Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-09-07
Paying the Penalty,

OteFut0 hCnsEQS0D, C0lOfeQ, paid tno (X-
| treme peaalty Of inc law in tho jai! yard 10
Wilmington. N. g., en- Flidsy last, fer the
crime ct murder. At tTove minutes past noon
the doomed man stepped on the sc,ffod amid
| the singing Of the attending ministers. two OF
whom were white and four colored. He cano
forth from tho Jail with his countcnauc, ilIu-
mined with smiles and spoke to and shock
hands With number Of acqusin!arc,s. His
demeanor was very collected. and 90 man ever
went more boldly to bis death.
While bis arms and legs were being pinioncd
the attending ministers Saug the last hymn 10
beard on earth. The nooso and black cap wcro
adjusted at twenty three minutes TO orc clock
w hile the ropo was bliug GO ustcd tho sheriff
asked if it was too tight. Richardson answer.
ed: mo, thank you, ii is very comfortable"
lie then shock nauis with the sheriff ani tho
trap fell with deed, heavy thu1 sgsns:
Sanction msds to catcl il. Richardson fell
eight feet. His neck was bfok,n by the fell.
lie died very quietly. e
Tho murderer was about SO years ot age, and
a carpenter by trade. lie was skiIiul work
man, aud had been considered paaoasbls aod
inoiFansivc. just aftcr the clos, of the war.
when he was 10 years of age, Stephen msrflcd
Hester, daughter of Robert Plancy. Sac is
nearly or quite iull blooded black; is slight
and fragile in form aud feature. and Is evident.
ly not woman of robus. health. Sic has tho
reputation Of being very peaccablc snd in9i-
fersive womau.
Richardson disagreed with his fathcr and
mother 10 law Although ordinarily nescaable,
be was addicted to ''drunkc1 sprees, a. which
times he was extremely uasrtelsomc aud turbu.
leut, especially with members Of his agn family.
ln these moments CT u.oXlcauon sld anger h,
had expressed n discrimination 10 do Ihcm
bodily harm. At one time he wtnt 81 tsr os to
menace his mother in law lilo with nu tx,
but he was su5du:d before bo cJu'd pus nj.
threat into execution. Whenever auY disturb
aucs arose between him and his vile (aUd as
the two houses were only abcus ten steps apart
they were quito frequently i. was Lucy, the
the abuse, and it was towards her that bis direst
threats were directed. This deplorabe condi-
ton of thugs continued unul the night OF ths
l9:h of lost July. whon Richardson Iu 10 exs.
cution his oft repeated threats ngars: hii
mother 10 law by an atrccious murder. 10 which
he also made fearful attompt upon tho life OF
uester, his wife, noa Robert Pioncy, h!s
father 10 law. r..
He procured a spade. with which be s.rusk
Lucy two terrible blows, each Of woich fracurct
the skull, ard either OF which would have
proved fatal, Knocking her into the street,
where she was 10 few moments found senselesS
aud speeohlcss, and whenco she was ramoyed
into tho house, where she expired in about IVA
hours Immediately after his attack on Lu,y.
Stephen assaulted the old man, Robert, with
the Same weapon, striking him also tw1 blows.
oDo OF which fractured the skull, bu. not with.
fatal result. as ho Is yet alive, slhcush in
precarous condition. lie then made &C assault
upon Hester, his wife, whom he aso struck
twice, ithc.ing s!ricus bu. not fatal Houada.
Another coiored womau, who was usloer Ia
the seco1d sor7 of tho building, bling awaken,
ed by the noise aud tho crash Of the Inurceron.
blows, r1shed down etairs, shou,iog "Murdsi!
and ons or TWO other coloted mcu who hapoenci
to be 10 the vieioity also j,ined in eivlrg tho
alarm, upon wSch Richardson fed. Ia his
flight he passed the house Of Beverly S;o:t,
coored mar. who is the ownqr Of c sagac,ous
aud faithful dog. Heerins tho aIstE. Scott,
! who had not yet retired fastened TO the door
| Just in time to GEO Richardson ruCnipg pas.
with ths spade in his hand
uo Immediately called his dog ;:a,; siart:i in
pursuit, Wbon, after hhcr: raca. the dAc
caught the iusiiivc. Richardson .hcn asked
Scott TO call tho dog eff, Gs be vas TO. The Geo
| that was wanted, but was irving to ostoh tho
msn. Sc,tt thinking that Stephen WAS tDor
! tho truth, called the dog eff. whca The later
aeaiu ran at the top Of his speed to get cut Of
| the wsy of his purs0orF. Soott ia momsns
discovered his nlstak,, aod cans tic dog
again na6o Chase, When, alter short and tE-
citing race, the fugitive pss again selz.t by the
| dog and held. although Richardson repeatedly
| aterapted to strike him With tha spade, Ioti'
SCOTT aud others who had joDcd 10 the chsSo.
clme up aud secured him. II. YES tried aod
convicted. and yesterday paid the peoaitg oil his
crime.
! A BIC SNAKE SToRY,-A correspondent frcai
Valley Township, Penn, who signs himself.
very appropriately. "Li:r" Eonds the follow.
ip2: "While out hunting for woodcoc' last
| week. my attention was sttrscted By tc1liar
noise Issuing from clump Of bushes, from the
midst Of which 1css msgliaceEt sycamore
tree. Cautously approaching, beheld sigh t
which !rc zs my blood. Coiled srouad trunk
CT the tree, abou. ten feet ftori tho around, va'
monster snake of dsrkly spotted colcr, which
must have measured 1t least twon.y i've lest IL
length.
'Its stenton seemed 10 be directed to the
ground some distance away. and while was
looking it suddenly partially nnc3ied liz folta
and with tho rspidity of lightning dsrt2d It's
head forward about ten fact, aud IS suddenly
withdrew if. In its mouth ssw rabbit, and
with another rapid movement it deposited its
prey in the forks of the tree above, aud then
repeated its actions and deposited another ra5'
bit in the same place obserTsf it do this ua,
til it had fifteen rabbits in its store house snd
then recovering from my as.onish ment, TOO
c,Ssful aim at The reptiles head snd fred both
Of nv barrels at it. When tho snoke cle'rst
away, the snake had Disappeared, ensl couLi
hoard tho noise as its hugo proportions ,pss,e
threw sht the grass and bushe' hutsl'dly lyf
the SPOT, ss was alone, and cid no: know. no"
badly l hurt it. Af.srward l returned gno
traced its course by the huge trail il LEFT, unh
ended 1t the top OF the bank 1T tho edgc Of :
l