Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-07-11

knife fruod on WlIlisms' p.rsoD. the pio cush-
ion glass. and the shoes he wore answering 10
tracks on the spow fouud at h. house where he
silent, he uuicg of he pocket book where ne
threw il away; the uneart, log Of tho watch ty
directions received from tim only, aud proof
that the gun was 10 bis posses,i) 20 Oh the fata'
night. corroburate tho confession IN It's maln
points.
Williams bsving been removed to Fsuquier
| for trial. was Indicted by The Grand July, II.
| Nj. Striblug foremso, 10 the County Court at
Wsrreu1on, the Hoo. VIM. H. Gaines, pr.sd
| ing, on the "a b day of February, 1879. lie
was prosecuted by NJ j,r John Scott, tho At
tornry iur che Comm Juwealth. and defended
by Gel. r. Taylor Sc1tt. who was assigned as
counsel by the Court The accused elected to
be tried before the Circuit Court. and the rs::
| cord and proceedings having been duly certified
| 70 that tribunal jury was SWORD Oh the S.h Ut
April, as follows: A. w. Strother, Amos
PAYNE, it,, James NJ. RiXey, L. A. Phillips,
w. B. Wright, Robert Murray, LudWeIl Lake,
G. 3. Tumpuma", George f. Stumat T. +.
| Galloway, James Z. Bailey AID Dawson HeHla.
snd the case was opened fully by the counsel
| 90 both sides, the defense beng merely formal
and precautionary. The defense Ctcred 10 e'l
demos the confession made by the prisoner TO
his COUNSEL 10 the preseLce Of ths Common
wcath's Alt,r0ey. Some twenty Ave W,cecsrs
| we're Z .mioed fer the Commonwealth by whom
| it WAS proveo that On the morclDg OF Friday.
February 7vh, the dead body Ut Howard H5z
| claw WAS uund near Wsrfenton JuncrlOu; tnsC
| footpiilts of very peculiar furH we're visible
10 the suow; that tory we're allowed ADD that
Williams Tss apprdieud"d; that tho shoes be
| wore uere tn: SHOES that u .de the tracks from
nc dead body TO the house whore W llllsms
| lived; that % his person was f,uod knife sud
Din cushion Unidentified as having belonged to
| TIE murdered mao; that Oh Thursday evening
Williams had borrowed quo from Jacob
Washington 10 whose house he had returned
abou | q. ID. GU Friday, ADD thst 10 response
to questions put to him by Washington he had
giyro false account OF himself; that several
nights before the murder he had been seen a.
the very place whore young Hol'zclaw was SUIT
uaeu'y killed aud tha he was then armed;
that Williams had given such an accu-
rate description of the place where he bad
concealed warcr, Identified as Hul;z,laH d.,
that it uas found 10 the wood; hat the babl s
of the ceased we're known tv Williams, and
that inc murder oocu!rai On the road that the
deceased Us took trom bis place OF business
| 10 tho house Ut MIR. Shumstv where he always
boarded. and these tscs. taken In ooOneeion
with bis ecfc3 confession, giving a full, free
and detailed accju0t OF the mur;er in all It's
particu ars, We're 81 conclusive, rs 10 leave not
even the renotcst shadow Of O dJubJ IS 10 the
guilt of Williams.
Alter the bca;irg VI Ike lvid1nOU a1d argu-
ments of cOu0soI' ihc csss WIS submitted 10 the
Jury with al impressive charge from Juage
Keith, 10 which be couoseled the jury to give
the case agaius. The poor and illitsratc prisoner
the same fair and Impartial consideration they
wand give 10 case Of the most TX Lied ci,z %
Of the Commonwealth.
The i1ry retired to their room and returned
into court of'er an absence CT 10 70 D minutes,
with verdict ut gully of murder 10 the first
dCgIer.
This verdict was received by the prsoner With
that culmD.ss whnh cIarac, erized him all
through his trial. From tho first hour of bis
arrest, during he wuoie OF his imprisonment,
and evco under the trying ord q! OF sentence.
Williams m,io;alBrd remarkable comp0sure. II
was not Indifference, not braVado-s1d 1t Vas
totally u1lke the uaccrv aud pitcous despou
dency Of Winter Psyoe-it was COLI cied,
studied resignation, maintained With decorun,
bus cot without off yu!ly.
Ga thr last day OF the term. Judge james
Keith pronounced scutaucs upon hlu 10 these
world:
John Williams, it now becomes my duty to
pronounce the sentence which the law imp "a
upon you for the crime Of which you have been
convicted But before doing so shall briefly
sdvert to the evidence adduced against you dut
ing your trial in order that the records of tn,
court may for all time vindicate IN justice OF
the Jury which convicted and the court which is
about to PASS senLence upon you. Perhaps re-
c,al Of the c,u.es which led you to the perpe
traton of the crime may rot be without vsluein
inducing others to pause and hesitate in pursu-
ing the path which leads you 10 al ignomini0us
death" Jukgs Keith then recited the facts
facts constitute murder in the frst degree no one
can for moment doubt Now what was the
motive for this most sstrocious crime? You had
NJ grudge against the deceased. He had Eevrr
wrongeo or injured you but had be!riended you,
had stood between you and we'll merited punish
ment when detected in robbing him. He had
refused to prosecute you, i but was content to lot
the matter rest with the restoration of his proper.
ty. There was no provocstiOn, no eItenustion
or excuse. IT Was cool, calculating, money
making murder 1dleness cannot long supply
the cans for the induI gence in dissipation and
vice, and you resolved 10 crafty your evil pro-
pensities st whstever COST to others and at what
ever risk to yourself. Too idle to work and i'm
PEELED by thirst for what money could alone
procure, you sought and found the OPT ortunity
of Staying young HolIzcisw, and did slsy him.
in orJer, ss you have declared, that you might
rob him And who was your victlm2 A young
man stxrding on the very threshold of life, in.
dus,rious, sober, in evary way respectable bs.
loved by all Who knew him, and, as far as the
eVi fence showed. without a. enemy on earth
II crime committed under such circumstances
of at.ocity does not merit and receive the high
est penalty known 10 ths law. then good char.
scter, good habits. and Industry, instead of bring.
ing comfort and happiness in their t ain will
serve only to invite the kbita or bullet OF the
roboer and assassin. The sentence Of the court
therefore is that you shall BIO taken hence to the
Jail of this county, there to remsin until Friday,
the Both dsy of May, 1879, and tbs! on that day
between the hours OF and 7o'clock on the
morning OF that day you are TO be taken BY The
sheriff of this county and hangsd by the neck
until sou are dead And may God rave mercy
upon you.
The 80 b Of May being Decoration Day
Ibis ssulc1ce was COZ mated ill the lLn Of
Juy.
WINTER PAYNE.
winter Payne, aged sbous 25 years and
j amos Adams, about 80 years rl1, Goth negro
L., ohrap