Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-12
TO SAVE HIS LIFE
Petition for Pardon of Murderer
Richard Williams.
UTTER STUPIDITY ALLEGED
Peculiar Features OF - Commonulace
Civil Cause. Louiao Nj fran Again
In Trouble. Court News

The Court Of Appeals having refus, d
a writ Of error in the case of Richard
Williams, the murderer Of James E,Ze-
Rlei Newman. His EXrcliency, Govern
or Tyler Will be asked to commute tie
sentence of death to life imprisonment t.
SHOULD the governor refuse to Interfere,
Williams will be hanged in the court
house yard here some time during the
18th Of this month.
Several petitions in behalf Of the
murderer We're circulated in Newport
News yesterday. They received some
influential signatures. including those
Or number of court officers. Judge
Earham and ccEnonwealth's -Attor-
ney Newton Will probably write letters
&c the governor setting forth their
Views of the case.
The petition is somewhat unusual in
the fact that it alleges practically bnl
one excuse for the prisoner. an excuse,
which. curiously enough. appears TO
nave been entirely overlooked by Will
hams counsel at the time of the tri IL
ana BY the jury. In this connection
the following sections from the text OF
the petition Will be both pertinent and
interesting:
First because OF a mental weakness
which the said Williams showed dur
ing the trial to such an extent. thai.
although his life was at stake. he seem
ed entirely Indifferent as to the result
and when the jury rendered their YER
dict he evidently did not comprehend;
It's significance and did not seem to un-
derstand it when the city sergeant in
formed him on the way from the court
mouse TO his cell that he was condemn
ed to die
second DO f,-in W, 1,o
sed;ntu at all concerned as to his fate
and he has made no effort TO save him
sell, or even communicate with those
VINO, Judging his condition, would saw
nm from what they regard as an unjust
fate
Third the DEFENDANTS previous
character WAS good, Il fact which in
ms pitlahqc ignorance. he has failed 70
communicate to the jury, or to disclose
to his counsel before or at the trial
Those who employed him regarded him
as stupid, but inoffenslve ana cocilc
and are satisfied that he has never re-
allzed what he has done nor The Sc
riousncss of his situation.
There is no complaint as TO the con-
duct OF the jury, because the prisorc"
was TOO ignorant to do anything in his
own defense.
jury had been fully Informed Of tie
facts, it would have found many extern
natlng circumstances. and his punish
mcnr would have been much less Sc
We're.
That his failure to communicate
With his friends and counsel was not
Que to ubStinacy or Indifference as to
ms late. but because Nc had SO little
mind he could not comprehend what
was going on or realize his peril"
y MINED PROCEEDING
The Corporal don Courz was ngase6
Yesterday exclusively With civil bust
ness The case of G.. Z. [ cnz IS. Jack
MaEee. Hunter Harvey and Donald
Mcpherson. was finally disposed Of the
plaintiff being awarded The full amount
Q: the damages he praye1 for, sb5, With
interest from May. 1893.
The peculiar feature oe this other
wise commonplace proceeding consists
in the number Of times it has teen in
court and the complications tina; havs
resulted therefrom.
The plaintiff did son> work for the
defendants on the East End baseball
lark and sued to recover the amount
g their BILL Tae case came to trial in
the Corporation Court at the June
term, and the parties compromised on
$40 When the PLAINTIFF vent to collect
the $50 he was unable ever to find Mr.
MaSee in except the first time he called
when MI. Magee dii not have quite
the amount on hand and told him. %
call again. The plaintiff then Went
before a magistrate ana sued for the
500 for which the judgment was rem
dercd by default Afterwards. the at
torney for the defense noted an APP
zeal to this Judgment ard the case
went again to the Corporation Court
The defense came to the conclusion
that as long as he had to go over il
all again. he might as we'll sue for his
fullb i'll. In order ., Go this, it was:
necessary to wipe out the other pro-
ceeGings. which was done. after which
the cause went forward in the usual
way. the jury finding for the plaintiff
as stated
Attorney c. c. Mitchell appeared fer
the plaintiff.
TN TROUBLE AGAIN
Louis Maffa'o the jov;al son Of Italy
who recently pleaded his case so .ln-
Quently before Judge Barl1am. when lie
was charged with illegal liquor selling,
IS gain in trouble, ana This time, worse
than before. He was before Justice
Brown yesterday charged with as
saulting his wife. His Honor fined
him $50 and costs and tut him under 4
bond Of $500 to keep the peace for a
year. Louis was not able at the time
to meet his financial obligation to the
court and SO went to Jail. He after
wards sent TO Attorney Saunders. who
noted an appeal in his case and made
arrangements to secure his release on
bail
The Spaniard Guteriz. who was fined
$40 and costs and put under a $500 peace
bond in September for assaulting his
Witefi was released from Jail yes erlav,