Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-20

grave. StunS Dy we piVW anu tho Sse.sr
Sy FISHER the f,oodeatcs OF wrath were
| opened wide. and the boys revolver rams
| out again and again. its trigger respon-
| awe to the pressure OF long outraged
soul. Hts revolver having been emptied.
| Fisher turned upon him with club. ana
| being now unarmed and physically unable
10 cope with Fisher. nc fed to his brother
house. Fisher turned from pursuit
OF him, and with the threat OF "oh, damn
you. I'll have you yet" ran 10 MS nome
diateiy returned to the place OF battle.
The recital TO his brother Arthur by the
boy of the outrageous attack upon him
and upon his dead father by Fisher so
maddened him that. armlng himself, ne
returned with william to meet Fisher.
who he believed had gone home TO arm
himself. prepared TO carry out his threat.
These boys arrived first upon the ground.
and, soon seeing Fisher approaching, and
hearing him cursing and declaring that
he would Kill every wright living" and
believing that the long-dreaded day OF
death or delverence was at hand. they
stood out in the moonlight and not Sc
creted as alleged by your correspond
ent. ready 10 defend their lives, their
honor. and their sacred dead from the
murderous attack of their deadly foe.
which they felt and knew was impending.
FISHER FELL.
Fisher was approaching them directly,
and being within fifty yards, and with
the threat OF determination yet hot upon
his lips, in self-defence and with their
lives in imminent danger, as the Wright
boys believed. they fired. Fisher feii
mortally wounded and soon died. For
half an hour after his fall no one but two
Of his friends approached the body. and
one OF these left the State and could not
be had TO testify In the trial. and the Sc
cret rests with them as to whether or
moi Fisher was armed. Every impartial
ana intelligent man OF the neighborhood
believes that he was; the Wright boys
believed that he was, and hence their ac-
ton.
The good people OF the vicinity generally
do not approve OF the manner OF fisher
taking off, but they do feel, In the lght
of the facts known TO them. and when
led up to Fishers killing. and which
were not permitted to appear before
the Jury by the presiding judge tha'
the sentence melted out TO them was en-
tirely too enormous. and but travesty
unon that justice which our courts are
supposed 10 dispense. 1t can be furtner
said that very many OF the responslple
end respectable people of the neighoorhoou
feel that a burden of watching and fear
has been lifted from them In consequence
OF this tragedy. and that now they ian
rest quietly in their beds undisturDed py
the stealthy football Of the Midnight ma
rauder.
REPREHENSIBLE
That lust after their conviction ana
rentence 10 sixteen years confinement III
the penitentiary their language in the
iaIl denunciatory of the jury was repre-
h.nsible to the utmost degree, 90 one
will deny, nor can it be justihed. Inc
il,ry was an excellent one ami nai the
courage and the honesty to do what tLey
thought was their duty, as shown them
by the court. Nor can aught be SAID
against the court itself. 1t is honest
capable. and impartial. 1t applied tne
law In the case. as well as the rules OF
evidence. according TO its best Judgment
and convictions, but the Wright boys
unlike common criminals, and the des-
perate characters which in your PAPER
they are made TO appear, immeGiately
upon the killing surrendered themselves
quietly to the officers of the law, trust
ing I'm the merits Of their cause, ana in
the inherent sense Of justice among cur
people for both q vindication ana de-
liverance at their hands. but the tribunal
before which they had confidently iald
their cause shattered at one blow their
fondest hopes and their faith In hunani-
~ as well.
With courage and confidence they had
asked for life and liberty They got in
its stead sixteen years Of misery and
living death. Is IL any wonder then that
for a moment reason forsook its abiding
place and passion for the while held
sway?
Had the case been tried solely upon It's
merits, had not arbitrary rules OF evil
dence. hoary precedents, and musty de-
cislons of times and conditions long
since past been allowed to determine
the issue. and had the light been turned
full and strong upon every circumstance
OF the last six years that led up
TO the killing. then the verdict OF the
fury would have been quite different
and no imprecations would have escaped
the lips of these trusty boys. When hui
man life is in jeopardy, when misery
and eternal disgrace is impending, both
upon the accused and their family, obso-
lete decisions should be thrown TO the
winds, and iron-hound rules of evidence
trampled under foot. No forms or cere-
monies, however venerable, should be al
lowed to stand for an instant between a
prisoner and absolute justice. Better by
far that our system of jurisprudence
should tumble TO the ground than that
the eternal principle of right should be
violated. Won POFOLi'