Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-25
COLEMAN HANGED.
sxrcVTloN YESTERDAY AT HAN
OVER COURTHOUSE
murderer Of Woman rays the EN-
,remc penatty-Hc Exhibits No
Emotion-History of His Crime
The Trial,
The Trial

HANOVER COURTHOUSE. VA, De-
csmbcr a. Especial To-day. at Hanover
4s1 Peter Coleman (coloreO was exc
.,,ed FOR the murder OF his housekeeper,
louisa White. The execution passed on
..f,bout accident. sheriff o. .. Alexander
sisted by his deputies John w. Priddy
and IA. Guy Vaughan. were in charge of
.-rsneements The murderer was con-
.a,rted from his cell to the scafIold by
,bc officers. and in his short walk he
,aovycd no emotion whatever. He was
p,rfeciIy resigned 20 his fate. on Cole
mans way TO the place Of execution
one OF the bystanders offered his hand
90 him TO say farewell. Coleman declined.
.syinc. no. have no time. / am in
hurry 70 go home
As soon as he reached the trap the
-.ps was adjusted. The Sheriff asked II
he had any statement TO make. ana re-
,sfyinc the answer. No, the trap was
sprung and the poor wretch launched into
eternity. The fan was about five feet,
and I'm IL the neck was broken. There
ms scarcely any motion Of the body
r.f. bsing extinct at once. At l2A6 DR..
winston examined the body and
..-,rounced Coleman dead. The body
ms then lowered. placed in a case. and
.-s5e ready FOR shipment to the Univer-
ssy Of Virginia. Before the hanging
Coleman offered a very fervent prayer,
es DE was not attended by any minister
The scaffold was I'm the jail building
and was erected by "a young carpenter OF
me neighborhood. There were in all. be-
SIDES the officers in charge. twelve per-
sons present at the execution.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Tho history of the crime for which
coleman paid the penalty with his life
a. MS follows: on the evening Of May
a- 1897 Coleman and Louisa White quar-
rolled i'm their house. near Old Church
I'm the lower end OF this county. Coleman
had come home from work on the farm
and asked for his supper. She said she
was as tired as he was. and II was not
ready. He picked UP a chair TO hit her
and after a squabble he left the house
md went TO the house Of the woman's
sister. shortly afterwards he returned
and again quarrelled with the woman
because she refused TO cook some fish
Tor him. She ran out OF the house and he
took his gun and shot her through a hole
I'm the door as she stood on the step OF
the house trying to enter again.
COLEMAN'S ARREST
The man fed the county, and later on
was caught at Newport News, where he
was working. The case came up al the June
term Of the County Court and the prison
or being without money or friends, the
Judge assigned II. G.. Buchanan. Esq,
10 defend him. The case was heard, and
the Jury gave verdict of murder in the
first degree. the cOnvlcting evidence BE-
ing given by a small negro boy of years
Of age. Upon a technicallty the case was
reheard. and Mr.. r. V. Marye, Esq" was
taken I'm by Mr.. Buchanan 10 assist him
The attorneys worked faithfully but
again the same verdict was rendered. a
petition for a writ Of error was made
to the Supreme Court of Appeals, but No
relief was found, as the sentence OF th'
lower court was affirmed, and to-day th'
hnal execution of the law took place.