Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-09-25
GENERAL INDIGNATION OVER
THE HAMS VERDICT.
Senator Voorhees, Says the Trial
was Farce.
THE MURDERED YOUTHS FATHER TALK

was FdIce.
THE MURDERED YOUTHS FATHER TALKS
The Washington Post of the 18th says
! The result OF the Hams trial continued
to be the leading topic in all quarters o
| this city yesterday, and the surprise eX
pressed when the verdict was announc
ed absolutely freeing Hams from all gull
was emphasized. The opinions we're al
one-sided so far as could be learned.
Senator Voorhees, and Mr.. HannegaD,
father of Hams victim, arrived yesterday
evening from Fort Monroe. The father
talked quite freely and with natural in
dlgnatiOn, bTt Senator Voorhees,, while
holding a similar view of the trial, was
not so willing to talk.
"The trial." said ths Senator, $50 fal
as any Justice was concerned, may be call
ed farce. Since the celebrated trial Of
Ward in Kentucky, who murdered teach
or in Louisville named Butler, do not think
that Jury has ever been more carefully Sc
lected tor a special purpose than wa:
this Jury at Fort Monroe. Shortly after
they had been sworn in l learned that
one of them had been the constant COM
panion of Hams in jail, and had played
cards with him in his cell time and again,
He answered the questions put him prop
ellv, and as we had no challenge, we
were powerless to prevent him from
acting as a Juror. l had not the
slightest idea when l lett the place
that there would be verdict OF
guilty. SO far as the argument was con-
cerned, might as well not have spoken
Everybody about the place said he be-
lieved Hams was guilty, and yet those
who believed this the most firmly were
willing to wager that he would be ac-
omitted. / have no sense of disappOlnt-
ment and defeat at the result, but deep
" regret that such miscarriage of JUS
tice should take place in any OF our
courts"
"The whole case was simply farce
from beginning to end" also declared Sr.
Hannegan.
"The Judge is a good man." said he,
land had no part in the nefarious con-
duct. There was not a scintllla of evil
dence in Hams favor, except that of his
father. The case was treated fippantly
and the court was turned into a theatre
by Mr.. Wise and Judge Goode, who did
everything they could to get up a laugh.
There was not person at Hampton or in
the vicinity who Gid not believe Hams to
be guilty. All the army officers made no
concealment of their sentiments that
Hams ought to hang.
claims conducted himself throughout
the trial in the coolest sort OF way and
told everybody he would not be convicted.
nj Al 70 rho iurx he
told a friend who was near him to wait
for him at the hotel. Pll see you tonight
at the hotel said he; wait for me and
we'll have a good time And he did. He
knew what the result would be and every
body else could see how it was coming
out and the influences that brought it
about.
"As soon as Senator Voorhees, had fin
ished his speech he TOOK the evening boat
for Washington without waiting to see
the last scene in the farce. We felt
pretty certain the verdict would be ac-
ouittal, but we had a faint hope there
might he disagreement so we could get
a new trial. The jury was the hardest
looking set of men | ever laid my eyes
on. There were four good men summon
ed, but they were put off, and we had no
recourse.
claims has been turned loose on the
people again, and the people ought to be-
ware of him. This trial has brought out
much of his past conduct. l have found
that public sympathy is on my side in
this case, but this, of course, does not
give me back my son. The sympathy
is the sympathy that naturally arises
when Justice Is outraged and man is
permitted to 90 free, UNPUBLISHED for the
foulest Of crimes"
A MEETING AT HAMPTON ADOPTS RESOLU-
TONS CENsURGNG THE VERDICT.
HAMPTON, VA, Sept. 1.-THE court
house at Hampton was crowded tonight
with representative citizens of Hampton
and Elizabeth City county, who had met
to express their dissapproval of the YER
dict rendered by the jury in the Hams case
on Tuesday. Hon. Arthur Segar, ex-Com
monwealth's attorney, was called to the
chair, and made short address, setting
forth the object of the meeting. A COM
mittee OH resolutions, consisting of Jacob
Heffelfnger, d. +. Cooke and w, j. Wey-
mouth, was appointed. While the resO.
buttons were being prepared Marion Col
bert, prominent business man, was call
ed upon, and stated his views with no I'M
certain voice. The committee then re.
ported the following resolutions:
We, the citizens of the county Eliza
beth City, IN mass meeting assembled
brought together IN solemn council by the
startling verdict recently returned by the
jury in the trial of Thornton j. Hams,
charged with the murder of Ed. A. Han
negan in Hampton Roads on the IL day OF
June last, cherishing hitherto the fair fame
of our people for loyalty to law and JUS
tice, and being unwilling that the said
verdict shall be flashed to the world as
the reflection OF the public sentiment of
our community, do hereby declare and
proclaim, with all the emphasis which
moderate and temperate language can
convey:
First-That while we do not assail the
fidelity of any individual juror to his
conscience, we believe that the said YER
dict was contrary to the law and evidence,
and we do hereby express our emphatic
condemnation of the same as tending to
license murder and subvert the peace OF
our society, the security of our firesides
and the dearest business Interests of the
people.
Second-We call upon the jurors of the
county as au inalienable right of society
to enforce faithfully and impartially the
criminal law of the Commonwealth and
to punish all offenders without fear, favor
or affection, and without distinction of
race, class or social standing. We EN-
phatically express hereby our indignation
and grief at the results OF this trial-in-
dignatIon that we, the people, are thrown
upon our defencs before right-thinking
people, sorrow that the bulwarks of our
peace and happiness, the sanctity of life
and law have been assaulted at the very
foundation.
After the resolutions were adopted Mr..
Lipscomb, of Washington, who was pres
emf, was loudly called for and made an
address, in which he denounced the jury
and verdict in good round terms. The
meeting then adjourned. At least 1000
persons were present, and hundreds were
unable TO get in the building.
JURYMEN WANT TO THRASH PROSECUTOR
LIPsCOMB.
HAMPTON, VA, Sept. 1S.-Immediate
iy after the adjournment of the Hams
Hanuegan Indignation meeting here lasJ
night another meeting was held. 1t was
called by the jury who had been severely
denounced. They declared that Prose
Lipscomb was the Insti