Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-12-28

CLERGYMEN AT THE SCENE.
&C., &C., &C., NC.
at Annapolis, Md, on Friday last, Rich
ard Henry Norfolk Was hung for murder,
committed in May last. The victim was
his young wife, and the mother of his six
weeks old child. On the morning of the
dav he asked her to go to a tobacco field
and get some cabbage plants for breakfast.
Some time after, neighbor, looking out
of her window, saw Norfolk jump over a
fence with ali axe and stick in his hand.
AT noon he was asked where his wife was,
and replied he didn't know. Search was
made Norfolk pretended to join in it.
The body was found in the tobacco field
Norfolk would not look at it, or go near it.
The neighbors noticed blood On his clothes.
He said he mad had the nose bleed"
When he was arrested, he accused a color
ed man, one Joe Davis, of the murder.
On the trial it was shown that Norfolk
was ignorant, superstl ious, and brutal
At one time he had said to his wife: Sal
| lie, | had my fortune told in Baltimore, and
| an old woman told me [ would have three
girls; the youngest would live twelve
months would be the longest liver, and
would finally marry girl of II. And there
is something else which if told you would
grieve you to death" On the day before
the murder he met the Postmaster Of the
village of Friendship and asked him if
blood would come from a dead body if it
was touched by the murderer, He had
previously asked his sister-in- law to take
| care of his child in case his wife should
die. He was convicted of murder in the
| first degree on Nov. 8. Asked whether he
! had anything to say, be said: Il am an
innocent man: that is all.'' After con-
| viction, he wrote a letter to his dead wife s
sister, a girl of seventeen, to pobsess
whom he had committed the crime, in
| which among other things he heated
her to be careful hereafter how 'sshe treat
ed other women'S husbands"
CONFESSION.
A few days ago he made the following
confession
left home on that Saturday morning
ten minutes before o'clock, my wife leav
| ing about the same time. She went over
| to the tobacco bed, taking different di-
rection from myself. l went from the
house right down where Stallings was
ploughing: crossed the bridge and went
up the meadow toward the tobacco bed.
We both got to the tobacco bed pretty
much about the same time. 1 cut the cab
bage plants. Some words might have pass
between US, but nothing unpleasant. My
wife did not expect me there. [ gave her
the basket after | cut the plants, which
size took and started for home ahead of
Inc. When | gave her the basket she said
she did not think there was enough, but
| she started on, and after she got out of
the woods | told her to come back and
would cut her more. just as she turned
to leave the tobacco bed the first time, |
attempted to raise the club to strike her,
when she was under the same tree where
she was killed: but my heart failed me
then. | called her back and cut the rest
of the plants, She only came to the fence
when she came back the second time, Af-
ier the plants were cut. she started fol-
home again. | was bei:nd her, and iuStas
she got TO he tree | struck her on the left
side OF the head, tloliing The club in both
hands. Her bonnet was on then, but flew
off at tie first blow. and remained on
the gr1und as it fell. Tie basket fell off
her arm aid did not overturn, and she fell
with tier face to the ground. She tried to
get up and | saw her full face. and then |
struck her four OF five blows more. She
never uttered 4 word Or cry after the first
blow. [ went from there immediately to
ing with the colored boys. | got there be
tween 8 and 81 O'Clock. stalings was
| about the middle of the bed when I got
there, and | commenced TO work right
| alongside of him, and finished the breadth
before we went to dinner. Ga my way to
dinner | stopped at Mrs. Stalling's to get
yeast cake, which my wife asked me to
get before left home that morning. [
had been thinking of killing my wife three
or he i,afo do
up n mind on the Wednesday previous
to the Saturday of the killing. On We'd
nesday cut the club at the wood pile with
| my Ratchet; it was a new Ratchet, but
WAS capped. When [ started for the tobac-
CO bed, and when passed StallingS, who
was plcughing in the field, had it down
my pants leg, and took it out after l cross
ed he bridge.
THE EXECUTION.
The members OF the Young Mems Chris
tian Association and four clergymen-Rev.
Messrs. Gibbons, Mcdonald, Steele and
Lennon, were with him at the execution.
The Baltimore Gazette" says:
Ihe last night of the condemned man
Was spent in devotional exercises in his
cell. co Quoted by Daniel Spragur and 9TH
e. l4l IL bttS vi lie Young Men s Christian
his approaching doom, and was frequently
.,ioved 10 tears and occasionally sobbsd
aloud. A few minutes before midnight he
requested something to eat, and was
furnished with some ham and bread, which
lie ate with :. keen relish. An hour later,
just before one O'Clock, he laid down and
slept soundly for three houls. Upon
awaking he requested the presence of
me friends, who came and remained with
Ii ,,,,ti1 bn fn al
About O'Clock he WAS furnished with
light breakfast, consisting of some sausage
bread and coffee, which he ate heartily.
He refused positively to be interviewed by
the reporters, and requested the presence
of his spiritual advisers at an early hour.
For neally three hours the religious ser
vices were continued in his cell Friday
morning. Norfolk occupied a seat near
the door and frequently buried his face in
his handkerchief and sobbed conYulsively
At 10 O'Clock John Arniger, his brother
in-law, arrived from Friendship S
former home-aliA had u private interview
with Norfolk, during which he Informed
the prisoner that his body would be taken
to the Friendship cemetery and buried.
though not in the same lot with his WIFE
and child. Norfolk seemed pleased, and
expressed his gratitude DIS he babe his VIII
for farewell. A few minutes later he had
an interview With his counsel. before the
cergymen withdrew to enable these inter
views to be held privately, Norfolk re-
marked to one of them that he had made
his peace with God, and expected to meet
his little child, who ha.. died when only a
few months Old, i'll Heaven. He felt that
Jesus was with him. and said lie could and
would meet death like a man. He dreaded
the coming ordeal, but had no fear in his
heart at his teri ible death. He requested
Rev. Messrs. Mcdonald and Steele to accom-
pany him to the scaffold. The clergymen
expressed the belief that he was truly pen
tent, and that his conversion was sincere.
On going on to the scaffold Norfolk was
mainly dressed in a Weli-WOrn suit of dark