The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-26
WIN. ROBERTSON HANGED
TIE MURDERER or JERRY BhRB0UR
PAYS PENALTY OF HIS CRIME.
Adru,tted uis Guilt on the Ga,lcws and
said 81 Was Wbisky's fault-His'ory
of the Crime.

DANvILLE. VA. Jan. Especial
John W. Robertson. young wh.ie man
'Jus, past twcniy-one years OF age was
hanged to-day. IN the jal AT ROXY
Mount. tne county seat OF Franklin
county. Tor murder. Ia January. 1870.
Jerry Barbour, a prosperous farmer ana
Milicr OF ms coui'.y. "ho hNSs hNe ~, ne
from Rocky MouHty was nliied IN tne
ROAD near WaQcsboio, 10 station on the
Roanoke ana Southern braHsn OI the Noi :
foik ana Western railroad LBS Douy w., 'o
found carry IA tne morning WIN W.
bullet hoits IA f.. ana 10 was eI1cnt
that IL had been dead ten or tNeH
hours. Suspicion pointed 10 h9oeI Z or ,i
who was tnen WORKING as a l&D0Ifi "a "a
the building lorce OF the Roahoke anu
Southern road. ana he was sffeStet.
N.acn arrested there were iouhd Oh m ~
person a pOck.t-tsok. pocNet hhiie a.
"A iiNe-doiar gold p.ccc, when 49,
idenuBcd as the property OF b a., p"u "a
The other circumstances p)h,ihs 80
Kobcrtsons guilt were these. "a, o's, ~
WadesDorO, were together al day, anu
both were drinking together, bdI1o. 'a
doing the treating, as robertson hau ~
money. Iney icft tAe grOceiy stoit az
Wnd.sboro about DARK 10Th riding bar-
bours mule. 1ney mad ieft the store
not over five or ten minutes "htn t"o
pistol shots were heard. IN fapd s.tcoa
sion but no atteatiOn was PAD 10 thtIh
The next inormng Barbours dead Douy
WAS found, only 800 yards from the
store. and the mule was found near
Barbours house. When Robertson WAS
arrested his pistol mad Two empty chani-
bers Robbery was the motive, ana the
murderer secured only $40
Robertson was indicted at the ioiioW-
ing term OF the County Court, ana Hls
trial resulted In conviction OF murder III
the first degree, the testimony oeins en-
tirely circumstantial and confined 10 the
facts outlined above. g., 60.
"a
and then TO the Supreme Court Oh APP
peals. both of which sustained the Io"ea
court and he % Sss Of fe' December last
Governor O'Ferrall respited the coH
demned man until to-day.
TKitD 10 or ASornGa HEsPIff.
Messrs. Iiairston & Anderson. of Mar,
xinsville, Robertson's counsel. lrIed hd d
20 get further respite their PAL pos D. %
ing TO get the case before the supreme
Court OF the United states, on a con
stitutional point. the same De'hg tle
claim set up in the New jersey cdSc,
that since December 2ist Robertson mas
been a dead man in law, ana cannot D.
hung. but Governor OFefraH relu'eu
further respite. Ii
Robertson made a profession Of reli ell
Rlon two or three weeks ago, anu mas
since proclaimed his readiness to DE
Hc peIslstentIy denied his gum, put
said ne was drunk all the day ne spent
with Barbour and did not know what
hui little preparation was necessary
for carrying out the sentences as m ma,,e
Price had never removed the EdI!O"S
erected in the Jail three years ago. :,
Robertson was from Stokes county, ~
c., and went to Franklin county as IA
borer on the Roanoke and southern load.
His father. who was also a workman on
the road. left the county few days al
ter the killing of Barbour. and has not
been heard from since. -,
Jerry Barbour was "A WelI-knOWn cili-
zen aged about fifty-five years. His o ~
weakness was whisky. lie left a WIG
four daughters and one son.
ADMITTED HIS GUILT.
The prisoner was brought out by Sheriff
o. W. Price at IL o'clock to-day. ana
the death sentence read The Iris Jner
was calm and collected. He admitted nj
guilt ana said whisky was the cause OF
his trouble, and told all his FIR ends Sooi,
bye. He sat on the scaIold cohk0,e "a
and sang. There is Fountain flied
with Blood" Prayer was offered ny -.
Y. Carson. after which he sang. Jesus
The drop fen at il:55. and he was pro-
nounced dead at 1901.