The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1884-03-12
The Grandson of Senator Crit
tenden Convicted of Mur
derIng a CoIored Man.


dering a Coiorad Man.
~The Circuit Court room was agair
crowded and the now famous trial 0
Fnomas Crittenden, charged with tn,
5 surder Of Rose Mose5y, was continued
Its were freely made that there would
be hung jury or an acquittal and som,
e zen went so far as to name jurymen VIII,
we're iu favor of letting the young maj
off. The courtroom was full of Crit
tenden's friends, all anxious .or an ac
quittal. Just at 4:30 o'clock the fore
man of the jury raped for Deputy
Sheriff, and the Jury slowly and soemnly
filed into court
Not whisper was heard. At one end
of the counsel's table sat young Tom
Crittenden, handsome, stalwa {, fnel,
formed young fellow of25, or Whereabouts
with wild-looking eye aud a red mus
tache, which he was incessantly feeling
At his side sat his mother, well-pre
served old lady, whose silvered hair and
gentle face were objects ofuniversai pity.
Near by sat tie boy 5 father, an honored
and respected gentleman, with a strongly
marked face and an eagle eye. Close
beside the prisoner were his two aunts.
The clerk slowly read the finding:
We, OF the jury, find the defendant
guilty Of voluntary manslaughter, and
IL his punishment at eight years in the
pepitentiary.
Without knowing why, nearly every
man In the courtroom was on his feet
Every one seemed to hold his breath and
watch the prisoner. Mrs. Crittenden
fhrau har hnnf hor con'. i
laid her head on his shoulder. hiding
her face from sight. Her quivering form
told of her emotions. The other ladies
sought to comfort the stricken mother.
Young Crlttenden nervously pulled his
mustache, while his face grew white.
He was strongly affected, His father
seemed broken hearted.
The sight was a sad but picturesqe one.
The courtroom was just becoming dusky
and the long rows of silent spectators who
looked mere like statues than men, the
young man bringing to felOn's cell one
of the proudest names in Kentucky, and
the grief of his mother and father, were
truly affecting. 1t was an awe, stricken
crowd, for hardly man present believed
that the grandson of John j. Crittenden
would ever be convicted.
WILD BoY's CAREER.
-gfhe stor- of Tom Crittenden is one to
t5 ii .tui "a h p -raoral Never did a young
before him. He received as hls lnneri-
tance an historic name that had never
been dishonored till he bore it. His
father is man OF power and influence,
and the highest social and political circles
l.. tn him
But the boy began badly. After a
wild college life be went to his native
place, Frankford, where his career was
one long carouSe, from the time he be
came old enough to drink until he left.
He was not a dishonest lad nor wicked
one, but was of boisterous and unruy J
temperament, delighting in fights and
hand to-hand encounters. His INSOFAR
able companion was James Arnold, the
son of a preacher. Many in this city
remember Jim Arnold Drawer
handsomer, galanter young fellow never
breathed tall and straight, with the
form of Apollo and the face of a school
girl, Jim Arnold sober was the joy of his
friends, and Jim Arnold drunk was the
terror of all whom he met. Many {
fierce carousal did these two young mer
have in the quiet little town of Frank
fort. The gossips of the town love t.
tell to this day of their wild pranks how
one day they both stripped naked ant
ran around the principal square, in thu
b, oad light Of day, insanely drunk ant
shouting like Indians how they entered
a barber shop and strung up an obnoxiou
apprentice over a transom till he wa
nearly dead; how they met a notoriou
courtezan walking across the FraDkfor
bridge, and stripped her naked, f1ogge'
! her for her crimes and made her promise
that she would leave town how the.
used to dash through the streets whoop
ing like wild Indians; and numb berles
f other evidences of their daredevil reck
, lessness. None were so quick with th
use of pistol as they, and nobody doubt
ed their courage.
Poor Jim Arnold He died out Yves
+ with his boots on, shot through tn
|, heart, facing the nan who killed hin
and detying him to the last. Crittende
had the strength of young bull, and n
5 excess seemed tc hurt him. He came
I this city to take position under h
father, who was then United States MAJ
shal, and signalized his coming by fgh
e ing sensational prize-fght with police
S man Hugh Bell. The fight was the tai
of the town, and for weeks the pape
we're full OF it. His history here was on
n long succession OF brawls.
), Even after he killed Moseby he dl
not discontinue his drinking. All II
arrangements had been made to hav
}. him pardoned by Gov. Blackburn wht
t Crittenden and two others nearly Killed
y barkeeper in a saloon fight. After th
!. the Governor refused to interfere. Aft
all, it is no unfavorable comment op ke
lucky civilization that jury Of Kentuc
:, ians sentenced the grandson Of John
Crittendcn to long term in the Sta
prison for killing a negro.