Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-05-22
A TRAGIC COMMENTARY ON
AN IMPERFECT LAZY.

A few weeks ago in the town of Char
| louisville, an accquittal on the ground Of
insanity took place, which excited general
| and unfavorable, though in some respects
unjust, comment throughout Virginia -
A prisoner of wealth and influential con.
nection was put on trial for his life for
the almost unprovoked killing of citizen
! on railroad train. The jury following
| the evidence rendered verdict of mot
i guilty on account of being insane at the
| time of the killing" The court, against
| the protest of his counsel, made an effort
| him to the Asylum at Staunton, as SUCH
| The officers of this institution very prop
| elly refused to receive him without CON-
INITIAL by commission de lunatico anQai
| rendo. He was taken back to Caarlottes-
vile where the jail0r refused to receive
him, and where his friends then gave
bonds in $4,000 to take care of him, and
he went out into the world free man,
and, to those who saw him in Staunton,
clearly sane one. The evidence in bis
trial had very strongly proved hereditary
tendency to insanity, greatly increased by
dissipation. The anon .ly Of system of
laws ia a civilized community, under
which a m could kill another without
provocation one month and. the deed ad
mitted, walk the street, unrestrained the
next, created much feeling IN the State,
A criticism of a more fearful character
was yet to be passed upon it.
Gen. WIN. r. Terry Of Bedford county,
and at present Superintendent of the State
Prison, is one of the most noted men IN
his section of Virginia. He was one of the
commanders OF the Stonewall Brigade
during the civil war. and since has been
prominent in civil life and has represented
his county several times in the legislature.
He had son, Hairston w. Terry.
who vas undoubtedly mentally unbal-
anced, and who had been under the
treatment of DR.. Mcclure of Richmond
and of DR.. Bowyer of Bedford With the
sensitiveness of all families with regard
to insanity among their members, the af-
Fiction had been screened from the public
as far as possible. T. A. Jeter, Tobacco
Inspector at Liberty. was one of the most
popular men in Bedford county; was
widower about forty years of age with two
daughters, and was an intimate friend of
Gen. Terry who lately presented him with
a little dog which, in compliment, Jeter
named after the Generals youngest
daughter, ''Lettie." On Saturday morn.
ing last, young Terry who had been sent
from Richmond by his father, on account
of his mental trouble, and who was visit.
ing his brother-in-law two miles from
Liberty, walked into town in moody
humor and went to Jeter's warehouse.
Jeter rallied him on his low spirits and
pointing to the dog lying near jocularly
said, why haven't you been around to
see your kinsfolk ?" Terry drew pistol
and with two shots killed him. He was !
taken to Jail where on Sunday morning his |
mother, who had left the bedside of her
paralyzed husband for the purpose, came
10 see him. On that day, too, Jster was
buried at his home in the county twenty
niles off. and the whole county and a
arge part Of the town poured out to at
end his funeral. The excitement, which
vas great, was intensified when it was cir
,ulated that insanity was to be the ground
If defence, that eminent counsel had been
ngaged, and that DR.. Mcclure had tele.
,raphed the counsel the fact of young
Terry having been under his treatment.
The recent case in Charlottesville was
RELY discussed in connection with the
resent one. It is suggested in the news
aper accounts, from which we gather