Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-14
BELIEF IN Innocence
Attorney Clements to Appeal
Case of John Wright.
MAN CONDEMNED TO DEATH
Statement of Case From Viewpoint Of
the Defense.
NEW TRIAL TO BE DEMANDED
Alleged Defects in Testimony Pointed
Out-Room for Doubt in Minds
Of Jury.
NEW TRIAL TO BE DEMANDED

Wright, eolored, the man in the Alexandria
| county Jail who is condemned to die on
a charge of criminal assault, and asked
| him If he had seen the published report to
| the effect that he had given notice of an
appeal at the end of the trial, but under
| the rules of court it was now too late
to make that move" and that the sheriff
and Mr.. Crandall Mackay, commonwealth s
attorney. would conduct the hanging of
John Wright December IA with all possible
dispatch and with as little publicity as
| possible"
Mr.. Clements said in response: Il have
not abandoned Wrights case in any par
ticular, and not only am I not too late to
take an appeal, but 1 was allowed thirty
days from November in which to perfect
the same and 1 have full time. / ordered
the record copied last Monday and am pre-
pairing the papers necessary to get them
signed by Judge Nicol. l will take them at
once to Richmond and present them to the
court of appeals of Virginia, asking for a
writ Of error. which shall act as a super
sedeas, staying all proceedings until the
case can be fully argued in the appellate
court"
Mr.. Clements commented what he
termed Mr.. Mackay's usurpation of the
sherifs sole duty in conducting the hanging
of Wright. and said he had not heretofore
understood that 1t was a part of the duty
OF a commemorative attorney to personally
assist In hanging man he had prosecuted
but "as he appears so persistently In print
touching this Wright case in all It's details"
he added II feel it due to my client and
| myself as his attorney appointed by the
court to safeguard and defend him to make
the following statement touching some Of
the important features involved in this
serious trial of man for his life:
Time Allays Clamor.
Although not quite two weeks have
all e.oI ~lv@ L. -
Wright, charged with criminal assault upon
Miss Risley Of this city, near Luna Park.
September 8 last. the time las been suf-
hcent to assuage the impetuous clamor Of
the populace. and bring back thoughtful
men to that calm reason and reflection
which invariably follows hasty impulse and
reckless action.
Something Of the feeling in the COM
munity may be gathered from the state
ment made by gentleman present who
took seat close to the window Of the
court house, while the crowd was await
ing the verdict at midnight November /.
He took his position near the window for
the purpose of escaping If the verdict
should be for acquittal. as he believed the
prisoner would be Immediately lynched, and
1t was openly declared before the trial and
before any Of the evidence was heard that
II there was q verdict Of not guilty the
negro would be hung anyhow, then and
there.
But now, thinking men are solemnly
asking themselves: Was the swift and
awful verdict of death justified by the
evidence in the caser
Why was there such undue haste on
the part Of the prosecuting attorney in so
important and serious matter. and why
should he rush the case at breakneck
speed to conclusion?
1.-TWO days only were consumed and late
at night Of the second day the prisoners
counsel earnestly asked that he be allowed
till the next morning at 10 O'Clock to get
vrrffr % ah,,f kL4 Anxf 80
Green and others-especiaIly Annie Green, q
witness for the prosecution, who was held
by the coroner for the murder of Jackson
Boney and sent on to the grand jury by
the committing magistrate to answer for
that murder, but the prosecuting attorney
bitterly opposed the motion and the plea
of counsel for adjournment Of a few hours
was denied.
Alleged Facts Underlying Defense.
''There are two primary facts that under
lie the prisoners defense. One was tho
total failure Of Miss Risley to identify the
prisoner as the guilty party at the crucial
and psychological moment when she was
first confronted with him. face to face at
the United States jail in this city. Four of
the officers Of the jail, namely, Capt Ed
ward S. Ransdell, Thomas H. Hope James
Corrigan and William A. Swords. testified
most positively that Miss Risley, when six
other prisoners along with Wright were
lined up before her, picked out another man
| and declared that he was the man who had
assaulted her, and this man, Alabama Joe,'
whom she identified, had been in Jail since
January last!
Now see what horrible error was thus
committed. If Alabama Joe had been in
the Washington Jail only a few days, in
stead Of about nine months, and had been
taken at once to Alexandria JAIL he would
beyond doubt have been lynched, for the
mob was ready to receive the alleged as
sailant, and the commemorative attorney
had declared that the people were tnfiamed
and greatly excited, and he feared they
would succeed In their determined purpose
Thus an innocent man would have been
sacrificed by mob violence upon the altar
of public clamor.
Says Defense Proved Albi.
1.-THE other fact in the defense was the
prisoners alibi. Miss Risley was the only
witness to testify to the alleged assault.
Her escort. Goodng. said he ran away to
the park gate to look for help. but 1t Is a
remarkable thing that he and Miss Risley
were out in the thick bushes. 200 yards
and Miss Risley were total strangers in that
section and in the county of Alexandria
Another important fact Is that after the
alleged assault upon Miss Risley she and
Gooding went to the Emergency Hospital
in Washington, and she made no complaint
whatever until after DIR. Glenn Jones had
dressed small cut on Gooding's head.
She then remarked that her throat was
her and none was called to testify that
her physical condition was otherwise than
normal.
'The prisoner, Wright, took the stand
and declared he had never been at Luna
Park; that he had never seen Miss Risley
until he saw her at the United States jail;
that he never drank. smoked or carried a
pistol and in the afternoon of the day of
the alleged assault (this being Sunday
he was out driving with colored girl in a
different direction from Luna Park. and
her testimony confirmed the fact. as did
the statement of the proprietor of the
stables from whom he hired the horse and
buggy.
do these facts seem to justify an impair
tial unbiased mind in reaching a conclusion
of guilt and fixing the punishment at death?
Was not the alibi proved by a preponder-
ance Of testimony, was 1t not certainly
sufficient to raise in the minds Of the jury
a reasonable doubt of the prisoners guilt,
and was not the failure to identify at once,
at first sight, fatal obstacle to the prose-
cution's case? Is not the evidence In each
particular phase Of 1t saturated with
reasonable doubt?
81 therefore declare my belief in the
mans innoconce and I will take the case