Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-29
Don't Believe In the Innocent Theory
To Me Editor OF the D,spotch:

Boh ksesbsVe fn tue buuoseut sb""sJ
To The EDITOR Of The Dispatch:
God forbid that the writer should help 10
killan Innocent man, and, although some one
NAV say. "Why, lts none Of your business
one way or other" yet every true feeling.
thoughtful person of mature age viii either
voluntarily or otherwise throw the weight
OF his nnucpce either for or against In an
such eases a. This Of Cluyerius this matter
Of iuillcting death upon young man.
Some persons are 80 constituted a. 10 be
unable 10 avoid taking the subject TO heart
more than Others, and 10 think more and
closer upon the matter than others. a0d
wien one Of these 30 constituted persons
Offers you his views in writing you are but
doing Justice 20 both the dead and the
living in this absorbing tragedy when you
publish such views. provided Away that
they are worthy Of being noticed.
Naturally the greater number OF your
contributors on this subject lean to tue
opinion Of iDnocence-ior their feelings OF
sympathy for one whom, as they no doubt
think. j. about 10 bc iudicislly murdered.
and their mistaken idea that they ale Al
ltast on the safe side compel more OF tdis
class into public with their views than oi
the other class who feel and know him 10
De guilty. This other class argue to them
selves thus "Ah, suppose he should be
innocent after all, how can ever quiet
my conscience for ggin, him the kick
down hill 10 the grave which went out Of
nv way 10 a"miuistCr - And so there will
he more "innocent " men in print than
guilty"
Without touching the question Of whether
capital punishment j. right OT not the
Il. TrF. / a..
that CluIcTiu> j, guilty Of ihc murder Of
the young woman Fanny l.. MADISON. The
only question j. - tO the qualifications and
degree Of hcnousne,- OF The crime. u ne
wrote or h1d written the Curtis let
ter with murder h0i in hi, mnd.
be ought to he doubv hanged. II
he did not conceive The murder iil
N the moment be caused this poor girl
to vIi,e a letter iuquiring about .'Cou,iu
Tommy" and. after dating # ~ il OF q
certain date. when be- knew thai be would
Xii her before thlt day arrived. then Uc i,
a wretch that hanging o., TOO good for. l.
he conceived thc idea Of numbering her
only aflcr he aud she h7d pissed by the
house of the only people on whom shc
counted for sympathy of their rr-
ccp,ion in that h0a.c-thon there are one
or two stupcndous degree. of guilt lifted
from Li, soul. Jut he is It'll guilty enough
in ali conscience.
Many of these "inuOccnt writers evil
DENLY write without strictly examining the
rationale % what they >Iy, and their writing
pictures preconccived bils-I sort Oi re-
nance connected in Their minds with %
,lieht young man without friends, the Vie
tim 81 "a miudcr-lOying community. against
Whon there j. no proof and apparently
they fail into the mistake Of atlcAing mn
pOitIncc 10 TIE statement, of CiuNeriu-.
for hi, continued dcui1li T. al they lave 10
ol-c, tie tremendous weight ~ circum-
stances 3cair.t him.
What are 1i> statement, worth: Nothing.
He first WIS shocked al the Idcl ~ Mis-
Madison being I'm the condition Sh. WIS
Thought ste had been always ca good
ChII.tfau yiri , Ccni,- nON that hc saw
her a. 400 IN Richmond on lho occasion ~
hCr murder. While virtually admitting
that she wrote The note Nhich viii hang
him. SAYS >hr "might haye seen bin o.
ihc ,ucd. Is there humrn being Of eN-
Icrincc in lie That doe, not know that
aGuit'ng the ridiculOu, pre~uuptiou that
this cirl was In the city, on The street. ana
QCCid ni0Hy saw TOmmie." do YOU NOT
Anov. reader, that her double heart would
have flown 10 Der throat and chuAcd her
til Size would have dropped in her track
Don't YOU know she would have made him
see her or died
one Of two characters exist for this man
CmVGius. lie is either "a saint or Oh. mos,
cal!0u.. the most selfish. Tho most hardened
wretch for his 2gc and advantages tIt la.
ever been caught IN h.- own suarc~. II hr
is a saint, then We have amongst %, d1Ir1-
of other uniccing WIc-chc, who VIII b.
guilty OF hl> murder Appeal nov, 81.
Editor, 10 these hiding or hidden puilc..
I'm The name ~ God. in the name ~ mcrcs.
in the name OF humanity, 10 the name Of
Justice now while the lamp holds on tp
bufn-now. quick come forward and
save TIN, innocent mans life about 10 Dc
sacrificed upon the evidence oi "a merely
forUiiou, combination Of circumstance
4 }cTtVtous combination >uch a c1mb-
nation. OF similar one. could not occur
once ~ million of years.
Come forward. You man or woman who
1HdJi'd The Curtis letter from Richmond o.
MillborO', the forgery l. exposed; bW yOu
man or woman who know II the utGt'iuJ
OF th., letter. come forward and TEL al.
ycu know about 10 and ii Won knew what
Wa in il.
Come forward. You man and woman
whom Dr. >,raton met on Reservoir
street.-The man asking The time. The cir
cum.tauc,- are well impressed on your
minds; You cannot cudan2cr your liberty.
Tor you. woman, are now living. In IN,
name Of mercy. come forward and -aor
{ luNoru>,
Come forward. you man who brought The |
key 10 joel to rs while hc WI, worbing iu !
/. g. D.. q i'.nfptkfIIn t4I.
a> tl1t would hc fcN in country place.
and # YOU lost your key in >lroiung about I
The reservoir on some visit to The city, sIy /
so. iogr liberty can hardly be endan. !
-,rtd, for you can almost certainly over. |
" bc'Hdnely show where 4on were ON thr !
poor girl was chobcd and thrown !
Ia ihe reservoir ,Oh. those tcl.-t1!c iu-cr- |
mai. -oucc~ Of desperation, whose shape i> |
.o bard lO countclitii.J
Il 70 is not the key thai joel mnHdcd g' |
CcuiINiIc at all, then YOU men VINO hi'e |
about % before that time lost q Na'ch-kcy |
la,in qul. & aad testify tbsi that is YJH |
,,N. IL you Az q nam ~ INV c'Nrlctti |
" whatever vpu can easily establish Vour in. !
loc,acc, .n3 you cin help save tMreriu.'> /
bee.
You man g bo eNperlcda! Nj Morton |
IN Richmond that ni-ai, and inquired io, !
her. come iorWard-i( you live Norih or
.oujh, List OF West, and were travelling |
hruu.A th. citv expecting b meet ih,
ady. and tni> article meet, Your eye iu |
ine. telegraph quick and save an innocent |
mans iiic.
ou msn that got nio the s'reet-clr,
ND YOU woman with him. have you no |
litys VIII YOU see Christian yOun. |
nan hung white reading hi Bible to the
AL moment. While gOu can help save him
rom IN ignomm ou> death: : You who are
lerc called are all and each guilty oi base
murder. unit.S YOU immediately come for
ward Snd come together; that viii make
-uu .tToug. and All good people will cry
,iih dtlighi. Release him Turn him
oo,c, He is innocent
lou msn and woman who were walking
m Belle Isle on that fatal day during
hose night this poor girl committed sui
idc oven saw. Come, You man and Wo-
lan-thc woman who was heard t0 say.
Oh, Cousin T0mmie," TO the man who
"a, with hcr-wil y0u keep silence while
be blood Of a ielloW.croatnrc rests upon
orr soul: His conscience is clear and BIZ
ands are pure, and yet by ,aw lac mu>,
e hanged; hls nothing 10 confess, and 80
c cannot confess.
Let the Governor give llttlc more time
or tie per,on, here called upon to come
,rward win they come Thcv viii. ii
ldced they are Rot imaginary beings II |
irv DO mol come forward; tA,n y0L may
itilre, Mr.. Editor. 4 circle of indl>tinc'-
a IA. G 9. lao fse |