Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-14
TO BE HANGED MARCH
Sentence of Death on White and Robin.
son.
Manassas Criminals Taken Back to
Now Generally Commended.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
MANASSAS, Va, Feb. 10, 1894.
Unless they are granted a new trial or
are respited. Jim Robinson and Ben White,
the two young negroes condemned to death
here for criminally assaulting Mrs. Heffiin
and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Elliott, at the
home Of the women, about two miles from
here. on the 18th of last month, will pay
the awful penalty for their crime in the Jail
yard of the town on Friday, the 3Oth OF
next month. No one here appears to be-
lieve for a moment that the appellate court
will order a new trial in the case OF either
Of the doomed men, nor does any one really
believe that the governor will respite them.
So it Is confidently thought that the GRIM
inals will suffer death on the day named by
Judge Lipscomb this afternoon.
The conviction of White this morning and
the decree of the jury that he should. like
Robinson, his fellow in the assault, suffer
death. gave the greatest satisfaction to the
people of the town and to the many stran-
gers who had attended the trials from the
adjacent county. The action OF Governor
| OFerrall in sending the troops to the trial,
which at first had been considered by the
people of the town as a reflection upon
their law-abiding reputation, was forgotten
In the conviction Of the two prisoners, ana
1t was generally admitted that as a precau-
part of the authorities although there
seemed to have been little necessity for the
presence of the soldiers, SO far as the peo-
pie OF the immediate neighborhood were
concerned. Yet there was the greatest sat
isfaction expressed that the troops had been
present and that the wretched criminals
had, through their presence received every
protection due them ard had been given
every opportunity by the court and prose-
cution to fully and fairly defend themselves.
Son tka Man Meath
AS stated in The Star. the court took a
recess Immediately after the conviction of
White until o'clock. Upon the reconven-
ing of court after recess an hour or two
were spent in preparing Of the bills of ex-
ceptions in the case Of each Of the con-
demned men. and then Judge Lipscomb
proceeded to pass the awful sentence of the
law upon the men.
First Robinson was told by the clerk Of
the court to stand up. and. when asked If
he had anything to say why sentence should
not be pronounced upon him merely stated
that he had not known just when he was
Judge Lipscomb told him that he had been
convicted, after fair and impartial trial,
OF the heinous crime Of rape, and that the
jury In their discretion had decided that he
should suffer death. The court, explained
Judge Lipscomb, had, therefore, nothing TO
do but 10 set the day for his execution.
The judgment of the court is" said the
judge. that you shall be taken to the Jail
OF this county and there safely confined until
Friday, the 30th day Of March, 1894, when
between the hours of 4 and IL am, the
sherin Of the county shall cause you to be
hanged by the neck until you be dead"
The usual invocation, And may God
have mercy upon your SOUL" was for some
reason or other omitted by Judge Lipscomb
and after he had directed that the prisoner
De taken at once back to the jail he i'm
posed the same sentence upon White The
latter stated that he had nothing TO saw in
reply TO the clerks formal inquiry and each
man heard the sentence with seeming in
difference. '
1t was at first thought that Judge Ijns.
comp would retain the men in the Jail here
unil .ne DAY OF their execution, but after
me adjournment of the court he concluded
that IL would be better to send the nrisonars
PACK TO the Alexandria Jail under the es-
e .t OF capt; Mushback and his men. ana
mus escorted the men left for AIexandria
on on, 'ne train leaving here at 7:4O A large
nut orderly crowd saw them of. ana ne
trtp to Alexandria was made witbont .he
snghtest trouble. although large crowds .,,a.
the train at Alexandria and at the tatinns
on the way. WIG S'A'ioiis