The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-09-12
DOC BACON
CASE AGAIN 1 \
Chase City Citizens Resent
Published Criticism.
INVITED JUDGE TO MEET'C
Think This Evidence that They Intend
ed to Abide by the Law and Willing
to Leave It to the People
MI Of Virginia.
INVITED JUDGE TO MEET'C
chase CITY, Va, September 10, 1903.

was made to crir1innlly Assault qne Oh the
ladies OF our town, and for the crime
Doc. Bacon and Anderson Finch were duly
convicted by the Jury and sentenced TO
hang BY the court Finch was executed
on September Cd, while Doc. Bacon, whom
we then. and still believe to be the 'prin-
cipa1 In the crime, has been twice resplted
By the Governor Of Virginia. After this
action OF the Governor, With the desire
Of getting at the legal standing Of the
case, the citizens Of Chase city held In
their town hall on Saturday, the 9th OF
september, at o'clock P. M, mass
meeting, which was presided over BY Cap.
tain r. D. Jeffress. Mayor Of the town,
and was attended by well-nlgh every man
In the vilage-old and young, ministers
Of the gospel, merchants, mechanics. and
In fact by men from every calling III l'fe,
all of whom concurred in the resolutions,
which were as follows:
Flrst-Ne want no innocent mans life
taken. st8
THE RESOLUTIONS.
second-We believe with all our hearts
that the verdict OF the jury and the sem
tence of the court were Just and fully
sustained by the evidence, and should
now be enforced W.
Third-We believe that Doc. Bacon Is
more deserving OF death than Finch, who
was only accessory to the crime while
Doc Ia con was tho pr1me-moVefa ana
Iinstigator Of the assault.
Fourth-We do not understand why the
Governor interfered in the matter without
hay wing first consulted with the judge
who tried the case, as well as with the
prosecuting attorney, &
| rTifth--We imnlore the Governor OF Vlr-
ginia to inform himself fully and act with
great care and consideration before ne
further interferes with the sentence of
the law, III order that good citizens may
not be forced to take the law into their
hands to protect their wives and daugh-
ters. a ,fftt g t,5s tf g Ats
sixth-That n copy of5these resolutions
be sent to the Governor OF Virginia and
to the State papers and county papers,
s "A DEFENCE. a.E
Now we submit that there, Is not q line
In these resolutlans land they alone are
the action of tho fmeeting) that does Ylo-
lence to law and order or Injustice to
any creature or betrays any passion. n OF
w1thstand1ng this the Richmond News
Leader or the 7th inst, In its editorial, DO"
cause the citizens Of Chase City declared
their belief in the guilt OF Bacon and
stated that they did notEunderstand Why
the Governor interfered without first con-
suting the trial judge as we'll as the at
torney for the Commonwealth and be-
cause they. impored (humhly, as they
thought)9 the Governor to inform himself
fully and act with great care and caution
before further interfering with the SEN
tence Of the law uses the following Lam
guage:
= y IN az
ill-adyised, and In the circumstances the
proceedings were a sad exhibition OF the
triumph Of unreasonable passion over
Judgment, The criticism and arraignment
OF the Governor IN the resolutions that
were passed were unwarranted and I'M
justlhable, 80 Aside from this, the res
olutions Of the meeting reflect heated
and Illogical state OF mind on the part
or those who participated.
Az evidence that We arc law-abdlng cit
liens. we invited Judge Homes the Judge
who has presided over our court for many
years and who tried the cases Of Finch
and Bacon, to be present for the purpose
OF explaining TO us the existing conditions
and to counsel us in the matter. 1t IS
we'll known that Judge Homes is safe
advisor and able, conservative and impar-
tia! Judge. and not q leader or particlpa-
tor in mobs. He came and addressed the
meeting In quiet manner and explained
tho case from q legal standpoint. greatly
to the satisfaction OF our people. From
the above sta tement of facts we are Will
Ing for the people OF Virginia to decide
whether we We're Justified In saying In our
resolutions that we did not understand
why the Governor Ignored the trial judge.
and In !mplorng him to fully inform htm-
Eelt and act with great care and caution
before further interfering with the sem
terce Of the law. We further declared
our belief In the guiltof Doc. Bacon, and
In doing so we haveSnot undertaken to
interfere with the rights Of any man or to
hinder Justice; but we have simply UNI
dertaken, as free citizens of the State OF
Virginia, to assemble ourselves together
In a lawful manner and to express our
views upon the subjects that affect our
interests.
NO ATTACK INTENDED. 8
No attack was made on the Cover
nor. and none was Intended nor nave
wo desired to do Injustice to any
one. We have simply embodied our Views
In resolutions upon given state or lacts
IN a respectful though earnest manner
ana vet the News Leader makes poid 70
charge that our action was ll!-aaVisea'
IN lust and the offspring of passion. This
wmnnsnln characterization of a falr-mind-
ed and loyal people Is unjust ana uncailea
for we desire to state, with further
view of yindication and rs showing our
desire to get ut tho facts and TO- 90 no
one Injustice, we asked judge Homes the
following 0uest!ons'
Flrst-"Were you at home and could
you have been communicated with BY
Governor Montague before he resplted
Bacon?" He answered YES"
second-"Dld Governor Montague call
on you for your opinion about the Bacon
case before he granted either respite, or
before the Chase City resolutions were
passed." He answered: mo but did
get letter from him on the morning OF
the seventh. asking my views"
The article referred to. in the face OF the
above, charges us With making an unJus-
Unable attack on the Governor The ar
ticle seems to be 'the effusion OF an en-
cited mind" which the author undertakes
to condemn in others, He further denies
tn our people the privilege Of asking me
Governor to use caution before further
respiting Bacon. we did not understand
then, nor do we understand now, why the
Governor failed to confer with tho tflal
I.,- tto,,. ,,t Ia i .AQ