Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-06-01
AN OUTRAGEOUS VERDICT.

with feloniously assaultiDg Mrs
HANNAH GREEN, colored, and killing
her unborn babe Nas tried in the
Henrico Co. Court, Saturday, May
25th, 1895, convicted of simple as
sault and given thirty days in all
and fined Eve doll irs.
This trial took place within the
confines of the city of Richmond,
this being the county seat.
In order to fully understand the
Nervousness of this white brute's
crime, real the testimony and
imagine Mrs. GREEN, white and
MILTON, colored.
To strike a woman at all Is cow
ardly enough, but TO kick her In the
manner, so coOIiy described by Ehim
is fendish.
To fnd such a verdict Is to place
the jury upon the same level with
the fisnd they were trying.
But let us review this case by com
pairing It to other verdicts rendered
in this locality. MORRIs HOPKINS,
colored struck HENRY ). PARSONS,
white. The latter died a month la
tel, and it was proven that indisere-
ton on his part was the direct cause
of his death.
Hopkins was hanged Wednesday,
April oath, 1895, and despite the
protest of bis gray-headed father,
his body was turned over to the
medical college for dissection.
CALVIN ANDERSON. colored, was
convicted of simpls assault, and a
jury sitting In the same seats as
those occupied by the iurymen, who
tried MOsBY MELTON gave him six
months in jail His family was left
In starving condition and white
friends interested themselves In their
behalf and secured bis pardon. at
one time his III wife was three days
without food. This occurred only
a few weeks ego.
CLAUDE HARMS, coIored charged
with striking a white man. Mr.,
O'NEIL, with a rock was tried, con.
victed In the Hustirge Court of Rich.
mond and sentenced to two years in
the Virginia penitentiary. Mr.,
O'NEIL was not seriously Injured.
HABRTs was practically railroad.
ed" to the penal institution.
RICHARD BRowN, colored. charged
with threatening to feloniously
strike with a stick Mr.. CHAs. h.
PAGE, If he did not give him bis
money which he [Page1 unlawiulIy
withheld, although he did not carry
out his threat, and was In turn
chased by the aforesaid Mr.. PAGE
who had a gun, was convicted In the
Hastings Court of this city and CIV
en- five years In the penitentiary.
Judge WITT set aside the verdict
and he was again tried upon q
charge of assault and battery, con-
vlcted and sentenced to one year 10
jail. He did not batter Mr.. PAGE,
because he.dld not strike him. Gov.
OFFER PAIL pardoned Brown and
after an Incarceration of about four
months, he wss released.
Another colored man charged with
stealing about six dollars from the
person of a white man was given
eighteen years In the Virginia peni-
tentiary and one of the Jurors was
in favor of hanging him. All of
these cases occurred during the
past twenty weeks. This occurs un-
der the shadow of the capitol build
ing at Richmond. and within half
days ride of the capital of the Unit-
ed States.
When we witness such visitations
of arrant injustice, we ale forced to
conclude that a reaction must take
place, q cnange Tor the better must
come; or the foundation of the re-
public must crumble and the dream
of liberty and the guarantees OF
equal rights go laundering down
the ages, telling to generations as
yet unborn the failure of the at
tempt to secure Justice. Freedom
and complete independence. Ameri-
ca points to Europe, and warns her
citizens of the tyranny practiced
there and by It's examples of law
lessness and disregard of the prIncl-
pies enunciated In the Declaration OF
Independence and the Constitution
of the United States hugs to it's bos-
ON an octopus far more dangerous
than the evils which 1t professed to
ooudounv, and ohbor