Saint Mary's beacon., 1880-01-29

nc tragedies recorded IN the criminal
annals ol Virginia cuimanated in iudi-
|cia5 proceedings this week in the Coun-
" Court 1t Campbell. This isthe coun-
" ihwbich Lynchbnrg Is located. and
the Ocsurfenoes referred 60 took place
for the mes part nt,A faemhonse siiua-
ted about midwsy betwesn the city and
The Court House, In the somewhat
rugged region between Beaver and
OpossEm creeks. The parties to i be-
Iano 10 the most respectable class. Of
Vireina yeomanry. not specially dis-
/ .,rou,hed foF wealth or culture, but
.rdulrious and well-to-do, and regarded
s. ,-;tygeneFalrespeet as the bone and SIM
sWf the land, whenever personal merit
.nIe claim TO that recognition.
Il lboutIsIx years ago q youth named
81 sse Z. Mitchell, while at work near
= e residence Of a man named Robin
eyon, in the neighborhood referred TO,
hurt himself badly with saw, and was
removed to the house TO be properly
cared fOr. Michel received at the hands
Of the family the utmost kindness and
attention, so much. so that an time he
recovered from his injuries, though he
ever alterward suffered from certain
Iameness. The family in which he
found such timely and eFectual refuge
consisted Of old Mr.. Robinson and his
wife, his son, Thomas I. Robinson, and
his daughter, Miss Lizzie May Robin
sou, the latter an amiable and attractive
young lady. Between Michel and this
young person, who had been specially
kind to him during his illness, very in
tImate relations ensued, as was natural
on the strength oftheir association and
the sympathy which she manifested for
his suferings. 3
For some reason, however, an es-
trangement between the guest and hIs
hosts soon followed, and Michel vas
forbidden the house by Mr.. Robinson;
Mitchell also got into squared With young
Robinson, the fruits Of which W were AFTER
ward fatal to one and nearly so to both
OF them; but at the time it appeared 10
blow entirely away. Robinson, more
over, about this time became involved
in scandal about young woman OF
the county, and was arrested with a
view 20 his criminal prosecution. While
he was IN the custody Of the officers of
the law he effected bis escape by the
aid, il Is SAID. OF his sister. and so made
his way to Texas. Mitchell then be-
gan a system of espionage and persecu-
lion, of which Miss Robinson was the
helpless victim, practising on her fears
in thousand ways, and threatening her
with disgrace and exposure of kind
most revolving TO the sensibilities OF a
modest and innocent girl.
He IS said TO have threatened to de-
liver her to the authorities on account
of her alledged connection with the es-
cape OF her brother from the constable,
alleging that she had committed felo-
nv in so dong. for which she could be
subjected to the most severe punish
ment. II is said that he also accused
her OF more Asgrant offence, pretend
ing that she was the mother of babe
born out of wedIock, and intimat;ng his
intention of exposing her shame TO the
public and fixing upon her stigma Of
ineHaceabIe disgrace. While these
things were going on the following pos
tal card was addressed to Mitchell by
the brother Of the persecuted and IN
happy girl: -
"EL PAso, March, 1874.
'.Dare to harm a hair Of any one who
Is OF my blood, you cowardly dog, and
I will have your life If il be twenty
years hence. hear Of all your tricks,
and I'll settle all with you yet before I
die. You can make war upon an un-
protected woman now, but you are lay
ing I'D treasure ~ heaveno or somewhere
else, my lark, IL you did but know il. .
In July, 1876, Thomas Robinson.
moved no doubt by the reports that still
reached him Of MicheII's proceedings,
came to Virginia, and on reaching home
found that Mitchell was on the premi-
ses. Mitchell attempted to retreat from
the wrath Of the brother, well knowing
that wherever they met one or both
was destined to bite the dast. And 30
Il proved. Young Robinson followed
Mitchell and opened FIRE, striking him
In the side, and receiving al the same
time ball from MitcheIl's pistol, in
the abdomen. Mitchell fell and was
thought 70 be mortaIly wounded, bat to
make sure Of killing him Robinson
thrust has pistol into hIs (MitcheIl's)
mouth and fred again, 10 give HIM tae
coup de grace.
The doctors, however, though una
bic 10 do anything for TIE relief Of Rob-
inson, did manage, after much ado. 10
rescue Mitchell from the jaws Of death.
which bad gaped so vide TO devouE
him. On bis recovery began the extra
ordinary series Of occurrences which
furnish the basis Of proceedings that
have been begun in The County Court
Of Campbell, before John g. Haythe.
the County Judge. In August, 1873,
the next month after the killing, and
while he himself was but newly res
cued from the grave. Mitchell il said 10
have extoFted from the now unprosec-
ted Miss Robinson bond Tor 50, 800.
Procuring an interview with Der. he y
alleged 10 have stationed one w. e.
Glass. confederate, behind some
bushes, with q view Of making Glass q
witness 10 what transpired between
them. He again accused the girl ofin-
famous conduct, and ahreatened heE
with exposure and legal penalties soE
her (Pretendedl crimes and on her 81
lenee under the accusation be bade
Glass bear witness that she had con-
/ fessed her guilt. Buz this was only The