The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-13
poWHATAN.


Ngss-THE KUgLUx CASES on TE1AL-CoN-
yICTIoy OF POwBATAN wiNFREE-sIxTbES
IyCENpIARy FIRES IN THREE WEEKS.
lCorrespondence OF the Richmond Dispa'ch.l
PowHArAN, May 10, 1880.
Our County Court adjourned on Satur'
day night, having been In session since
Tuesday morning. On The first day BART
lett Fisher and william Gibson were IN
dictcd by specia grand Jury Tor robbery,
burglary, and assauIting Mr.. James Maxey
with intent to kill, and when arraigned
they. by their counsel, elected TO be tried In
the Circuit Court. The courthouse was
crow ded to its utmost capacity, rs the Doid,
ness and atrocty OF the crimes committed
had greatly excited The whole community
The grand Jury also presented Walter
Hancock, Lawrence Farley, Powhatan
Wiofree, william Talbot, and others, for ku'
kluxing. The Court having on Wednesday
been occupied by trying several cases oil
violation OF the revenue by liquor-deaIer'
and iupk.selIers without license, on the
day after commenced upon the trial OF the
kuklux khan, so called, and Walter Hancock
was first tried upon the charge OF assault
ing Bernard Randall (colored) with the at
tempt to main, kill, &c. A fair jury was
obtained after some delay, among whom
we discerned colored brother.
| Randall stated that very late ut nieht IN
March. while I'm his cabin with another CO.
lored man, he was aroused by large crowd
OF men. among whom, although not dis'
cuised in any way. he only recognized i've
| the Messrs. Hancock, Farley, WInfree, ana
TaIbot-who carried him. without any mo-
Iestation TO his companion, down to the
saw.mill, nearthe Old Dominion coa-mines
after threatening him with banging, ac-
cused him OF burning Ben. Hancock S
barn and stealing bis watermelODs; that nc
denied the burning, but admitted stealing
the watermelons, upon which they stripped
him, tied him 10 tree, and gave him about
one hundred and fifty lashes. Upon bis
cross examination, his testimony was sue
cessiulIy inpeached. 1t was proven that
| he had accused many others; had after
wards said be knew only five had told wit
nesses, white and black, that he was
whipped, and did not know any OF them ;
and that he stated at the examination before
the magistrate that be received one hundred
and fifty stripes, and that he counted that
exact number while they were being adj
ministered, and in court denied that, with
many other Inconsistencies
Another c0lored witness was introduced
TO show the extent Of the injury inflc.-
ed upon him, but he was also shown
to have been grossly inconsistent IN
bis several statements about il. Several
witnesses, who seemed mostly to be very
Young men, were introduced, but as they
were charged by the Judge in very lucid
and succinct manner that they had the right
to refuse TO testify when their evidence
might tend TO criminate them, they decIlred
M oil aIc IN
proved by The evidence OF his step.molher,
who, on the night the whipping took place,
was kept awake by a sick child, that he was
at home all that night. 1t was also shown
that Mr.. &. 3. Hancock, who, the witness
said, was present when be was whipped,
was not there and knew nothing about it,.
The examination Of the witnesses and the ar
gument OF counsel were very protiacted;
and the Jury, after q short retirement. re-
turned with verdict OF "not guilty."
Mr.. Powhatan Winfree was next put
upon trial, and the witness Bernard Randall
made the same statement about his beng
present, with the addition that he was called
by the party as their captain. The defence
introduced the same witnesses to impeach
his testimony, and the Commonwealth some
others to confirm il. and the jury found him
guilty OF an assault and battery, and the
Judge confined him in Jail for one minute
and assessed fine OF $50. The other cases
were continued to the next term, as the
verdict was brought in at a late hour on
Saturday night. All the parties are also
presented by the grand jury with riot and
disturbance of the peace. Mr.. Winfree was
tried by mixed jury.
1t was clear from these trials that this
whole matter has been greatly exaggerated,
to the injury OF our county and the whole
community. II is believed that this man
Bernard Randall and his aiders and abet-
tors, without any visible means of living,
have been preying upon the whole cOmmu-
nifty around them for long time; that pro-
perty was hardly safe in the neighbor hood;
that they took whatever they wanted, and
when attempt was made to resist or even
resent their depredations that nocturnal
fire would Immediately ensue. The parties
accused (Of chastisiDg him) are persons OF as
high responsibility and character as any Of
whom any community can boast, and with
out any attempt to disguise themselves, they
seemed TO have endeavored, when the laws
were unable to detect and punish these enc
mics TO society, to protect themselves by in
ducing the guilty parties to leave.
The CommOnwealth's attorney vigorously
prosecuted, and the defence was ably con-
Quoted by Messrs. Dance, ;. VI. Page, and
Il. NJ. Miller; and while at first the tenden-
cy OF public opinion seemed 20 be against
the parties concerned-On the ground that
no persons should take the law into their
own hands-the general sentiment now
seems to be in their favor. The county OF
POwbatan are emnently a law-abidng peo-
pie, as is shown by the fact that they pa
tiently submitted TO sixteen incendiary fires
in a space Of eighteen consecutive weeks
without any attempt to redress these fla
grant injuries, except an inquiry by the
ordinary channels of the law. Judge Per-
kins deserves great credit for the able, dig |
nitied, and impartial manner be presided |