The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-10

The Prisoner Led 70 Exeeunen->eenes NJ
the SeaRoId.
On the 18th OF last January fiendish
murder was committed in Powhatan coun-
n. A eolored man named Armistead
GRAY, who lived in the yard OF c. Henry
Jones. near Casarfowu. bad living with
him his son. boy about thirteen years of
axe. and his daughter, about nine or ten
years OF age. Armistead. who had been
complaining 81 sickness for some time,
sent his son 10 \ neighboring store with
five cents to buy him some molasses. The
boy. on his return. drank up about half Of
the rnolasses and filed up the bottle with
water.
HOW HE KILLED HIS son.
As soon As the father discovered the
deception he struck him on the head
with an old axe-helve, which fractured
the skull and produced death IN few
hours. Gray then carefully took of and
secreted the clothes of the boy, which
were be-pattered with blood. An inquest
was held over the body q the boy on sun
dav. and upon its finding Gray was immo-
diatsly arrested.
CONFESSION.
After The handouts had been put on him
his little daughter said she saw her father
kin her brother. and exhibited the bloody
clothes and the helve used by him. The
nrisoner became very much alarmed. and
IS he was being conveyed 10 Jail hade his
acouaintances farewell for the last time.
The murderer was promptly lodged in
tn - ~ l.p ia
NAMED until the quarterly term q the Cir
cult Court-Judge 4. d. Dickenson-when
he was brought out for trial. He had
full. patient. and impartial hearing before
. mixed Jury % whites and blacks, and was
found guilty Of murder in the first degree.
and
SENTENCED TO BE HUNG YEsTEEDAr.
He was defended by Judge W. Pope
Dabney and prosecuted by William y.
Flanagan. After being sentenced Gray
showed no agns oi contriii0n. but ex-
messed desire 20 be hung. stating that Of
all modes Of death this was in his opinion
the best.
Armistead GRAY was a large. thiek-set.
hea,ily-huilt black man: the expression o.
bis countenance unpleasing and bruie-like.
indicating a nature ~ the most revengeful
sort. and a temper Of animal-like ierocity.
MANY Of his acts are referred 70 70 show
that be was a dangerous and violent man
when excited.
THH ExHCrTIOs OF TIE SENTENCE
vas carried into effect yesterday at noon
priysiely, in accordance with state law.
The only persons present were the court
and iail officers. COmmonw eslth s-Attorney
william y. Flannagan. DR.. 4. :. Mayo,
several citizens a. guards, and TWO repre-
sentaiives Of the press. Outside 81 the
iail and the enclosure In which The scahcld
had been erected were gathered about 80
persons. nearly al black. the greater pOr-
tion q the latter being women. Every
thing, however. was orderly aud quiet.
CALM AND APPARENTLY ISDITFEREST.
From the time o. his conviction, in April
last. Gray retained a calm and apparently
Indifferent demeanoT, and not until Thurs
day and Yesterday morning did he show
any signs - weakness, and then only by
slight nervousness. lie passed q quiet
uight-sleeping well-and this morning ate
a hearty breakfast. 4 number % persons
visited him before the execution, and in
conversation be gave a detailed statement
of the manner in which he beat bis Ion and
Of the laiter's death. He said he was
PREPARED TO SUFFER
for what he had done. but asserted re-
peatedly that he did not intend 20 Kill the
hov. on the contrary, he said when he
found that the boy was dead he felt ike
cutting his own throat. and was only de-
TERED from 20 doing by the thought that II
he did he could not 20 20 God. 4 c0lored
minister was with the condemned man for
some time before his last moments arrived.
praying with him and administering reii-
rious consolation. At 4 quarter 20 y
o'clock he was led from the cell by tie
prison officials. and conducted 10 the En-
closure outside the Jail, where the ,catioid
bad been erected. The scaGold was finely
constructed. and was a. perfect machine
FOR the purpose intended a. has probably
ever been put up in Virginia. II was built
by Mr.. - wilkinson, Z practical me-
chanic. The doomed man ascended the
platform with firm steps. and was placed
upon
THE FATAL TRAP.
The rope was adjusted around his neck,
and the shackles put upon his ankles and
wrists. after which he was told ne could
say ANYTHING he wished. az be had but
few minutes 10 live. Gray then made some
rambling remarks. in the course Of which
be said that God had told him he need not
dread 10 die. and that He had promised 70
take him home. He bid all goodbye, and
then said he was ready. Sheriff james l..
+ Pettu then put the black cap on the head
Of the condemned man and Immediately
gave the signal by dropping a handkerchief
from the -caffold, whereupoI Depuiy--he-
ri1 j. T.. Jordan gave sudden twitch 70
the lever which parted the double doors %
+ the trap, and the wretched man was
sEET TO DEATH
bv 4 fall of six feet. He remained hang
ing tweniy-three minutes, but pulsaiion
had ceased II the end Of eleven minutes,
when Or. \. :. Mayo pronounced life ex-
tinct. death being caused by strangulGilon.
The body was cut down and placed IN .
pine coffin. and taken 70 the woods near by
and Inferred. The funeral services were
conducted u the grave by The colored
minister and Il crowd q negroes who had
gathered there. The arrangement for the
sale q the body 70 q doctor was not con-
stlmmated. although the deceased had
sgreed 70 make the sale for i've dollars.
THE FIRST IN TwENTT WARS.
This i the first execution which has
taken place in Powhaian county since 1862.
when Mr.. Robert Williams, n weil-to-do
farmer living on the Appomaitox rlYer,
was assas.inated 10y i've Of his own slaves.
The negroes conspired 10 Kill their master,
and 10 carry OUT their intention they stole
a mu.ket from a guard Of Confederate sol
diers posted at Giles bridge. They then
/. proceeded 10 Mr.. Williams house and
fired through the window al their master
. while he was seated n supper with hl'
family. the bullet, after passing through
his body, SCATTERING the plate from which
one Of his daughters was eating. They