Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-03
SATURDAY AUGUST 3, 1895.
The Lunenburg Murder Matter.

The people OF Lunenburg have appoUh'eu
. co,nuittce 10 make a statement Of the
facts connected with the Pollard murder
and the trial of the murderers. win The
view OF disabusing the public NINA 1
erroneous impressions in relation thereto.
This. we think. a very proper course 10
pursue. and If the work Of drafting TIE
,tatement be assigned to discreet men
Tho result will no doubt be beneficial TO
the county, ard If so will be received
with pleasure by the entire Virginia
public.
Certainly the Dispatch has not know
ingly done our Lunenburg friends any
Injustice and we have refused TO ADMIT
to our columns sensational rumors'
But wherein, If anywhere, we or
our correspondents have erred we
are willing TO be corrected, when
ever the error is pointed out to US
in a proper manner.
The Dispatch has more than once said
that the theory Of the Commonwealth
as TO the murder and mur1erers Is the
only theory justified by the evidence
SO far produced We have also expressed
the opinion that the Judge and jury must
have had evidence corroborative OF Solo
mon Marbles. else they would not nave
convicted the three women Ana, by the
way. the LunenbuTg committee could not
possibly serve their people better IMAM
by writing out for publication n con-
nected statement Of the corroboratiVe eVi-
dence produced on the trials in the case
of each Of the women. This would en-
able the reading public to judge OF the
Justice of the convictions in question.
As TO the charge that some member
or members Of the battalion of the First
Regiment that was on duty at Lunenburg
Courthouse induced Solomon Marable to
tell "the white-man story 1t seems to
Us incredible. However. we suppose the
Lunenburg committee will lay before the
public its information On this subject.
Then the gentlemen concerned Will know
how to answer the charge, or the Gov
ernor, In his discretion, may order court
OF inquiry or court-martial. In view OF
the fact that the Lunenburg meeting au-
thorized its committee to lay the facts
ascertained by 1t before the Governor.
we suppose 1t had in mind the possibility
that gubernatorial action might be ne
cessary.
The question as to whether there was
any danger OF lynching the murderers-
any need of military TO prevent lynch
law-must be settled between the county
Judge and Sheriff on the one hand and
the committee on the other.
We understand from the published pro-
oeedings of the Lunenburg meeting and
from letters that we have received from
that county that the Lunenburg commit
tee will contend that their people were
always willing that the law should take
its course with respect to the prisoners.
This being So we conclude that they
do not view the efforts now being made
to secure appeals with any disfavor, ex'
cept in so far as these efforts are stimu-
lated by or based upon msrepresenta-
tion OF the Judge and jury, or people
OF the county.
One thing more: The impression that
the women were convicted upon insuin-
Client evidence Solomon Marable being
conceded to be the liar Of liarO was mace
upon the public mind before the Rich-
mond military returned from LunenDurg'
1t was the effect produced by the re-
ports of the trial sent the Richmona
papers-reports made by local correspond
ents. gentlemen who are next-door neigh
bors of our Lunenburg friends. Now
mind YOU. we do not mean 10 intimate
that these correspondents expressed any
doubts as 20 the propriety of the con-
victlons. oh, no. Far from it-quite the
contrary-but owing to the necessity for
haste and brevity in preparing their dis
matches they did not connect the links
in the chains OF evidence 80 as to con-
vince the public that there was evidence
10 corroborate the testimony Of Solomon
as to the guilt Of the three women. And
80 II was that before the return here OF
the Richmond military doubts had been
expressed as to whether Solomon's testi-
mony was sufficiently supported to justify
the conviction of the women.