The Washington weekly post., 1900-03-27

ton were convicted ard sentenced TO the
peni;sntiary: IN Carroll. the cities Of Al
exandriz ard Newport News. and lastly.
o'Grady and Cotton at Emporia yester-
DAY. The recCrc is probably the worst
ever made In OF during ike period
During Gov O'FerralTs tsrm. 1ats vas
collected showing the number Of execu-
tions in the state for the preceding TWEEN
~ years. The showing was so very M
favorable il was lot Incorporated in any
official communications. That data cred
tied the greatest number Of lynchiugs to
the term OF Gov. Lee O'Ferrall had but
one or these acts Of outlawry. and that
occurred at such short notice that it could
hardly have been prevented
The record OF the past two years ex-
ceeds all others. Gov OFerraIrs friends
several times to-day expressed to him
the opinion that had he been the execu-
tive OF Virginia yesterday. the Emporia
lynchings would rot have taken place.
Petersburg. Va, March 5-Emporia.
the county seat of Greensviile County,
the scene of the double lynching yester-
day, - quiet to-day. but the lynching is
the universal theme OF conversation, not
only az EmpOTia but throughout the
county. Here in Petersburg the governor
- severely criticised for Withdrawing the
troops, when ii was known that there
was imminent danger Of the prisoners be-
ing lynched
News was received here this afternoon
OF another murder in Greensville, which
occurred in the upper part Of the county.
il seems tnat Ben Owens q Wldely-knOwn
citizen u Greensville, and another man,
whose name was not learned, became in
vOlved in d dispute over the ownership OF
a cart. during which owens was shot and
almost instantly killed The murderer
fled Into North Carolina. where il Is re-
ported, he has been arrested.
Cotton's Body to BE Dissected.
Norfolk, Va, March 25.-The body OF
Walter Cotton, the multimurderer who
was lynched at Emporia yesterday, ar
rived here late this afternoon. in charge
Of Sheriff Smith, OF Norfolk County. The
coffin was placed in the police station and
the top removed. affcrding q view of the
dead mans features, brutal even in death.
The body lay On public exhibition near
the spot originally chosen for the execu-
ton OF the former convict and murderer
Hundreds OF people viewed the body
during the first few hours after its arri-
val, and although il is raining and sleet-
Ing tonight the crowds continue TO pour
toward the place where the boy lies. To-
morrow 1t Will be taken to Richmond for
dissection.
O'Grady Helped Murderer Break Jail.
OGrady, the white tramp who was
lynched with Cotton, was responsible for
the latter's escape frcm the Jail here,
while the negro was under sentence of
death for murder three months ago. Sher-
III Smith identified O'Grady's body as that
OF the man who was imprisoned here at
the time Cotton was awaiting the GAL
lows. OGrady was an umbrella mender
and a number of small files used by him
IN this work were restored to him when
he was discharged from prison, some
days before Cotton's escape. These tools
were used by Cotton in filing his way out
or jail, the inches In the iron bars exactly
fitting the files
Suffolk, Va. March 25-Detectlve "Hur-
rlcane' Branch, of Nansemond. to-day
scored a point against w. II. Moore. a
rival claimant for the reward for the per-
son or Walter Cotton, the negro desperado
lynched at EmpoFia yesterday. After
communic2 tons between the detective and
Sherif Lee, Of Emporia. Branch went 10
Emporla, secured Cottons body, and car
rled 1t through to Portsmouth for deliv-
cry to City Sergt. Williamson Smith. ore
OF those who had offered the reward
Moore arrested Cotton. but Branch ex-
poets to come in for at least q good share
Of the blood money.