The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-26
THE SHADOW OF DEATH
Aangs Heavy Over the Heads Of Charles
Williams and William Downing.
THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT AFRAID TO DIE


Iia,ns to BE Taken &c the Supreme
Court of the United states on
a Constitutional Point.
In the Norfolk city Jail are two men
standing upon the border line of the val
lev of the shadow of death. the great
fear of that dark region Is upon them.
| and the picture that has absorbed all
others before their eyes Is the picture Of
a gsllows with a dangling moose.
These two men who are now count
Ing upon their fingers the precious days
| thew have to live. are both negroes and
neither has passed the 2Sth mile post
of life. They probably never WILL I'M
less something little short of a miracle
transpres to change the strong current
of the law which is swiftly bearing
them to their doom. One of these men Is
Charles Williams. the murderer Of Geo.
Bess: the other is William Dodd, alias
Downing. the slayer of Emma Lane.
George Bess was a Waterman, EN-
Dloved by Nottingham < Co.. on the
oyster schooner Caroline D., lying off
HemmlnEway wharf in Atlantic City
Ward. He slept aboard the boat. He
was last seen alive about o'clock on
the night OF April 18TH when he and
Charles Williams were left III Il cabin
of the vessel playing dominoes. In the
morning BesS was absent from his post
of duty but the deck was found to be
covered with blood: there was every
evidence OF Il desperate struggle; n
gorv axe Law near the side of the
schooner. a few yards away, In the quiet
water. lay the mutilated body or the
missing man. 1t was recovered. Will
liams was crested. Upon his person
he wore part of the murdered mans
clothing: lie made a confession, claim
| Ing self defense: II was afterwards re-
tracted He viewed the remains OF his
victim with indifference, as stolid as
| though 1t had been the body of hog.
| The case was taken into court and the
prisoner was ably and brilliantly de-
| Tended bv counsel. lIessrs. z. j. Nor
ris and Hugh Miller, the Commonwealth
being represented by Mr.. e. M. Baum.
who secured q conviction In rev
hours. there being little ground for the
prisoner to rest a defense on. He was
then sentenced by Judge Hanckel to be
hanged between sunrise and sunset on
December 4th next. lie took his SEN
| tence with careless sangfroid. An ap-
peal was taken to the supreme court
of the State. application being maze
for a writ of error on the grounds that
| the Jury had been taken to the scene OF
the crime and had been given evidence
| there out of the presence OF the court
and the legal presence of the prisoner.
The Supreme Court on Thursday re-
l
error and under present conditions
| there are but two avenues open for the
condemned man-one that the case be
taken up TO the Supreme Court of the
United States. the District Federal
Court being unavailable, and the other,
Executive clemency.
Mr. p. ]. Morris, of the prisoner 8
counsel. when seen yesterday said that
| the first intimation he had had of the
action of the Supreme Court was when
| he saw the article relating to the same
| in the current Virsinian. He did not he
lieve II at first. but at l o'clock receiv-
ed an official dispatch confirming the
report. Questioned as to what he pro-
posed to do Mr.. Norris said I'VE shall
pDeal the case to the United States
Supreme Court on the grounds that the
iurv heard the testimony outside the
presence Of the court and the legal pre-
sence of the prisoner constitutional
point. YOU see. II we fail here, we Will
not apply for Executive Glenn
cncv. We are not supposed to
use our personal influence or the
Influence OF our friends. or the friends
of Governor O'Ferrall to interfere in the
,-se of a man legally condemned to
death for Il crime. AS lawyers we pro-
poGe To invoke every legal remedy.
When that is done our duty is ended"
Mr.. Morris then accompanied the re-
porter around to the jail and Williams
SUM lti. iit w toiN iitbt. NHiiC
every effort would be made to save him.
his chances for life were too small to
| permit him to expect anything but the
worst.
I'VE will do the best for you we can,
| Charlie" said Mr. Morris. but suppose
YOU have to go?''
well II I've got to go. I've got to CO."
was the negroes sullen reply. and he
added rather huskily. I'm not afraid,
only do the best YOU can for me-"
THE CASE OF DOWNING.
William Downing. alias Bill Dodd,
alias BLACK Bill" shot Emma Lane in
| her own house. in Allyntown, on the
night of Nav I'd last-shot her without
seeing her. as she opened the door of
her room 10 investigate the cause of the
noise he was making in the next apart
ment. The two did not even know each
other and motive for the crime was
almost utterly lacking until the prisoner
himself. in confesSing to the shooting
declared that he thought the person who
oDened the door was a man who had
threatened to kill him. and whom he
expected to find at the house. His vic
tim died the next day and very shortly
after that the murderer was tried in the
CORPORATION Court and convicted of
murder in the first degree. In this case
as In that of Williams, the jury was
taken to the scene of the murder, and it
! is alleged received evidence in man
ner not legally proper. Judge Hanckel
decided not to sentence Dodd until the