Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-03-17
scene is here depicted. Read for your.

and upon representation OF she defence
that it WAS impossible TO get st their
witnesses sooner, his Honor adjourn.
ed court until 2 o'clock, being assured
that the trial would proceed after that
interruption.
while all this WAS going on the
prisoner was sitting by under the eve
OF the Sheriff and an officer. His face
was stolid and listless.
Even when his old mother wss
brought in and given q chair near hlm
he did not notice her, other than TO
shift his chair so be might not see her
face. a wave OF pity for the old wo-
man swept over the courtroom as she
sat there wringing her hands CONSTANT
~ and moaning. The prisoner alone
was untouched by his mothers dis
tress."
Then followed the reference to the
insanity expert:
Next to Miss Game, the central fig
ure in the case, among the witnesses
is DIR, Styll, the insanity expert, who
passed upon the mental and psychic
condition OF Louis August, the human
monster, who, recently condemned to
death for an awful murder, hanged
himself in his cell. There is little
question about the mans weak mind
edness; he is like other brutes in this
respect"
The above Ia a virtual admission
that BENJAMIN is insane. But the re-
ports get even more sensational;
.'This morning at 10 o'clock. upon
nj -
began, Marquis Jones making the frat
address TO the jury for the common.
wealth. De was followed by g. w.
Fields, for the defense. Common
wealth's Attorney Montague then
made strong argument for the ex-
IRENE penalty for the brute. Attor-
ney Bassett made strong plea for the
prisoner, arguing solely that his ire
sponsibility should exonerate him.
Capt. Fields, brother Of G. w. Fields,
counsel for the defense, closed the ar
gument."
And again.
The most important testimony CIV
en- IN the case, outside OF the testimo-
ny OF the crime itself, was that OF DIR.
style, the well known expert, who de-
clsred that the prisoner exhibited not
one OF the five symptoms OF insanity,
nor was he an idiot. Against this ex-
pert testimony was a mass OF inexpert
evidence. given by the boys friends,
sending TO show that he was weak
minded also to the point of idiocy."
And this was the conclusion for the
day:
NEWPORT NEWS, Va, March H.
Jury in the case of Frank
Benjamin, the Negro charged with
criminal assault -on Miss Caine, in
hampton, after being out an hour and
i've minutes, this evening reported
that they could not agree.
Judge Lee adjourned them over I'M
I'll in the morning.
The announcement was received
with unconcesled wrath by the people,
and threats of lypchiug is heard.
1T Is hardly thought possible that
there will be violence, however. until
the jury has finally reported; but
should they fail Co hang the Negro.
there are people in Hampton who will |
try to-"
Was there more fragrant disregard |
If the inherent principles guaranteed
'very citizen by the Bill Of Rights of
Eirginia2
Here is the en-picture of this "court !
II inquisition.
HAMPTON, Va, March 13.-Specisl. !
The jury in the case of Frank Benis-
min, charged with attempted criminal |
ASSAULT on Miss Alice Oaine, brought |
n verdict of guilty. as charged in the |
Indictment, at 10 :05 O'Clock this morn. !
ne. A motion for q new trial was ov- |!
'r-ruled by Judge Lee, and he will be /
to death Saturday morning. |
The scene in the court room this |
morning WAS dramatic in the extreme.
Nhep the prisoner was called npon by |
he clerk to stand up to hear the YER
lict OF the jury, he managed to get
ialf way up, then sank back into his |
hair, TO be aroused again by the stern
Toioe OF che clerk commanding him TO
'et up. He finally dragged himself to
rs ieet, his face ashy with fear as he |
cad the verdict OF death in the faces
u the Jury and the crowd that throng
"a the courtroom.
When the verdict was read, he |
brew up his hands and fell back in his
hair, his head sinking between his |
egs. His old mother, seated just be-
lind him, slid from her chair to the
loor and lay their sobbing until lifted
Up by some of her friends and led from
he ROOM"
And here is the comment of the COR
The verdict, Of course, gives gene
al satisfaction. Had it been any 9th.
r verdict, or had it been a mistrial,
here Ia little doubt that an attempt
you'd have been made to lynch the j
'egro. Last night the jury stood nine I
or hanging and three for a penitentia-
y sentence. The people did not know
ow the jury stood, but believed that
hey would not agree. There was free
ak OF lynching. but the good sense of
ven the bitterest against the brute
rgeG them to wait until the Jury
aade tnal report before resorting to
xtreme measures"
And here the attitude of the sheriff
nd the jury:
Sheriff Curtis, however, did not
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