The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-03-26
THE DEATH PENALTY.
,,,on of Two of the Lacy Mur
-sa a. New Kens Courthouse.

SNORT HISTORY OF THE cRiME-THE
A,rynryyED MEN TAKEN FROM RICH,
.% w., YESTERDAY MogNISG-THE TRIP
,.ur GALLoWS SEEMINGLY AN EN-
,o,raNE TO THEM--A GREAT CROWD.
Sn ~nrsryr TO SEE THEM HANGED-CoN-
,S,o>s FROM BOTH-DEATH SPEEDY IN
1.r ar FAT SMITH-FCLL PARTICU-
,,Rs OF THE EFMAENABLE AFFAIR. L.
IT,, ,,rticulars oi the crime for which
10, fhristlaa and Patrick Smith paid the
S",s ,".g ,npaIty 1T New Kent Courthouse YES
49, src doubtless still fresh in The men,
~, ~ opr readers. On Friday evening,
T.brr,ry Il. 1879. John Calvin Lacy,
49,, n New Kent county. while return
,rr. horc from Richmond in tradlng-cart,
,rss wavlaid and murdered on the road.
Th. hody Of the murdered man remained
- rho snot w here the horrid deed was coin
ur;,,a8 for some time. and when found it
,ra. /, such 4 muulated condition as to
,rnrse intense feeling. and active measures
rysrc soon taken to discover and arrest the
ap,aors Of the atrocitv.
circumstances tending to connect Clai-
horne Smith. Patrick Smith, Julius Chris.
t,4n. snd Andrew Whitney. four negro
men living in New Kent, with the crime,
they were all soon afterwards arrested and
rIaced m confinement. Claiborne Smith,
ihr Youngest Of the lumber, made full
confession OF his completely in tue crime,
hnt charged that the deed had been COM
ni,reI hr his brother Patrick Smith and
julius Christian.
.TuIius Christian and Patrick Smith were
tried at the january term OF the County
Court Of New kent-Judge j. Fl. Christian
presiding.
The Commonwealth was represented by
+. f. Lacy. Esq. and the prisoners were
zeaoasly defended By William f. Hart and
Gtor.e Jones. Esqs., counsel assigned them
br tie Court.
Before trial the accused had
CONFESSED THEIR CRIME.
The circumstantial evidence against them
was OF such character that the iuries de-
liberated but a short while before bringing
in verdict OF guilty OF murder in the first
decree and the Court sentenced them to be
hanged on the 25th day OF March, 1879, be-
tween the hours OF 10 A. NJ. and 2 P. NJ,
within sight OF the courthouse. The priS-
oners were then brought to this city and
confined in Hebrico county Jail. Claiborne
smith was subsequently convicted OF mur-
der in the second degree and sentenced TO
confinement in the penitentiary for eigh-
teen Years.
Yesterday. the day fixed by the Court fol
t.e.r execution. julius Christian and Pat
rick Smith. the prisoners. were taken from
tit lil about ( o'clock \. NJ. by Littletor
Ro5,ttr, sheriff OF New Kent, and carried
10 the YOrk-River Railroad depot, where &
reporter for the Dispatch found them, suT'
rounded by detail OF policemen, conVers.
.1c chctfiuily with the byStandcrS and
EATING CIvGER.CAKRS
with evident satisfaction. The train started
iron the city about O'Clock, and all the
way down the condemned men manifested
he greatest indifference. They replied
readily TO all questions propounded. and
70 lbe representative OF the Dispatch made
toe following statement, which differs but
little froni their first confession. Julius
ChriSti4n was the spokesman. and bis decla'
rations were frequently affirmed By Pat.
Smith with EYES," "Dat's So" "Sure
ngf," &c.
Christian said that about six weeks before
tie murder Pat Smith and himself broke
into The store Of Major Townsend, at the
forge, and stole lot Of bacon and flour
That on The Tuesday preceding the Friday
On which the murder was committed he
nei Mr.. Lacy on the road, who, after some
othe? conversation, asked him If ne had seen
Fat. and Claiborne Smith lately, and to bis
reply that he had Lacy, said, "lf you dom
stop going with them you will get IN trou'
be" and, further, that be (Julius) would
maze to leave the county for something be
Il Ii - satf fry-
satisfied him that Lacy knew something
about the robbery at Major Townsend's,
aud as Lacy had made threats against them
a. iallySville short while before, be
iaou@ht itwould be best to tell Smith about
and take some means OF
PUTTING LACY OUT OF TIE WAY.
He said Pat. Smith, Claiborne Smith, and
himself met teSelher and talked over the
iieanS Of accomplishing their object, when
N"as lnaliy determined to kill Lacy and
NAE bis body in Toink swamp. That accord
'asiy they met at the swamp Friday eve
nihs, and shortly after dark Lacy came up,
sHhny in the cart with his feet hanging out
slue' That they did not consider the spot
favorable for tbeir purpose, but followed
%1e t' aoomed man some distance mp the road.
Iuat Patrick Saith, running under the
s"rs, caught Lacy by the feet, and attempted
pun hlm ont, aud did succeed in dong
9.er a'er struggle, in winch Lacy seized q
sIaet .L' and attempted to cut.
,o'5 afistlan said that Lacy ieA down in the
a~| az on ms face, and .hat as soon as be aSas
III -; he tChristians ssl forward and, press
Illh 10 the ground,
,r. CUT BIN Acaoss TIE THROAT
,S., VIVA a new ssasket-knite. He SAID
~ .y aicy struggled very hard, and rising
,sta a* anees. said: sev, don't hurt me;
psn ytn!ng in the cart, but dou't XIII
gm - sE still lighting aud crying murder,
iso .pshd ran TO" some distance. Chris
! bad ZIG ne was frightened because Lacy
h., tseeosnized him, and beld beck. but
,Ds IIills ,ti going back to the cart and get
eair,iuDss ;Ds Efchet, pursued Lacy. and. eX-
4 esyrn, 5, Come on, now's your tiae,"
Ats~ , Hih 70 the back aud struck hm a
sEon,ame ~ the temple, which rendered sim
u seva.pas, snd followed up the assmrlt
4 es ibs blows across the throat, which
q Tba week almost in two. .rsr
II tdrnlt an arrived at Summit Station at Ct
Gss s,re where twenty mounted men bad |
il viii, provided az aa armed escort by the
q Mshs sheriff. -.
Ssgon prisoners t were put In a two-horset
Zach. en- (which were seated Deputy-Sberiff
Df. G;eosap, G;eoup, Messis.1 Waddiil and Tinsiey,
\ patch rsnkfs rks W. Richardson, and the Dis
lay the ny rrrossentatiYe. After some little de-
! eour. bousee eession moved on the road 10 the
0use' fourteen miles distant.
bns r . h s~-g ii