The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-04-12
POWHATAN COUNTY.
Jurisprudence II fhc Richmond Dispatch. !

POwUATAN. April :, 1882.
IS last Tuesday was our County Court
day. and rs orr Circuit Court commenced
on ibe following day Ghe jth) and as they
have adjourned. viii give YOU m account
" the proceedings. The County Court
bad before If an appeal upon q warrant in
which % most respectable gentleman swore
90 the signature Oi % note by q cO.ored man,
and Che latter swore That the note WAS not
signed hy hm. The jury 20 mixed one
wa, divided hy the color line. and WIS
therefore hun-. and this is the third trial
0i fae cg.e, TIE other cling divided ia the
same way.
ihe will d Nr. Peter O.. Elicit. one Of
our most excellent citizens. the father of
one oi Che member, of the firm OF Wingo.
Elicit e Crump. OF your city, was admitted
10 probate
The Circuit Court, having dispatched an
0i lhe ciYi business, was mostly occupied
hy Che trial of q c0lorcd man ARMS
te1I Cray for the murder Of his own
son. 10 appeared chat the victim was
sent hy his father TO q neighbOring ,tori 10
buy some mOlassCs, q portion Of which De
ate, nillng mp The vessel with water That
night, his father having discovered the
theft struck him probably several blows
with AN aXe-helye over the head-One Of
which fractured The skull, producing in
slant death. The prisoner hid the axe
heiie ana the boys shirt, stained with
blood. and gave q most incredible state
ment of The cause Of his death. His coun-
sell Judge Dabney aud Judge Farrar. OF
Amelia, contended that as il was shown
that the boy was the only support Of his
fffNnr e..
past. and as the only witness was the pris-
Oner's daughter. very small girl Of ten or
twelve wears Of age. that the offence was
not shown 10 be murder in The first degree
The jury, alter q deliheration lasting all
night and a part OF the next day, al
though thought to be- divided on the
question Of life and death 30 that no
agreement could be reached, finally
brought in a verdict OF murder in the
first degree. and Judge Dickinson, in
an impressive and feeling manner, having
oyenuled a motion for a new trial. pro-
nOunced upon him the sentence OF death.
The execution Of the sentence was post
poned until the first Fri'lay in June to
await the decision OF the Court Of APP
peals upon two bills Of exception iiled BY
the counsel u To the ruling OF the Court.
~ some three months ago a negro muir
dered his stepsOu, and was not punished
by death, bat only confinement in the penj-
Tertiary, it t. thought By some that the Jury
was influenced IN their verdict BY the idea
that Il was time that stop should be nut 10
the murder OF negro children In the county
hy those entrusted with their care.
II the prisoner l. hung II viii be the only
instance Of capital punishment which has
AL 4t. fltt. -tnHa lo no.
During the war several slaves were exc.
cuted for the murder Of their master, which
was the only case that had taken place foi
more than forty years. Since the war seye.
raj murders some Of them most atr0cious
cascs) have been tried ia this county, but
this is the only instance in which the high
est punishment Of the law was awarded.
The large dwelling-hOuse belonging to
the heirs Of Mrs. Eliza L. IIening. near
the Courthouse, was burnt by accident on
the evening Of the ist Of the month. Al
though somewhat weather-stained, il was
an excellent structure, having been built
by Colonel Frederick Woodson, an officer
Of the Revolution, directly after he came
home from the war, out Of the pick Of the
timber--all the building being 81 heart
pine.
sales u two noted places In the county
have taken place during the past three
months--one. Montpelier. which was built
nearly century ago by Colonel William
Pope, and belonged 10 his grandson, Judge
Dabney, and the other, an equally old set
Element, Beaumont, on james river, at
which the late William w. Alichaux for 80
many years dispensed the hospitality Of an
Old Virginian, one OF the finest estates In
the county. a scotchman bought one and
an Englishnan the other. X.