Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-18

An Explanation of the Finding In
the Mnry Alternately Case.

WHITTLE'S MILL, VA. August To- 1879.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
! have seen the statement OF a goo1
many Of the jurymen in your paper, anu,
as i was not al court 10 be interview q
by your reporter ] beg TO make the foi-
lowing statement: was one Of the twelve
men who tried Mary Abernathy, ana
found her guilty of murder In the hrst
degree. from the evidence before US.
have never regretted my decision. nave
no remorse Of conscience; nor was any
one OF our Jury coerced or persuaded 70
convict: but every man Was LETT 10 ex-
anime his own conscience. when we were
given the case and the instructions OF
the Court we read the latter over anu
carefully took every item OF the evidence
into consideration. Some seven or eight
OF Us made up our minds IN a few min
utes. made this statement before the
jury-that 1 would not, under any cir
cumstances, try 10 persuade any one OF
them; that they heard all tho evidence
| did. and TINT II they thought the n-is'n .
er was not guilty 10 say So and not
let us, who were satisfied tnat she mes
guilty. influence thsm. or cause them
to decide against their own conscience
in this matter. and afterwards feel sorry
| for what they had done. And such was
the sentiment Of many of Us. If there
| was one word spoken by any one as 10
| his bsing afraid TO acquit the prisoner.
were not afraid to acquit, If in our judg-
ment the prisoner was not guilty: AT
conclusion OF the evidence. MoNlay eve
ming. about dark. the CommoAwealth's
| Attorney asked that the jury take sup
| per and come over TO the courtroom at
| O'clock. and he would then argue The
| case ana turn IL over 10 the jury that
night After we had eaten supper. or just
| before eating, we talked over the case
| one with another. as all the evidence was
| In. and We found that the jury were not
| willing TO convict on Solomon testimony.
| When We were taken back TO the court
| room, about . o'clock. we asked that
Solomon be put back on tn stand. which
| request was granted. ana both jury ana
| the most rigid and severe examinations.
| IL has ever been my let 10 hear. Mr.. Neb-
| lett. the COmm0nweslth's Attorney. tell
| ing solomon that his (Solomon's) time
90 appear before his God, and asked him
| II he id not know this. and saying that
be Solomon might be pardoned for the
| sin he had committed, but " he told a
| lie on these women or unjustly implicated
them in II he would not be forgiven. Mr.
Neblett asked Solomon II he knew TINS
| and II ne knew that the life OF these wo.
men depended upon his testimony, ana
told him that II they were not In II 10
say so
Solomon said he knew all this. and
| If these women were not In II he would
not cay so. and. before his God. he mad
| told the ruin anu nOtHlHs Dut tit liulii'
making these last statements with his
eyes and hands toward Heaven. and
tears streaming down his cheeks.
Mr.. Neblett and his associate. seeing
| the unsatisfied disposition of the jury,
asked that the Court adjourn over until
| next day, to get more testimony. (Which
was done Mr. Neblett did send for an
| other witness on the next day-Mrs.
| Clcmen,s-who testified that Mary Abr
nathy. while al her house. asked to see
| her privately. and. the request being
granted Mary asked her II she (Mrs.
ClementD thought II the persons who
them back and put them where he could
get them II Mr. Pollard would drop the
| prosecution and have nothing more 10
| do with IT, Mrs. Clements said she told
| Mary that che did not know; that this
| was very deep crime-Mary Alternately
crying all the time.
| I would like 70 go further with the
testimony. but l have already. written
| more than I expected but. still. would
said and published In favor OF these MUIR
| derers Is direct insult TO the JurIes
| who tried them: and / take II as snch.
| for no one else but US had the life or
| death OF these persons in hand. Outside
| parties were not here to weigh the EVIL
| dence, but they took hearsay testimony,
| and that not sworn 10. and have abused
jury who had been sworn to mete out
| justice and TO render verdlcts according
| TO evidence In the case.
| claim that we have some az good and
| intelligent people In old Lun"nburg as can
| be found In the State. and some whose
character and religious standing are ex-
| cclled by none.
] Very respcctSn'~ JOINER