Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-03-25
PAYS FOR CRIME
Benjamin Gilbert Is ElsctrocHted
at Richmond, Va.
KILLED YOUNG LADY

on Bridge at Norfolk, While the
Young Girl was With Friends for
Little Outing.
Richmond, March 19.-For killing
his former sweetheart in a moment
of jealous rage, Benjamin Gilbert
today wss electrocuted in the State
( penitentiary here, where all crimi-
nails in this State are now put to
| death.
Because she had spurned him for
the attentions of other young men,
| Gilbert shot down pretty Amanda b.
| Morse on Campostella bridge In Nor
| folk on July % last. The girl ling
cred for twenty-four hours, her death
| occurring at st. Vincent's hospital
to which institution she had been
removed Immediately following the
shooting.
Hearing that Gilbert had threat
ened to kill his daughter. T. o. Morse.
father of the girl, went to look for
Gilbert, and reason with him. Co
ing the wrong way, Morse missed
Gilbert, and twenty minutes later,
while still in search of the youth.
was told that he had shot his daugh-
ter. The father rushed to the scene
and the fact that he could find no
one to furnish MIN with n pistol was
all that prevented double tragedy
On the hot summer night Miss
Morse and several young friends
went to Compostela bridge for a
breath of air from across the water
They were conversing on the bridge
when young Gilbert approached
Miss Morse's escort, w. G.. Mitchell
noticed Gilbert acting peculiarly
Gilbert asked the girl to see him pri-
vately. She replied that il he had
anything to say to her he could
say it then and there.
Gilbert making no reply. Miss
Morse turned from him and took the
arm of Mitchell to walk further on
the bridge. Just as she did so GIL
bert drew his pistol and fred three
times at her. Two of the bullets
entered the girls back. The third
grazed the coast of Mitchell.
Gilbert would have been mobbed
but for the early arrival OF the po-
lice. He claimed to have been en-
gagged to the girl and declared that
their wedding was scheduled for an
early date when she spurned him.
Gilberts defense was general de-
pravity and mental irresponsibiiity.
it being sought at his trial to prove
hereditary insanity. After the trial
eight members of the jury petition
ed Governor Swanson to commute
Gilberts death sentence to life i'm
prisonment in the State penitentiary.
The jury in rendering its verdict
| recommended the prisoner to the
| mercy OF the court. Judge Hanckel
| submitted this recommendation to
| the Governor, who declared that If
he should commute Gilbert, he could
not permit another man to be exc
cuted for murder, so long as he
occupied the gubernatorial chair.
| The Supreme Court was then an
| appealed to, among the grounds be-
ing that Gilbert had become insane
| ''''NN i'i' NphFiNAlOH anu tndI the
act of the Legislature changing the
mode of inflicting the death penalty
in Virginia from hanging to electro.
cution was strange and unusual. -
and, therefore. in conflict with tn
Constitution of the State The Su-
preme Court denied a writ of error
on Gilberts appeal. and Governor
Swanson, who had granted numerou.
respites to permit court action, re
fused to interfere further.
Gilbert's parents spent their al
in an effort to save his life, ever
mortgaging their beds to raise mon
ey with which to carry the fight tC
the higher courts. Daniel Coleman
Jr.. the lawyer who defended Gilbert
not only received no compensation
but had to supplement from his owl
pocket the money raised by Gilbert
parents to carry on the fight for tn
condemned boy.
Gilbert after being carried to tn
penitentiary repented and had hi
spiritual adviser write to the parent
of his victim asking forgiveness. tn
/ youth saying that he could die easie
If he had his forgiveness.