The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-23
PETERSBURG.

PEIERSSCFs1.
ANOTHER EvENTFrL DAY IN tooHlw nv.
u -1oHBURS ARRAIGNED FOX thIAh-, -
prrlps GUILTY ON ROTH CHARSEs-ih It d
rrsy SENTENCES Nm TO THE PENlthNii AN 'I
FOR TWO YEARS On ONE CHARGE AND lime
~ THE oruER--USANl&oUS REcoN&hNpA-
TON rus EXECUTIvE CLEMENCf-fhtlal s' V.
FOR PARDON UNIVERSALLY siaNhp-u Snsl.s.,
SYMPATHY FOR THoRBURN--1AfRESSl'h
sryxr N corRT-sUDpEN DEATH OF AN OLD
cJT1zrS-SAp AND Fatal ACcIpENr--A bFo-
rurR INSTANTLY KILLS ANOTHER, &C.
rcorrsponaencc Of thc Richmond Dispatchl
JANUARY %, 1877.
In the Hastings Court to-day the cases OF
the Commonwealth rs. Samuei II. 1hoi-
h,,rp indicted for felony on two charges
~, IN waking 4 false entry on the indi-
,idn,I ledger OF the Citizens Bank on the
BOD 81 December for the benefit OF Richard
n,ch- az the firm OF T. j. Gates e Co.,
md Stealing SIG, 700 OF the funds OF the
pon, Of Petersburg on the S0th OF Deccm-
were called and disposed Of. The
rnur;.roou, was dcnscly crowded, rs was
the case when Bagby was tried
ond tho dccrest interest was manifested. a
Great deal OF sympathy has all the while
Leon felt for Thorbuin, aud since the ac-
oui..al OF Bagby this sympathy has been IN
;rusiicd and has become general. rms
fcniinr has been caused By the belief, which
i everywhere expressed, that Thorburn is
merely technically guilty OF the crimes with
which he is charged. and that he was driven
m them. rs his counsel express 1t, 10y the
,neshcs that had been drawn around INN.
and from which he could not escape.
on the panel which tried his case were Il
number Of the Jurors who sat IN BaSDys
,r-,,,, r,;frpri ThorDurn plead
entity" TO both charges, but added, Ill
reference 10 the charge Of false entry, that
he was only guilty in the manner lie had
..,fca in his evidence on Saturday. The
.,,toruey for the Commonwealth was very
fricf in his remarks to the jury. The
prisoner had plead guilty, he said, ana II
only remained for the jury TO dlscharSe
their duty in returning verdict TO that el-
feet. and OF fixing the term OF lmprison-
,,cnt in each case, and in this matter the
commonwealth was satisfied to leave the
punishment to the judgment OF the jury.
Mcssrs. Collier l. Budd and W. l.. Wat
kins appeared us counsel for the accused.
Mr.. Golfers speech was very Impressive
and touching one, and its effects were flsl-
bic both on the jurors ana among the spec
;ators. The scene in the courtroom during
hi, snrcch was Il very sad one. Mr.. Collier
only technically guilty. Those who knew
him would not be found 20 say that he was
:, iorCcr or Il thief. In touching and elo-
,uc,t terms the speaker referred to the
,IaS, honorable career Of the accused: to the
ii@h standing OF his family; to the
circumstances which had surrounded and
forced him to 10 what he had
done; 10 his escape beyond the jurisdiction
II the United States into country with
which there WAS no reciprocity treaty; 10
his voluntary return and surrender; to his
restitution OF the money he had taken: to
his desire that no innocent person should
hc made to suffer through his agency: and
20 his manly statement about the affair III
open court: and earnestly appealed to the
Jury. in the interests OF humanity and JUS
lire. and in behalf o! stricken and dis
trc>Sed family, to pass upon him the liShtesl
sentence prescribed by the law. Alr. Col
Npr himself waS much affected during his
speech, and tears sutflIsed the eyes Of many
who heard him.
Mr.. Watkins followed Mr.. Collier in an
earnest appeal for mercy.
The Jury were absent about ten minutes.
when they returned with n verdict OF
guilty. in each case, fixing the term OF
imprisonment in the penitentiary at two
wears for the false entry, and three years for
iakingth the $4,000. These were the shortest
terms allowed by law. Ii it were possible
TO have done so the jury, 1t is believed,
would have brought in verdict OF ''not
..uiltv"; and it would have been approved
by the public almost generally.
The Jury in reporting their verdict also
submitted the following paper, which they
asked the Court to have spread upon the
rccordS:.
I'VE, the jury in the cases OF the Com
monwealth Us. Samuel Fl. Thorburn, hav-
ing by ON verdicts this day rendered fixed
his term OF Imprisonment in each case for
the smallest period prescribed by law in
the penitcntiary OF this State, do unan:-
mously commend him to the prompt Glenn
cncy OF the Governor, believing that the
fact OF the cases will fully sustain this re-
-pcctiul recommendation"
This paper was signed by all the jurors,
and il Is almost needless TO state that great
many citizens will unite in the recommen-
datiou. The Court allowed the paper to be
spread upon the record, and at the request
Of counsel postponed sentence for the pre-
sent.
As soon as the Court adjourned Il num-
Der OF petitions for the pardon OF Thorburn
were circulated. Citizens, without eNccp-
ton and without regard TO creed or class,
signed the recommendation for clemency,
and it is understood all the officers CT the
Hastings Court and the city officers will
unite with them. 1t is further understood
that the grand jurors who indicted Thor
burn, besides signing the petition, have Of
fered to 60 over to Richmond In body and
present it to the Governor, and that Judge
Jones. the president OF the Bank OF Peters
burg, whose funds were first taken and then
restored. will add his influence in behalf OF
cemency.
Il is also said that the counsel for Mr..
Bagby in his late trial have volunteered to
make special recommendation in behalf OF
Thorburn, and that Judge Weisiger, Of the
Circuit Court, will join in the petition for
pardon.
Among the other cases disposed OF by the
Court to-day was that OF Hamilton Shields
(whitc) fined 500 and sentenced to Jail for
six months for unlawful shooting, and
Henry Conner (white), sent to the peniten-
tiary for three years for forgery. Hartman
Taylor icolored) was sent to Jail for six
months and fined $500 for malicious assault.
Rev. Alexander G. Brown, pastor of the
Uigh-Strect Methodist Episcopal church,
was taken suddenly i'll yesterday. He is
much improved to-day.
Mr.. D. Wilson Bragg, an old and highly
esteemed citizen, died this morning quite
suddenly. For several years past Mr..
Bragg has been an attache Of the CONNER
ciai National Bank, and roomed in that
building. Yesterday morning, when he
arose to unlock the door Of the bank so that
the servant could come in, he fell falnting