Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-12-25
Trial Of the WillIughams

hiic u idi vi JdChSOn w lillu1naUl.
II years of age. and his son.
Andrew WiIlingham, 10 years of
age, for the murder OF Robert
Carlisle at Bluemont on June "a
last, came up for trial in the Circuit
Conrtof Loudoun on Thursday last.
and attracted considerable atten-
ton. The prisoners were repre-
sented by Messrs. Cecil Connor
and w. III. Martin. who were ap-
pointed as counsel by Nhe Court,
and the Commonwealth by Mr.. T..
f. Garrett The jury empanelIed
for the trial was composed of
Messrs. w. w. Titus. S. +. Ell
wards, &. w. Gardner. G. H..
Fouche,. X. III. Tebbs. Jr., f.. IL.
Carter, III. +. Cole, n. X. Heaton.
"A. b. Chamblin, G.. NJ. Newton, l..
ii. Caviness, and S. B. Tillett.
The plea interposed was self de-
fense, and Jackson Willingham
was acquitted and discharged and
his son found guilty OF murder in
the second degree and sentenced
to eleven years in the penitentiarv.
The former was indicted aS ai,lcr
aud abettes to the aciual murderer.
The Willinghams lived in Wsr-
rem county. near Front r., IL.
and on the day. ol the murder
left early in the morning for
Bluemont, aS they stated. to see
their sister, who lived with Gar
lislc at that place They were
JOINED ON the way by the TinSman
boys. from whom they borrowed
gun, for the all .grd purpose o.
hunting squirrels. When ihcy
reached Bluemont they went 10
the home of Carlisle, where they
all engaged i'm game OF card
and the consumption Of guam
tity of liquor, and then. the trou-
ble begin, Carlisle ordering the
boy from the house, and when
he returned for his hat, he got
his gun and followed him down
To the gate, and when Willing
ham reached the road, he toe
having gun, he turned and
fired at Carlisle. the load tearing
a terrible hole in his left side,
and killing him almost instantly.
Willingham had previously had
some trouble with his sister. who
lived with Carlisle. and had been
arrested apd fined by Justice
Throckmorton. and by reason OF
this there was bad blood between
Carlisle and Willinghan. Some
testimony was given To show
that the old man Immediately com
mended the boy for his deed, but
was not considered sufficient 10
hold him, and be was discharged
Both defendants are ignorant and
unable To write and typical char
acters of the mountain regions.
Carlisle also bore an unsavory re-
putation, but at the same time was
considered harmless.
While the plea was self-defense
Willingham, in his testimony, adj
mitted that he had hes rd some one
say the shot had run out of
Carhs'" gun. but that he thought
he had reloaded, and that he fired
because he thought Carlisle was
going to kill him, as his language
was threatening.
The trail lasted three days. and
the case was submitted to the Jury
without argument, and the verdict
rendered as above stated.
The verdict dose not seem to
meet with general approval, as
many think it severe in view OF
the testimOn6y. All the parties
concerned. and some of the wit
nesses, were rather n rough lot,
however, and this was probably
considered by the jury. While
some of the evidence conflicted
with that given at the coroner's
inquest, the testimony of the con-
victed boy at this trail was seem
ingiy straightforward, and could
not be shaken on croSs-eXamina-
tion-Leesburg Mirror.