Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-04-27
An Excellent Memory.


Some days ago our aged fellow citizen
OF the county, John Merritt, Esq, cave a
friend s"me facts about the execution of
Jno. Bullet, in Staunton, in 1898. Curiosity
induced an examination Of the records Of
the court. and the old gentleman's memo.
~ proved to be exact about an event
which he recolected as a boy. He re.
mem0ered the crowd, the procession and
the fatal ground.
1T was an execution under the old Vir-
pinia law for horse stealing. and the VIC
tim was labo1ipg man, of dissipated
habits, but we'll connected in Virginia and
Kentucky. At the time of his death a
brother of his held a high position in the
judiciary Of Kentucky. AS tradition
hands down the story, Bullet borrowed a
horse from John Nichol. who lived about
two miles from StriblinR Sprlnos. ON the
Parnassus road, saying that he wanted
to 60 to Lewisbure. After be got to Lew
isbrrg he got on spree and kept on to
Kanawha. The owner being alarmed by
his Iona absence, got the Sheriff and caught
him not far from Lewisburg but coming
that way. Bullet declared that he was
on his way back to return the horse to the
owner. He was brought back to Stanton
and the preliminary proceedings in his
case are thus noticed IN the record Of the
court of General Justices;
''At court held at the Court House in
the county CT Augusta. on Saturday, 18th
oDnr in hn kh4
Sixteenth year of the C,mmpnwealth. for
the examination of john Bullet, who
stands charged with felony in stealing
from John Nichol, of the said county, one
gray horse Of the value of 8. Tried
before VIM. McPheeters. John Tate, Rob t
Porterfield. John McKemy. James Sea-
wright and Joseph Bell, Jr.. General JUS
'tices John Nichol, John Nichol Jr., Geo.
Lea and jesse Atcheson appeared as wit
nesses for the Commonwealth. and the
case being sent on to the next District
court, to be held ia Stanton, A pril 1st, 1892.
these witne ses gave bond III the penalty
of 9l00 for their appearance at said
COURT
The names of the General Justices On
that bench are yet familiar to our citizens.
WIN. McPheeters was the grandfather of
Arch. A. McPheeters of Arbor Hill.
John Tate was the grandfather of VIM.
M. Tate.
Robert Porter field, better known as Gen
eral Porter field, was an officer Of the wars
of the Revolution and of 1872. He was
voted a pension by the government, and
ended his days at bis farm "Soldier's Re-
treat on south River near Wavnesboro.
He was The grandfather of Mrs Fl NJ Bell,
Mrs Jane Tavlor, Mrs. Alfred Chapman.
Mrs. R. F. Richardson and Miss ELIZA
Kinney.
John MeKemy was the grandfather
of Captain William G. McKemy of New
port.
James Seawrieht was the grandfather
Of the brothers George and John Sea-
wright.
Joseph Bell, Jr.. was the grandfather Of
H. M. Bell, J. Wayt Bell, decd, WI D.
Bell, decd. and David S. Bell, and the
ard Wayt. Mr.. and Mrs Davis A Kayser.
Wm. B. K syser and Mrs. e W. Bayley.-
He now lies in the burylEg ground Of the
Old Stone Church.
The Indictment by the Grand Jury of
the District court made against Bullet,
and which was not made until the year 1898,
is an old yellow stained paper signed by A.
Stuart, Commonwealth Attorney, the
father of Hon. A. FL II. Stuart and on
the back of it is written "a true bill.
Alex. Nelson, Foreman and under that
the fatal words, Guilty. John Young.
Foreman" The indictment does not tab.
as kindly view Of Bullets act as tradi-
ton does, for it sets forth that he was
guilty Of stealing and taking away from
the plantation Of John Nichol, Sr.. of said
county. on the 18th day of September,
1870, one Gray Horse of the Price of $50
and other property belonging to said Nichnl
to the value of s5.''
The following is copy of the sentence
of the court: John Bullet, late of the
county of Augusta. laborer, who stands
convicted OF horse stealing, was again led
to the bar in custody of the keeper of the
Goal and thereupon it being demanded Of
him ii anything for himxelf he had. or
knew. to say, why the court here to judg-
ment and execution against him of and
upon the premises should not proceed, be
said he had nothing but what he had be-
fore said: Therefore it is considered by
theConrt that he be hanged by the neck
antil he be dead and that execution of
nd he 40
him, the said John Bullet. by tina Sheriff
of Augusta county Ga Friday. the 49,,
day of October next betWeen the hours OF
Ten in the forenoon and Two In the after.
moon Of the same day at the usual place
OF execution.
A copy, Teste.
JOHN COALTER. c. S. D. c."
The hand writing Of Clerk Coalter in the
aboss is as beautiful and nearly as small
as that Of the late James F. Patterson OF
our Hustzags Court. But the poor fellow
was not hung on that day for the follow
ing respite was Esce we'd from Governor
Lee:
f'Virginia To wit:
To all to whom these presents shall
come.
Know ye, that with the advice of Coup.
ell, 1 do hereby reprieve John Bullet
condemned to death for felony by the last
District Court held at Staunton, until the
second Friday in November next.
Glven under my Eaud as Governor, and
under the Seal of the Commonwealth at
Richmond this 18th day of October. 1898
HENRY LEE.n
And when the second Friday came Bull