Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1895-05-04
FROM The GALLOWS.
STRUGGLE FOR A LIFE.
rIOrris Hopkins Passes to
the Other World.
Robbed Of their Dead.
Il PECULIAR CASE.
Sad Scenes at the Execution.
A Mother PitifuI Story.
End OF the Chapter.


A Mother PitifuI Story.
End OF the Chapter.
Morris Hopkins, the colored youth
WAS hanged in the HenricO Co, Court
house yard, "Wednesday, April 24th at
about A. NJ.
The crime for which Hopkins was
executed was the murder of Mr.. Henry
5. Parsons on the 9TH Of June, 1898.
Parsons was the manager OF a brick
yard at which~Hopkins worked. There
was some dispute about the amount OF
,money owed Hopkins by Parsons. This
aiinally led To a fight between the men,
and Hopkins struck Parsons blow
bver the head with stick, from the
Seffect of which he died, nearly a month
afterwards.
n VISIT TO HIS CELL.
This case was remarkable in many
PARTICULARS. We called to see Hopkins
me months before his execution.
Se found him in his iron bound cell.
sn one corner was his bed. On it was
h Holy Bible which he had been
ing. He came TO the iron grating
told the story of his troubles.
NE STATEMENT OF THE TROUBLE.
ppkins said: / was table turner at
nts per day. i was put in the hole
elling dirt, and when pay day came
not paid my full wages that i had
,receiving did reeelve 81 20 ana
LINES 81 80 per week
Hooker gave me SO 90 for a
work / told him that wasn't
He told me to 90 and see MIR.
ls about it, and he'd come up
and see him.
st there and was standing by
Tons as he was dealing bricks
80 Ain.
He told me to go on away from
there.
told him Mr. Hooker said he was
Icoming up TO see him about my time
= i went back three times and told him
4 / wanted my time. / said: That aint
4 no way to treat a man about his wag-
hes.
y He said: If you don'tgo away from
ere, I'll take something and knock
our damned brains out
WHEN THE BLOW WAS STRUCK.
i went and stood in the middle of the
ck. He said Now go way from here.
e went by me. The next time he
me by me he told me he did not be-
fve MIR. Hooker was coming up there.
He had a stick,-a scantling and
truck at me twice ! snatched the
ck from him and struck him.
The witnesses against me were Dick
asby, Charley Rawley and Solomon
Oaf.
pick MOsby testified that / was
g down to see about the time
stick in my hand and ] said ]
ng down and if it wasn't fixed
G son of a D. would be killed
as near 1 can remember it.
af said he saw me hit Mr.. Par
ter he was down.
COrnett white, engineer said
xlssss sssssssa v king lhgaqsee hack from Mr.. Par
hen he was advancing on me
last information was given in II
TO our request as to the charac
the evidence against him.
ions neglected the wound, think
t he would come around alright
osby attended him. He eau
him against over eating. Mr.
rs disregarded this instruction
Inflammation of thebrain set in anC
I'd. For several months HOpllin
ed arrest, but was finally surrend
by his father.
THE HUNDRED DOLLARS REWARD.
a reward of one hundred dollars ha,
been offered for his capture and con
viction. This fell to the father VIII
had given Hopkins up. Two youn
white lawyers agreed to take the case
The understanding was that the SlO(
reward which was due the fathe
ould go TO the lawyers for defendin
Drris Hopkins. The money cOul
be obtained however unless tn
homer was convicted. So while hi
vyers felt sure he would be convict
and they would get the money, the
no idea, they said that the VerdiC
uld be murder in the first degre,
Vyer Justis, one Of the couns,
le a motion for a new trial. Tn
Over-ruied.
then applied to the Suprem
lrt of Appeals of Virginia for wr
errOr. This was denied NOthin
pod between the condemned ma
d death but Governor O'Ferral
prris Hopkins had all along declare
t Dick Mosby, cOlored lied on him
THAT DAMAGING TESTIMONY.
Mosb7~ said that he saw Hopkins {
.e morning of the fatal fight, and I
lid that he was to have trouble vii
irsons, the inference being that !
PANT TO kill him. This il is allegt
ksblished the fact that the killir
premeditated, and it put the pri
IS neck in a noose so to speak.
4 efforts TO get Judge Wickhal
hmonwealth's Attorney Sands al
court officers to sign for a comm
n of sentence failed and it w
hly evident that without this e
satiOn, Hopkins case was hopele:
was to have been hanged Wedne
April 3D., but Gov. 0'Ferrall up,
ication of counsel Mr.. Justis ga
twenty days longer.
REFUSED TO INTERFERE.
Excellency refused to interfe
the sentence of the court, and 9