Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-09-18
Communicated.
OF HERALD:-

: liw~abiding, Justlce-loving people o.
a Shenandoah county, beg you will allow
me space in your paper to reply to Il I
man who signs himself "Justics' in tbs
last issue of Herald" who has rushed
into print not only as the defender of tb {
misguided jury who recently tried the
Weatherhotz case, whose verdict will
operate in the -acquittal of the blood
stained murderer, but also in defence of
the murderer himself, aud not content
: with this, be with ghouhsh propensity in
vades the new made grave of the muir
derei's victim and brands the unfortunate
dead a. an adultsress, when this man il
he had an idea equal to an "oJstel"
knows there's not one scintilla Of proof in
the case TO warrent bis accusation. Now
then, this man who signs himself Jus
tice," indlcts the Justice OF the Peace who
sat IN several previous complaints against
WetherholtE, for mot having done his
duty" by Furnishing some one else for
Weatherholtzs crimes, and winds up his
effHslon IN villitying and slandering the
people of this Valley Of Virginia. The
writer of this article knew the wife of the
murderer from her infancy up to the time
of ter cruel murder, and believe her to
be true in her marital relations to her
cruel husband, and that the charge of
adultry by Justice" or any one else is
absolutely untrue, aud without founda.
ton. To justify the ridiculous position
taken by "Justic he cites the cases Of
Slck'es In Washington, and Fulton in
Kentucky, neither of which are parallel
cases. Slckles, who was a member Of Con
Rress, found out that his intimate friend
"Key" had led bis young and beautiful
wife astray, Immediately armed himself
determining to kill the man wEo had not
only violated his own friendship, but who
had invaded the sanctity Of his domestic
happiness, and before his passions were
of be met Key" on the streets of Wash
ington and boldly shot him down. Did
he lie in walt and shoot his wifei No, like
al honorable man he avenged himself on
the man who had wronged him. In the
other case Fulton followed bis wife to
Louisville and found her in the embrace
OF her paramour, he shot him to death,
and as she fled from the room he shot her
do sn also: Did either Of these men try
to escape from the consequences OF their
acts. No, like men they proclaimed what
they had done, and surrendered to the
authorities and we're tried. justified and
acquitted. How did Weathsrholtz kill
his wife II he did it at all, he did it by
lying in wait and shooting her brains
out, which the law said was murder in
the first degree, If he did not do it in this
way, he did not do it all, and the jury
should have acquitted him. Did he sur
render himself No, he fled the country,
but Providence In its mysterious way
threw around him an irresistible fasci
nation to return to the scene of his crime
that he might be caught and have justics
meeted out to him. He did return, he was
caught and our able Commonwealth at
torney made up the case against him;
chain of crcumstantisl evidence was
woven around him 50 strong az not TO ledre
shadoW Of doubt as to his guilt The jury
who tried the case, who was sworn to try
the case ACCORDING to the Law and the
evid snce, to the utter surprise OF the court
Common weslth's attorney, and the peo'
pie of Shenandoah county, brought IN
verdict Of murder in the second degree"
which was promptly set aside BY the
court as being contrary to the law and
the evidence IN the case. This miscar-
riags of j1stlce is to be deplored for more
! reasons than one IL will not only in the
near future result in the liberation OF the
bood-stained murderer, which will be a
constant menace to the lives of some OF
the best citizens of the country against
whom be hssed threats of vengeance dur
ing bis trial, but is calculated to make
our citizens take the law in their own
hands that justice may be done. Jus
tlce" says that during the late war be
heard three opinions of us Valley people,
by soldiers from different states-"A
sDlditr from Mary land said the Valley
was a blank from Winchester to Staun
| ton, and another from Louisiana said
dam dumb Shenandoah Dutch, and the
third SAID, 1.-THE people in the Valley
lived - eat drink and satisfy their animal
passions" Does Justice" mean to endorse
these sentiments 2 II so | hurl back the
second. hand saliva Of the Maryland
Swamp Dragon, the Louisiana Tiger and
the Virginia renegade whom it is fair to
presume was Justice" himself. The
people of the Valley Of Virginia are as
intelligent, lsw.abdiug and juIticelOY'
ing. as any people OH Gods green earth
He farthur says that the law of Moses
commanded that an sdulteress be stoned
to death. Does he not know that when
woman was caught (not suspcioned) IL
adultery, and the multitude carried out to
have the NosaIc Law enforced. Christ re-
buksd them and said, "He that 10 without
sin cast the frat stone and one by one
her accussrs slunk away. does he net
also remember that under the law of,
Moses it was commanded to take an eye
for an eye, and a tooth for tooth. Who
IL this "Justics 7" who says "that in
dignation meeting was sckening in the
extreme" 10 he a native of the county
OF is he &C Interloper II he is 9 native
be should leave his county, for his ooun-
try's good, If an interlOper be should like
the arabs" Of old strike bis tsnt aud 81
lently steal away and no resolutions Of
regret would be passed by the "Shenap-
doah dutch" at his departure. l have no
unkind werd fer the jury. do not know
chem personally and have no doubt that
they are honorable men, and regret very
much the consequences Of their mis-