Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-04-01
JUDGE HUNDLEN NAAES REMARK.
ABLE ADDRESS N PRONOTNC-
INC DEATH SENTENCE.
FOR sKIPwITH MURDER
THREE Negroes Arp Condemned 70
Death BY Electric chair. and An
other to Fifteen Years In Prn-
itentlary for Completely In
the Pow hatan Ceun;y
Atroclty.

# POW HATAN VA Special Sen
tence of death wss pronounced on Joe
and Isham Taylor and Lewis Jeukins.
condemned for the murder of Walter
@ Johnson In the home of Mrs Mary
+. Skipwith. southeast" 90 the night
~ February 18th. by Judge George ]
Hundley. In one OF the most powerful
statements. according 20 lasYers here.
ever delivered Ia q courtroom
Judge Hundley's statement referred
20 the enormlty OF thu crime for which
the three men are condemned % die
on April 80. and dsalth with the racial
question at large The court deplored
the conditions which had made such
a crime possible. and emphasized the
tact that all the negroes were h.,lnx
accorded fair trial. such as had cften
been denied men OF the same race la
the North. He said that he would De-
false Go hts convictions OF duty N he
did not utter some words of comment
on what DE- characterized crime AZ
dnholcally planned and executed IA
any massacre committed by sayages be-
Judge Hundley spoke 10 part a. fol-
lows
II YOU were the only ones affected
by the result 90 this trial. might send
YOU 90 your doom ia silence. for II Ia
painful 20 think or speak or but when
] reflect that the murder must have
been planned with the know ledge OF
many Of YOUR own race. THAI no one
OF them lifted a finger % prevent IL.
and that none OF them after its com
mission aided IN the effort 90 discover
and punish the perpetrators. would
De- false 10 my convictions OF duty II
l failed % utter some words % warn
Ing 20 your people.
The sayages Vho once roamed over
this land never planned a nasaac re-
with more cold-blooded reconciliation
or executed 10 with more heartl rss
cruelty. You were not strangers %
the man or % the aged end helpless
old woman you murdered but YOU
lived almost az their door. and FED
upon their bounty. You came 60 their
door Ia the night time and with the
voice and language OF friends you
called the man 20 the door. Snd shot
him down. Drained the good Old lady
with an axe, dragged her body down
the steps like the carcass Of siauEh-
tered beast. and burned them up in
their own dwelling. In ali likelihood
while still alive
Il have not the shadow Of a doub
OF your guilt. You were not convicted
completes Ia All my experiences I
have never known so completes a zeb
or network OF circumstances woven
around the accused. completely cor
rooorating the testimony OF your &C
completes. Indeed 70 Contemplate II.
IS 70 be convinced OF the overrulinE
arm OF an almighty power Controlling
the destinies OF men.
The most discOuraging and shock-
ing feature OF Il Is that 50 many OF
you In the same nelghborhOod could
o. induced 20 engage In a.; that n
could be conducted with such profound
secrecy. and Is regarded 81 your peo-
pie with sucn Indifference. Viewed
In that light Il assumes a dark and
sinister aspect. marks an epoch In the
history OF your race. and furnishes a
sad commentary on the tong and IA
tient struggle OF good men % end a
way BY which two distinct. diverse
and alien peoples may dwell together
In peace under the same Institutions
and laws With equal opportunities and
privileges"
Brown Given Il Years.
John Brown. another Of the negroes
convicted for completely Ia the crime.
vas given fifteen years In the peni-
Tertiary
Ollie Ross and Monte Johnson were
dismissed. They came 10 the scene
Of the crime while the house vas
burning They saw What had been
done and. with the statement that had
they known what was going 20 De done
they would not have come. ran from
the scene.
Robert Taylor and Fleming johnson.
who turned States evidences. viii ges
from three TO Eve years each IN TIE
penitsntiary. Stsphaney johnson Win
% sent 90 the reformaiory.
The women. Nannfe Taylor and An
ME Taylor. wives OF Isham and -ne
Taylcr. viii probably be dismissed.