Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-04

lsflt a T.
FIRST WHITE MAN HANGED.
Long Record of the County Broken
Prisoner Slew His Son-in-Luw In
! Cold B1ood-Insnnity Plea Useless
His Last Prayer.
LOUISA COURTHOUSE, VA, October 8.
| Especial )-vvesley Hicks was hung this
! morning for the murder Of Melton Bourne,
near Thompson's Cross Roads, June q
last. The trap was sprung at 6:46 o'clock,
and in ten minutes the man was pro-
nounced dead.
Hicks neck was broken, and he died
| without a single contortion. His last
words were 80, Lord, have mercy on me
sinner; Thou knowest that it was not
my bad heart that caused this deed
Eight persons, besides the sheriff ana
his deputies, witnessed the execution,
which had been admirably planned by F.
H. Anderson, who is conceded to be one
of the best sheriffs in the State.
The body was turned over to Mrs. Hicks
at once, who had it taken to her home for
burial tomorrow. Hicks displayed good
nerve to the last moment All efforts Of
the ladies to procure a respite of thirty
days for him failed last evening They
believed that it might be shown that
Hicks was insane.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Near Thompson's x Roads, in lower
Louisa, on June %, 1902, there was enacted
a most brutal tragedy, when Wesley
Hicks deliberately shot to death his SON
in-law, Melton Bourne. Hicks and
Bourne had had two difficulties about
farm work, and both were bound over
to keep the peace at the time of the
homicide They lived on adjoining farms
Bourne heard that his mule had been
fastened up in Hicks stable. He went
over in the morning, unarmed, after the
mule, not thinking that he was going into
a trap to be shot to death. Hicks slipped
from the field to the house, got his gun
and shells, which he had procured ten
days previously, and hurried distance
Of 100 yards to discharge three loads of
big shot into Bourne's body. Even after
this cruel act he kicked his almost life
less victim in brutal manner. The in
tent of murder was overwhelmingly prov
en-, and the jury's verdict of guilty will
stand as a monument of justice and
warning to all that human life is too
sacred to be taken without cause.
THE MURDERER'S ARREST
Sheriff Frank II. Anderson promptly ar
rested Hicks, gave him hearing before
a justice and then hurriedly brought him
to Jail, as there was strong talk Of lynch
ing To-day rounds up 1O3 days since the
deed was done.
Hicks was Al years, months and 3
days old, and leaves wife and eight
children. His trial lasted four days, and
over thirty witnesses were examined.
There were but two lawyers in the
case-Mr Reuben Lindsay Gordon for
the Comm onwealth. and Mr.. William En-
met Bibb. for the defense. Both dis
played the most consummate professional
skill at the trial.
Mr.. Bbb's main defense of Hicks was
based on the plea OF lunacy. He learned
that Hicks was a "one-idea" nan-that
is. that he would quit everything until
he executed the purpose of his mind,
and he argued that this was strong evil
dence Of insanity but he failed to Sc
cure enough proof to convince a jury.
He maintained that no sensible man
would have acted as Hicks had on many
occasions, and especially that no sane
man would have shot down Bourne as the
accused did.
LAST DAYS IN JAIL.
The gallows was erected Wednesday
by Louisa carpenters within the court
yard. in front of and adjoining the Jail.
with a high enclosure around it. The
cross beam at the top. to which the
rope was tied, was IS feet high, giving
a drop Of seven feet.
For the past ten days Hicks had aban-
doned hope Of escape from death at the
lower end of a rope, and he devoted his
time almost wholly to prayer and sing
ing. asking for the mercy forgiveness,
and pardon of God But he always end
ed his petitions with these words: "But.
Lord. I can't feel that I did wrong in
killing Bourne" His conduct in Jail was
good. and he always said that he would
face death calmly and bravely.
HIS ROMANTIC WEDDING.
At the age of 10. Hicks walked with his
sweetheart, a girl OF IA summers. from
Thompson's x Roads, on hot June eve
ming, to Louisa, where they obtained
license and were married by Rev. L. A.
Cutler, in the parlor Of his residence.
Mrs. Hicks contradicts the reports that
he was ever unkind to her and her chill
dren. In her testimony she said that her
husbands mind was giving away, and
that she felt 1t her duty to keep the fact
a secret as long as possible. This, said
she, accounted for her going off with him
on many errands of business. One son
of Hicks is now confined in the asylum.
APPEAL REFUSED.
Yesterday at II o'clock about forty la
dies Of the town and suburbs assembled
in the courthouse and appealed to Judge
F. W. Sims and Commemorative Attor-
ney Gordon to sign a petition to Cover
nor Montague to respite the prisoner for
thirty days, so that the sanity Of the
wretched man might be more thoroughly
investigated. But these excellent court
officers firmly refused the request, and
stated that the verdict was right and
that the law should take its course. In
spite of this the ladies appointed a COM
mittee, to leave on the first train, for
an audience with Governor Montague.
An hour or so later, however. after learn
ing that their movement did not meet
with the approval of the male population
and feeling that their petition would be
like darting straws against the wind,
they abandoned their project-especially
after Mr.. Gordon stated that a mob
would hang Hicks if the law did not
GERMAN OF THE v. NJ. I. BOYS.
Entertainment of the Ca
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