Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-11-18
CAPT. WOODS AT A LYNCHING
HE AND FELLOW ATT0REY TRIED TO
SAVE A CRIMINAL YEARS AGO.
FOUND THEMSELVES LOOKING INTO
THE MUzzLES OF SIX LOADED GUNS
SOLEMN WARNINGS FROM
DETERMINED MEN old
MURDER CASE RECALLED.

SOLEMN WARNINGS FROM
DETERMINED MEN old
MURDER CASE RECALLED.
Captain Micajah Woods has bee
commemorative attorney of Alb,
marle county for thirty years. write
Evan r. Chesterman to the Richmon
New Leader. During this time b
1as had experiences at the bar whicl
would furnish the material for a rar
oook of "reminiscences. Here is an iI
cident of which he retains rather un
pleasant recollections, and of whicl
Albemarle county has no particula
reason to be proud: Some time abou
jhe year 1881, an aged couple, Mr.. AM
Mrs. John O. Massey, who lived in th
Buck Island section of Albemarle
were brutally murdered with an ak
one night for the purpose of robbery
The circumstances of the crime wer
sven more repulsive than those con
nected with the killing of Mrs. McCue
as the walls of the house were besmear
ed with bloody finger marks and ther,
was every reason to believe that the
'ssasin had halted at nothing.
Suspicion pointed to James and Lee
Rodes, two brothers, who bore bad
uame In the neighborhood. It Was al.
ways supposed that the murders were
committed by the elder brother, James
Ind that the younger man played q
minor part in the double homicide.
Rodes, directly after the murder,
approached negro and endeavored to
get the man to box him up and ship
him by express to Newport. Cooke
county, Tenn. The negro somehow
didn't grasp the idea, but Rodes left
notwithstanding. He hurried to Ten
nessee with large sum of stolen
money, perhaps 81, 900, and prepared
to live comfortably. He even attempt
ed to buy newspaper at Newport.
Captain Woods, after pumping the
negro at grent length, learned of Rodes'
whereabouts. He telegraphed the Ten
nessee officials to apprehend the fugi-
tive and his request was quickly COM
piled with. Not only was Rodes ar
rested, but he was hustled to the train
and sent back to Virginia without a
REQ quisition. Before being lynched he
said his brother was not responsible
for the crime.
Rodes was incarcerated in the cell
Immediately under the one now occu-
pied by J. Samuel McCue in the city
Jail. Two guards were placed on duty
to watch and protect him. But the
protection Rodes got didn't count for
much. 1t was as nothing compared
to the manner in which Charlottes-
ville's ex-mayor has been protected.
A great mob, thirsting for vengeance,
formed On the court green just before
dawn one night, broke into the prison
and seized the murderer. Before he
had time to don the garments which
conventionality requires, he was hust-
led off down the Free Bridge road by
bis enraged captors, and about quar-
ter of a mile from town was swung up
to the limb of big tree.
While the hosting process was in
operation Captain Micajah Woods and
Judge R. L. w. Duke arrived and both
exhorted the lynchers to desist. Cap
tain Woods assured the excited crowd
that he had ample evidence to convict
Rodes, but for once his eloQuence count.
ed for naught.
When he pushed forward toward the
seif.constituted hangmen he suddenly
found himself looking into the muzzles
of six loaded guns, and hearing SOL
emn warning from many determined
men that if he continued to meddle, he
would do so at the risk of his life.
Under the circumstances the captain
did dot meddle further. He quickly
acquiesced in Judge Dukes view that
he had done all he could to preserve
law and order. Had Captain Woods
acted otherwise the sequel might have
been far different, and J. Samuel Nc
Cue perchance might have escaped
conviction last Saturday. Rodes got
what was coming to him''-the nee
essary allotment of hempen cravat and
was duly launched into eternity by
the arboreaI route.
His brother Lee was spared for a
hardly less agreeable fate. He was
convicted of murder in the second de.
gree and got a long term-twelve
years, l think. After serving eight
years be died in the penitentiary.
Had a mob tried the tactics of the
anti -Rodes crowd last September, just
after the murder of Mrs. McCue, the
results would have been far different.
The ex-mayor on the night immedi
ately following his arrest, and for sew
eral days thereafter, was guarded by
twenty five men who were equipped
with enough firearms to capture Port
ARTHUR, and had explicit instructions
| to shoot.