Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-02-01
HIGGINBOTHAM'S CONVICTION.

charged with having raped Mrs. RALPH
WEBER (white) Saturday, January IL,
1902, at Lynchburg, Va, took place
Wednesday, January, %, 1902, in the
Corporation Court, Judge CHRISTIAN
presiding
HIGGINBoTHAM's uucontradicteds state
ment, 81 am guilty of it all'' removes
from the minds of the conservative pub
lie the last vestige of sympathy enter
tanned for his undone condition.
Never in the history of the common
wealth have we observed more deter
mined effort to prevent lynching ano
to save the grand old commonwealth
from the odium of a ruthless disregard
of its laws.
Gov. A. j. MONTAGUE has realized
the full import of the oath of office and
he is seeing TO it that the laws are faith
fully executed.
There is but one unfortunate feature
of the whole affair. The prisoner was
tried without counsel. He was convey
ed TO Roanoke, Va for protection and
upon his return, eight companies of
state militia had been assembled at
Lynchburg for the purpose of maintain
ing the majesty of the law.
The jury WIS obtained at Danville, Va,
it being impossible TO secure persons in
the locality in which the crime was
committed. who were unbiased in their
Judgment.
The only sad and unfortunate feature
about the case, so far as an impartial
trial was concerned, was the fact that
he was arraiened without counsel.
If it be fact that the members of the
bar assigned to the case by the court
declined to serve, it reflects very mate
rally upon the bar. HIGGNBoTHAM
should have been defended by counsel
He had confessed. He knew the penal
ty OF his crime. The jury had been Sc
cured from hanging town" The
gallows doomed up in the distance and
there were none so blind as not to be
able TO see the not PARKWAY apparition
Then why should member of
the bar decline TO do his duty and carry
out the order of the court2
But, it is all over now. The machin-
cry of the law was put into operation.
The Governor communicated with the
Mayor and the Mayor with the sheriff,
and the sheriff with the jailer.
HIGaINBoTHAM was convicted, and
sentenced to die February "a, 1902.
Sympathy for him? you ask. No
none for him. He has forfeited his
right to live. He was brought up in
one of the best homes in Lynchburg,
surrounded by all of the comforts which
indulging, foster-parents can give. He
was sent to the Sunday-school and he
joined the church. He was janitor in
the temple of learning. He could read
and he could write. He had read the
flaming condemnation of this crime of
crimes.
He had read of the recent burning of
colored men charged with similar
offenses. He knew that the law was in
exorable and his punishment was death.
Yet, he risked all for moment of i'm
aginary pleasure.
When the deed was done, fear pro mpt
ed murder, and the youth added to vii
| iany the crime Of fiendishness.
He seemed not to have remembered
that even though he had escaped, he
would have thrown the pail Of suspic-
ion upon every colored youth in Lynch.
burg. He knew the frenzied state OF
feeling upon the subject among the low.
er elements. He knew that this charge
is the most embarrassing one with which
our people have to contend, and yet he
risked it.
Not alone this, but he stabbed to the
heart enc of the best, one of the most
respected, one of the most beloved fami
lies in Lynchburg
Housed and fed by them, educated by
them, honored by them, viper-like hC
turned upon the Higginbotham family
whose name he bore
1t is for them we have sympathy. 1t il
for them we would shed our tears. NJ
one can tell the modification, the anguish
ofthis old Virginia family, which hal
lived during all these years anon,
the quality white-folks" of the ole
commonwealth.
Higginbotham is the arch-enemy o
the New Negro" the element which
is now striving to march onward and di
rect their StanS inward
But, the Higginbothams need not de
spair. They did what they could 70
Joe. They prayed over him, wept owe
him, suffered bitter pangs for him an,
this is their reward.
We cannot tell about these things
Many white family has suffered in
similar way. There is they say, blacI
sheep in every fold.
!, The conservative, liberty loving whit
people, those who have had waywar