Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-08
WEATHERMAN TO DIE
The Governor Will Not Further Inter.
tere in His Case.
ONLY FEIGSING
INSANITY.
superintendents of the Three state
Hospitals Examine the CARROLL
County Murderer md Pronounce
Him Sane.
Him Sane.

In Carroll county next Friday. be- l
tween the hours of sunrise and sunset, !
'ohn Weatherman. n white man about 80
sears OF age. will be hanged. and one OF
iI' iouiest murders that ever occurred
Vesssalni' will have been avenged.
1erman's case IA a most ,n,eros.,n-
one' ~ October. isei ha hr,,.a,,.,
murdered his young w,fa &, a. "'
of their children. all OF whom,
were too young to testify a,a,. V"''
He came home drunk. and as,, nm
wife for his pistol declaring that no v,as
going to Kill man against whom he
had a grievance. She declined to LEI,
him have il, and he started to the Kitchen
fer a Bowie knife Divlning his purpose
the faithful wife secured that ana rusheo
nm stairs 10 her bedroom, where sne
hid IT, The then thoroughly enrageo
husband went deliberately into the yaro
and secured an axe, which he careiuiiS
vhetted on a stone. and when his VIE
| descended the stairs ne met her ahu
| split her head open with the oidue VI
| the weapon.
~ ASKED TO BE ARRESTED.
This occurred in the presence OF tht
| little children. and the eldest glri star.e,
toward a neighbor's house. her lssnsl
ordered her back and went h'nsel .
the depot rear by and asked that th'
officers be summoned to arrest hiih' d.
he feared he would be lynched.
Weatherman was Immediately takei
into custody, was tried, and sentenced e
be hanged. He appealed TO the Circul
and then to the Supreme Court, ana oi
| some technicalities was< granted new
trial by the latter trituGaL The Sc
cond trial resulted as did Nc first. an'
the case was taken again toN suprsm'
| Court, where the verdict orAhe tria
court was sustained, and the Alsone
was resentenced to be hanged Ian Fri
day. January 3lst
Then Weatherman began feigningN
sanity, with a view to securing pardoN
! His counsel appealed to the Governor To-
a pardon. on the grounds OF insanity, Du
| his Excellency refused TO grant IL afte
investigating the ease. The lawyer
then asked for a respite, and an exemt
nation as TO their clients mental condi
tion. The Governor finally granted
two-weeks' respite. and ordered Drs
Moncure. Blackford, and Preston, tn
srperintendents of the three state hos
pitals, TO go 10 Carroll and examine
the man. and ascertain as 10 his sanity
They have now reported TO the Gov
ernor that Weatherman is perfectly sane
and ts only feigning insanity ana he ha
telegraphed to the officials OF Carol
that the execution must be proceeded
with on Friday next
HAD KILLED HIS SON.
Weatherman, before his arrest. was
section master on the Clinch-Naley Dl
vision OF the Norfolk and Western rail
road. 1t transpired during his examina
ton by the doctors last week that onl'
a year before he murdered his wife n
committed another. equally as atrociou
and as brutal. He sent his son afte
whiskey and the little fellow not movin
fast enough for him. he picked up ston
and hurled It at him. Pushing his skul
and killing him insbntly, lie wa
never prosecuted FOR this, as his VIII
would not appear against him.