The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-07-08
HENRY TAYLOR'S
LONG SENTENCE
Given Twenty Years for Criminal
Assault.
SOME OF JURY FOR HANGING.
The Crime One of the Worst Ever
Committed ia Virginia - Hid for
Days in "A Cellar With a secret
Trap Door-Thc Capture.

LEXINGTON. VA, July L-speci Ia
Henry Taylor was tried for criminal
eaut iu the County Court to-day AT"
received q sentence of twenty years 4i
the pcnltenuary. Taylor assaulted
child. Viola NJ Williams, age nine years
The evening Of June 2lst, ana was ~
pretended the following Sunday "ilet
lrng searched for by hundreds or GU
zens.
DE- was taken that night 20 Lynch3urs
for safe keeping and brought here ed-
uesday for trial after being indicted D
= special grand jury Tuesday
TIE TRIAL
Ills trial occupied the attention OF me
court an of to-day and aiter me jury
had been out half AN hour they returned
the above verdict
rwo OF the jury were for hanging on
the first ballot
verdict was announced, for the general
sentiment was TOR hanging. Hts only
plea was that he was drunk and hai no
recollection Boz regard 90 what occurred.
The crime was committed near East
Lexington and the arrest was made AZ
the home of James ". Paxton. who liN's
near Timber Ridge. about five miles from
Lexington. lu the meantime hundreds
OF men from ROckbridge and surround
ng counties were securing the country
and had he been discovered by them.
would have surely been lynched. lnfor-
nation was brought here sunday shortly
after noon that a man had been on
watch the previous night near the Iay-
Tor home. 10 East Lexington. had seen
members NJ tho family make several
trips in the direction Of Timber Ridge.
Suspccting that young Taylor was COM
ceaicd az Paxt0ns whose wife is hs
.f.H ..rr n
10 the authorities and the fact mem
toned which was known only 20 rev.
that there was a cellar 10 the house with
a secret trap-door.
Justice Lindsay and Policeman walker
determined 20 send searching party
10 PaNton's home. Notwithstanding Two
nights before the house had been search
cd. At O'Clock Sunday afternoon 2
party Of sworn-in deputies. ". T. Orig
ler i. n White. Henry MutherspaW j..
IT, FOLEY Charles Baker. J. II. Marks
and William Pulse quietly left town for
the home OF Paxton.
TAYLOR FOUND.
When within a mile Of their destila-
ton. the party lef, their vehicle az a
farm house and approached the suspect
cd house on foot. which they surrounded
All were absent from home except Mr..
Paxton. and ne denied any knowledge OF
Taylor.
a search being made. the trap-door was
discovered. which was covered with mat
ting. and had boxes and barrels piled on
IT, so as 10 conceal its presence 10 20
this time Paxton had raised no objection
10 the search. but when the entrance 10
the cellar was disclosed. he demanded
their authority for the search
This satisfied the searchers that they
hr f.rhf a. W.
PEELED % get a lantern. which be did
although he was visiby excited. Several
OF the men entered the cellar where
Taylor was found concealed. lie was
brought ont and Immediately the party
started for Lexington. arriving here at
about 5:20 o'clock.
BEGGED To BE SHOT
on the way the prisoner begged 90 be
shot fearing possibly of being lynched
AS soon as be was put On j1il a strong
guard was put on duty. The Jail itself
was an arsenal, for there We're stored
| there large supply OF Winchester rifles
supplied from the Virginia Military Instl-
tute.
Fearing a mob Sheriff Stcrrett with q
strong guard took the prisoner from the
JAIN az 2 o'clock Sunday night and drove
% Balcony Falls. where at ll.30 o'cloc!,
Monday morning they boarded the Chesa-
peake and Ohio train for Lynchburg
The crime of which Taylor was SEM
fenced to-day is one Of the most heinous
| ever committed n this section. A young
girl. the adopted child OF a hard-work-
ing couple the mother being a relative
of the accused. was sent 20 the store at
East Lexington. "a distance OF about two
miles. ON her return home. while going
through % strip of woods o. lonely road
about o o'clock in the afternoon. she was
caught by Taylor who had followed from
/ the store He was seen by several women
who live In that enishborhOOd. lie
crossed the river and told some negroes
that he had had a fight with "a mau
which accounted Tor the blood on his
clothes.