Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-02

the State that they keep The ranks OF
the various organizations wen n"eu ~, W
tenlistments when they meet With so NJ
Ito announcement The entire force con-
leists OF III officers and 26lS men, COM
prising forty-aix companies OF infantry
two troops OF cavalry, and three batterles
OF artillery. OF the Infantry eight COM
spanics are colored. In me
years 1895 and 1897 the military was used
IN aid of the civil authorities N the cities
OF Portsmouth and Alexandria, called
ont hy the mayors thereof. and IN the
counties OF Albemsrle, Shenandoah, Fair
fax. and culpeper, called into the service
by the sheriffs thereof The entire cost.
Including railroad transportation. was
3i.06SN.
HoRsE-RAcE GAMBLING; PRIZE
FIGHTING.
ut is with pleasure I state that the
legislation OF the General Assembly i'm
reference 70 horse-race gambling and
prize-hghting has practically driven the
one, and absolutely the other. from Viz
ginia. except when engaged In under the
cloak Of "a friendly boxing contest" as it
was recently near Newport News-a base
subterfuge TO escape the tolls OF the State
prison. No more salutary laws could
have been enacted | would recon-
mend an amendment TO the title Of the
act entitled An act to prevent pool-sell-
ing and so forth. upon the result OF any
trials of speed of any animals or beasts
taking place without the limits Of the
Commonwealth approved February o.
1896. so as 10 make clearer and more dis
tinct the object OF the law ! would
further recommend that the act be |
amended so as 10 prohibit all telegraph |
and telephone companies from receiving |
and transmitting at their ofices or any |
other place messages laying bets or
wages on the result Of any trial OF speed |
or power OF endurance or skill or AMI
mails beasts, or man which Is 10 take |
place beyond the limits Of this Common
wealth. and afiixing severe penalties for |
violations. This amendment is needed
H1as.Na all N.aHHh a
and intent Of the act Of February y. 1896
III Is "A source OF sincere congratulation
that while many sister states nave had
serious contentious between employees
and employers Virginia has been exempt |
in no instance during my administration |
has there been the slightest trouble, but J
the utmost harmony and best feeling In J
all of our Industries have prevailed This |
IS as IL should be- and is exceedingly
gratifying. / would, indeed, be
glad TO see some legislation by which
differences that spring up in matters OF :
wages I'm our great works OF industry ! {
could be speedily settled by an impartial a
tribunal. IL there could be board OF '
arbitration established by statute, TO I
which all questions as TO the reduction \
or increase of wages could be submitted, o
a. seems TO me the interests and welfare a
of all concerned would be promoted. {
CRIMINAL ASSAULTS.
The rapidity with which the number Of :,
criminal assaults has grown I'm the South n
tIn CldttSs titls III AdAAf III Ait 4
AT large recently. should stimulate the 4
legislature of every state to take me a
most vigorous stEs 10 stamp OUT tne Q,
horrible crime Murder Is shocking IN az
deed. and every murderer who goes un- :,
punished lessons the security OF every :;
mans life. but the blacklist and foulest ~
rhine that can be perpetrated Is the Vlo- n,
alton of a woman's person, and the per- -
)etrat0r is so vile as to deserve TO forfeit
hundred lives If he had them; ana .
when. by hook or crook he escapes the "
everest penalty, the gallows Is cheated ia
ut of its own. and tie safety OF woman | ~
S put in greater peril The attempt 10 81
ommit the crime is as bad as the con- iiI'
so FAR as as the culprit IS az
and he should end MS miserable VI
on the scaffold. During the last &C
our years the turies in Virginia nave -
one their full duty and served society IN
'eil. in eight cases. ! think by condem- &c
atoms to death. but | regret TO md that IN
! eighty-seven cases there were verdicts 70
the culprits TO the penitentiary 70
DR. various terms. OF these, twenty-four eS
ere white and sixty-three were colored; an
of them succeeded in their "a
endish purpose. and fifty-eight of them VI
died. l assume that i'm all these eighty oI
wen cases the juries were satisfied, be en- S
)nd a reasonable doubt Of the guilt -
! the accused; then why did they not pr
lpose the penalty which the Nervousness a,.e
the crime. the well-being of society, an
I'd the sanctity Of woman demanded? ;
'hy temper the offence? Why modify q
e extreme penalty? Was death too son
uch, in their opinion. for the vilest WI
ime man can commit? adj
In my judgment the way to arrest | ha
70 tendency to this crime, which IS full
owing among certain classes daily and REL
ost alarmingly is for the law to follow me
Witty. like a Nemesis, in the wake of der
cry perpetratoT. and mete out to him Ser
e retributive justice Of hanging by the pre-
ok until dead. Take away from Juries nal
discretion. fix the penalty, and let mo
at penalty be death; remove the oppOr-
N nf IN |
yes to fhis State. to society and TO wo- We
an, and require him only 10 say guilty Sou
his verdict. when under his oath, after Eai
ing the accused the benefit of every Ger
doubt. he believes him guilty, II
d let the court. under the law do the ma
It. and do 1t quickly. the
THE PENITENTIARY'S NEEDS. call
he Governor commeSds the movement por
found reformatory for colored youths, hea
advises an appropriation with proper ale
eguards, for the benefit OF the NEGRO prs
formatorY Associat ton" Touching the tina
tie prison, he says: MOI
regret TO say that the penitenu8ry con
a disgrace and reproach to the State, day
In its management, which has been or
that could be reasonably desired but II
the character Of the buildings and the Iacl
uman manner IN which the convicts the
necessarily crowded i'm the cells The sIoO
sent buildings, with the exception OF ota'
building for females and fourth OF
OF cells for males, were erected a | the
tury or more. ago, and were intended cha
meet the requirements of the State mea
en- whites only were liable to inprison- that
Mt I'm the penitentiary. and the whole lori
tie population did not exceed half a | YOU
lion, while now the population, white theI
colored, reaches nearly two millions 10 {
or to the late war the number of con-
Is confined In the prison never eX- tn
led. ] am informed, $780, while now men
ut thirteen hundred are crowded into fert
In many instances almost as thick as to 1
lie in a railroad car. where, in all mad
sons. particularly in the winter they pacl
itne the fetld ana poisonous air, and Their
summer pant Ior Dreath When locked the
Tor the night. ms wretched state OF miss
lrs cannot be avoided by the Superln- that
ieni, Tor the prisoner must De con- sold
and well secured and he has only rece
space the state gives him. Care
I Ia unpleasant for me to give these tom
S or lay them where the public eye adds
see them, but IL is my duty 10 pre- '',I'
them in this message to you, and 1 for
u not shrIhk from its performance; nue.
q requires It. IL the penitentiary was iurel
self-sustaning. in view Of the neces- This
= OF the State. there might be some the
Use for permitting its present condi-
TO continue, but when II Is remem-
d that for the last ten years the IN
monwealth has been receiving an or ~
ly from the prison net revenue OF "
" 10 nearly $4,000, the obligation 10 nara
ide humane and healthy quarters for acres
convlcts cannot be magnihed. nor can shoa
States failure be too severely CON | grOul
ned. The net revenue during the last ! mas
] year was S5s6s4.75. or aboiit sG5 per 1894,
Ia OF the convicts. male and female sum
Owed I'm the shoe factory which ie a | in an