerk: Have you anything to say why
the sentence Of the court shall not now be
passed upon you?
The prisoner looked the clerk steadily in
the face, but made no response.
THE SENTENCE
Judge Weisiger then proceeded to sentence
| the prisoner, saying:
Hidrey Page, you have been charged With
and tried in this court for one OF the most hel-
l.ouS crimes known to human laws, the pen
atty for which is death.
The murderer. inf lmed with maignancy
| or instigated b.. greed, Unexpectedly springs
upon his victim, but he at least gives him
the chance Of u trial Of physical strength.
The iuccndiary does not. With the mid
night torch he goes forth to his work of de-
struction stealthily and secretly (or secretly
and steaithily) regardless whether the con.
| sequences Of bis act shall fall on the ilnme-
| diate Object OF his vengeance or the helpless
| babe slunbering upon the breast OF an un.
protectets mother. For this offence you
| have been tried in this court. You have
| been defended by con- petent counsel one OF
| whom was of your own selection. and botl
of whom have eyinced an earDestness and
zeal worthy Of any cause and tried by jury
| who have patiently and attentively heard
your case and pronounced you guilty.
It would be more grateful 10 me on this
| sad occasion to simply pronounce upon you
| the judgment Of law upon the offence, but II
! would not be- just to you, your race, or thls
| community, if | did not embrace this oppor'
| tunity to warn your race, as we'll as all other
| evil-doers, that, however secret the act may
| be, there is Divinity overseeing all our ac'
| lions, and that sooner or later crime will be
| discovered and punished. In this case there
is an utter absence of any adequate motive
| in excuse or extenuation, and can only be
accounted for as the offspring of that educa.
| ton which, while teaching freedom, has failed
| to teach that freedom does not mean license
The evidence has shown that the gentle
man so much wronged by your act was to
YOU kind ard generous protector-sheltcr.
ing, protecting, and feeding you in health
| aad nursing you in sickness. He is now hy
| vipur act an exile from his own home, with
y1ly the privilege of 4ehection upon the
s7uouldering ruins Of the incendlary torch
now exhort you to employ the time al.
lowed you in preparing to meet that God
against whose liwS you have so seriously Of
Tended. Be not deceived by any false hope
| of pardon or escape, but rather seek for hope
| through the blood of "the Lamb sllin for
| the sins of man."
And now I pronounce as the sentence OF
law that you be remanded to Jail. and there
securely kept until Friday the Both day OF
| April, 1875, and on that day, at some conve'
nient place in the county Of Chesterfield,
| between the hours of sunrise and sunset
you be hung by the neck until you are dead
And may God in His infinite mercy save
your soul.