Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-03-17
HIS PLEA OF GUILTY.
EX.Tellsr ". G. Hammer Throws Him.
self on the Mercy Of the Court.
MIR. MANSIONS TOUCHING APPEAL
IL Went 90 the Hearts of All "e"r-
er.-Judgc PauI's Feeling Respo"'e
a.. s.r,.ncipr the Accused to seven
Years In Prison.

o,cloc< and despite the secrecy surrounu
,r- ,ho proceedings every seat was hiicd
and every available space thrVhse'
sr,ctators Hammer was seated JUST oe
hind his counsel. Mr. n. c. Manson 'r''
and between his wife and dausn'e''
Of his sons were seated near MN
Mr.. Manson. addressing the Juuse' sa.u
that the prisoner entered pea Oh eu''
20 the ooeuce as charged in the lhuicl-
mani hut that he deemed 1t advisaoie
70 have the Jury enter their verdict Vi
Guilty and that he would then orieny
s,ote tho excuses in behalf Of MI. Ham
ner. g., A..
District-Attorney Montague SAID thal
although he did not know the exact GUS
tom I'm such cases he would not ralse any
objection 10 such proceedings ieaF'ie ~
to the decision Of the Court. ,,,d
The Judge said that this formalty couiu
be dispensed with. and that he wouIu heai
Mr.. Manson's plea without delay
FOR MERCY.
There was a pause in the proceedings
at this point, in which the dropping OF
pin might have been heard. MI Manson
arose, and facing the Judge. maze
strong and touching plea Tor mercy.
There was no emotional effusion about
his language but simply earnest and
forcible words that burst their way 10
tho heart OF every observer. HIS speech
was as follows: IF the Court please the
defendant admits his guilt. ana asks 'he
mercy Of the Court, that 1t leaVe 10 MN
some hope Of life after he shan nave
undergone the penalty which the VIOLA
ton Of the laws of his country denounce
htnh
Never was there a more startling NUS
tration Of the weakness OF the best or
us when exposed to temptations than
this case presents. No man stood hlgher
for the virtues that ennoble and elevate
mankind, whilst the bright smile ana the
Kind word which he gave to all with
whom he came in contact have caused
him to be beloved as il falls TO the LOT
of few men 10 be.
SHOCKED AND GRlENED.
"Never has this community been more
shocked and grieved than when on Una.
beautiful Sabbath morning. the Daleiui
tldngs of Walker Hammers rum
mingled with the church-ben chimes'
The defendant is now In his 50th year
He has a beloved wife and ten dear chill
dren. the youngest just I years OF age
and an old mother, now approaching her
Goth year. and he has hitherto earned and
deserved the character of a good citizen
and an upright man. ] am not here 10
maintain that this act is the less crime
because II has been committed by a gool
man, but / do say that the blackness OF
this deed should not utterly obscure all
the goodness and br' Illness OF his past
and that even in this hour OF his shame
and calamity life that was klhd ana
generous-aye, and true and honest, too,
Hsft
in the scale In his favor. This man
| should not be punished as he would have
been had his past life been cruel and
selfish and vile and mean beyond hope
OF amendment.
ONLY a SMALL PART.
1.-THE penalty which your Honor in the
| discharge Of your duty shall inlet upon
| this defendant is only a small part OF
| the punishment he must suffer for this
| deed. He was man peculiarly affection
| ate and happy in his family relations.
| Never was husband or father more ten
| derby beloved, and no mans life was ever
! blessed and Frightened by happier or
| more beautiful family circle. What then
! must be his feelings when he sees the
! shame and sorrow he has brought upon
those so tenderly beloved; how the iron
| must enter into his own soul when he
sees their cup Of overlooking happiness
turned to gall and NORWOOD by his
fatal deed. With what longing tender
ness. what what pathetic yearning du-
| ring the coming years, must his memory
| revert TO this sacred home-life? Oh! your
| Honor need not fear that this defendant
Will escape with too light punishment
NO PALLIATION.
For the deed itself l have no word o.
| excuse or palliation to offer. 1t is as as
| founding and ineXplicable as its con
| sequences are heart-rendering and nor
rlble; but there has been but one crim'
/ only. The books are honest. There Ia.
been no attempt to cloak or conceal ont
crime by the preparation of another
There has been no attempt 10 avoid III
consequences Of this offence, nor doe
the defendant stand here now seeking Il
shield himself by any false defence.
HE says: 4 have sinned and sinne'
grievously, beyond hope Of pardon. 0
reparation; and l am here TO suffer tina
penalty which the violated laws OF m
country demand shall be visited upon me.
| We do not ask for forgiveness at you
| HOnor's hands. for that is the preroga
tive Of the Almighty, but when We as
that. whilst administering justice. yo
| remember that mercy with which IN
| laws of our country have wisely clothe
you, We feel that the petitions Of VIII
and children and mother and friends
do not fall upon unsympathetic ears, 70
since your Honor has been judge @
this people, whilst YOU have been carefI
not TO oVerstep the eternal boundarie
of truth and justice. it has never bee
found that you were insensible to IN
feelings of humanity or deaf to the plead
ings Of mercy"
Immediately on the close OF the speech
Mr.. John l.. Lee. who had been associate
with Mr.. Manson as counsel. arose 10 ac
dress the court in behalf Of the prisone
The Judge. however. interrupted hir
| with the question as to whether his T,
marks would be upon the same line a
those OF Mr. Manson. that II so, IL woul
be unnecessary TO add anything further
that the court fully understood the fact
, as stated by Mr.. Manson.
SAD OFFICIAL ACT.
The case was one that appealed yer
strongly 10 his feelings. so that In pre-
) | nouncing the sentence he found II tn
, ! saddest official act that he had ever bee
> called upon TO perform, and that the sen
tence would be as lenient as he coul
possibly make it. with his sense OF wha
5 was demanded by public justice. But OF
fences OF the character OF which this dc
5 very frequent throughout the country
r The effect Of the wrong-dolng OF person
e | placed in positions of trust is often yer
grievous TO those who have placed thei
] | means in the institutions OF which thes
| persons are officers, sometimes deprivin
= widows and orphans OF their only mean
| Of support, and the Court thinks that IN
= punishment should not be too lenient, bu
4 sufficiently heavy to deter others froI
like offences.
= SEVEN YEARS.
, The sentence OF the Court, therefore,
: that the prisoner be confined at har
. labor for the term OF seven years, bu
, by good conduct the prisoner will be alb
. TO reduce the term of his Imprisonment
" The trial did not last more than tweni
: minutes altogether, and when the new
OF the sentence became known on III
/, streets II was received with expression
= OF establishment. Very few persons,
fact had the slightest knowledge Of wha
. was being done.
h QUIETLY ARRANGED.
The affair was quietly arranged b
Hammers counsel with the District Alto
ney yesterday, and II was agreed thu
only those most intimately connected VIII
= the case should be informed OF the pr
posed trial. The prisoner was very quie
ly conducted 10 the courtroom by one {
10 the deputy marshals. and after n
:. judges decision and the departure OF q
l. members OF the family, who were presen
+ the prisoner was taken back TO jail ar
:. replaced in the room which he has her
. tofore occuDfei r'hrOuchOut the prOceet