Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-03-30
OFF FOR THE COAL MINES.
Six conviots Whose Sentences
Aggregate 81 Years,


Sheriff Boyd left yesterday MORN
lug for Frankfort with six conyicts
for the penitentiary-two white and
four colorcd. This is the largest del
egaLlon sent up for several years.
One other prisoner was convicted,
but escaped five years. term on
legal technicality. This was Joe
Wilson, bury young negro, a man
In size and who is TO all appearances
II or 10 years old. He attempted to
commit rape upon a little colored
girl and for this offense was found
guilty and his punishment fixed at
five years. However, the jury
brought in a special finding that the
accused was under Ia years of age
when the crime was committed.
This verdict was based upon the
sworn testimony of the boys mother
and aunt that he was 13 years old
December 25, 'S5. One witness testi-
fed that this boy was large enough
to run around the house in the spring
of 1873 but the jury nevertheless re-
turned special verdict that nullifled
the general verdict and the rascal
was turned loose because he was, in
the eyes of the law, too young to
commit the crime for which he was
indicted. Below is a list ofthe six
sent up:
George William Gibson is young
" hite man, not over "a years Of age.
lie is q native of Todd county and
lived some miles beyond Fairview
until March 1884, when he went TO
the town of Fairview and in a diff
Guilty killed an Irishman named John
Mccarthy. He was indicted for
murder, but the jury reduced his
crime TO manslaughter, and fixed his
punishment at 81 years in the peni-
Tertiary. lie is a beardless young
fellow, with dark hair and eyes, and
tall and slender figure. lie is not a
bad looking young man and he
thinks the jury gave him an exces-
sive sentence. lie is unmarried.
| Henry Martin is u well-built, rath-
er good looking mulatto, about "a
years of age. lie was indicted for
the murder of Wiley Hutchinson in
this city April s, 1885, but got of
with 81 years for lnanslaughter. lie
was well pleased with the verdict, as
he was very much afraid that the
gallows would be his portion. He is
married, but as he got into trouble
about another woman, his wife will
probably not grieve much at getting
rid of him.
Joseph w. Ray is white man
about q or % years old, who killed
his brother-in-law, Sam Knight,
March 80, 1885, in Scates' Mill dis.
trict. Nobody saw the killing but
members of his own family, but the
fact that Knight was shot from be.
hind had its effect with the jury and
he was given years for manslaught'
er. lie Is a big, stout young fellow
with auburn hair, pale blue eyes and
a stubby red moustache and is vel
pleased at getting off SO easy.
Henry Garrett is very black ne
gio boy who was convicted of grand
larceny and gets one year.
Scott Myers is another ebon color
cd chap who stole an oyercoat and i
took two attempts TO convict him
He was tried the third week and thu
jury failed to agree, but second jur.
gave him one year last Thursday.
John Henry alias Skinner livet
near Sinking Fork. On March 1911
he went down about Garrettsburi
and ran off with Georgeann Watkin
a IL. year-old daughter of Jim Wat
kins, and he claims that they wer,
married in Tennessee. On the fol
lowing Wednesday, having taken hi
bride TO his home, he undertook h
steal q lot of household goods and tn
result was that in SO hours thercaf
ter he was under sentence of 2 year
in the penitentiary. He is sill.
looking, very black boy about Il
years old and is tickled to death q
the idea of taking trip.
These sentences aggregate 81 years
II is one Of the rules of The penitcn
tiary that the sentences of convict
are shortened one-sixth for good be
havior, so that the terms of the mem
bers of this delegation will rang
from 10 months 10 1914 years, pro
vided they conform to the rules Q
the prison and do not forfeit thei
"good time" by bad behavior.