Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-26
TO BE HANGED FRIDAY.
Preparations for the Double Execu.
ton mt Manassas, Va.

uon NJ Mnuassus, ta.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
MANASSAS. Va. April Is. 1854
As stated in yesterdays Star, the county
seat OF Prince William county. Va, is be-
ginning to awaken at the prospect of a
hanging on Friday. Ben White and Jim
Robinson, two young negro residents Of this
place, on dark night about the middle OF
January entered the house of two women
and committed an assault. Amid great ex-
citement the culpr1ts were arrested, tried on
February II, declared guilty and sentenced
to be hanged on March 30.
owing TO transformation regarding a
change made by the legislature in the law
White was granted a new trial, which oc-
cupied two days, March q and 4 with the
same result as before this time the execu-
| ton OF the man tried a second time being
set for April -.
Shortly after Robinson received a respite
| to April 20. i'm order that the hanging might
be a double one. At the court proceedings
a company Of militia, the Alexandra Light
Infantry. acting under orders of the gov
| ernor, guarded the men and escorted White
and Robinson on several occasions from the
Alexandria Jail TO Manassas and return. The
condemned are at present confined at Alex
andria.
The principal attorney for the defense
Mr.. Campbell, after the second conviction
| OF White, withdrew from the case but his
associate, Mr.. Green, continued his connec-
ton herewith, and has displayed great &C
| tivity in an effort to secure a new trial De-
| string more time for that purpose, Mr.
Green recently petitioned the governor for
thirty days stay Of execution. and was
| rewarded on April 10 with one week pc
| tition for a new trial has been denied by
| Judge Keith, and appeal to the state
court of appeals taken. In spite of the above
opportunities for delay, however. the law
yers of Manassas are of the opinion that
the prisoners will meet their doom before
noon on Friday morning.
building the Scafold.
In preparation therefor carpenters have
been at work erecting a scaffold and in
| closure directly to the rear OF the county
jail The gallows is a stanch-looking affair,
the platform being reached by a stairway
OF a dozen steps. A trap of two doors has
| been provided, amply wide enough TO allow
| the fall of both men. A fence, twenty feet
In helght inclosing space thirty feet
| square. Is almost completed 1t will shut
out ali outside view of the proceedings on
| the scaffold.
Although Sheriff Leachnan is besieged
with applications for permission to witness
| the execution, IL Is understood that he an
! tends 10 keep the attendance down to a
very small number. and will exclude all re-
porters. If he can.
The Star correspondent. in order TO learn
the condition Of affairs. engaged i'm CONVEX
| sation with a number of residents. both
| white and colored. of Manassas and yfcfn-
ity. Statements of every possible character
| were made. and II one-tenth of the rumors
are carried out things will indeed be inter-
esting here on Friday
| number of the citizens cautiously an
nounced that the white element intends. al
| the proper time TO tear down the fence sur
| rounding the gallows in order that the ne
groes gathered on the outside may witness
the death scene and thereby be taught a
lesson.
All danger of lynching has not been re-
moved, and as was done to Hefiin ana
Dyer. convicted of similar crime in Feb
ruary, 1872, the possibility exists that White
and Robinson may yet be swung to the
limb Of a convenient tree instead of from
| the carefully prepared scaffold-
| Reports received from various sections OF
the county and neighboring counties indi-
cate that a large crowd will gather at Ma
nassas on the day of the execution. A sig
nsfcant fact bearing on the feeling of the
| community as regards the possibility OF
| trouble is that number of the female resi-
dents of the town have gone away, TO re-
| main until after the hanging and Others
are preparing TO leave.
Threats of Revenge.
Relatives of the condemned men have
raised. IL is said. over one thousand dollars.
to be expended in an effort to save the lives
of White and Robinson. and their hopes,
even at the present date. remain high.
! Anonymous letters have also been passing
around promiscuously Of late. They con-
| tain threats that IL the prisoners are exc
| cuted Judge Lipscomb Commonwealth At
! torney Thornton and the assaulted women
! viii be murdered within an hour thereafter.
Another epistle announced that sheriff
| Leachman is to be burned at a stake. The
| recipients do not appear 10 be suffering
| greatly from fright. however
| Judge Lipscomb. who presided at the
| trials. in speaking to The Stars representa-
| tive. said: Delays and uncertainties n
reaching trial and the parading of the
| saulted women in court in such cases as
this produce lynchings. Should a similar
| crime ever again be attempted in this coun-
| " am firmly of the opinion that Judge
| Lynch will run things" IF Z.