Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-19
E|ectrocuted for Killing His
Former Sweetheart.
RESULT OF JEALOUS RAGE
Murderer Repents and Begs For
giveness of His Crime.
MANY EFFORTS TO SAVE HIM
Intellectual Plea of Insanity Made in
His Behalf-Parents Spent
All to Help Him.
Special Dispatch TO The Star

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
RICHMOND. Va. March 19-For kill
| ing his former sweetheart in a moment
of jealous rage. Benjamin Gilbert today
was electrocuted in the state penitentiary
| here. where all criminals 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 or
| Campostel!a bridge. in Norfolk. Va. Jul,
% last. The girl fingered for twenty
four hours. her death occurring at st
Vincent's Hospital. to which institution
she had been removed Immediately fol
lowing the shooting. Hearing that Gill
| bert had threatened to kill his daughter
look for Gilbert and reason with him
! Going the wrong way, Morse missed Gil
bert. and twenty minutes later. while
still in search Of the youth, was told
| that he had shot his daughter. The father
| rushed to the scene and the fact that
he could find no one to furnish him with
a pistol was all that prevented a double
tragedy.
Girl Brutality Shot Down.
On the hot summer night Miss Morse
and several young friends went to Cam
postella bridge for breath of air from
across the water. They were conversine
on the bridge when young Gilbert APP.
preached Miss Morse's escort. w. G.
Mitchell. noticed Gilbert acting peculiar
| ly. Gilbert asked the girl to see him
privately. She replied that II he had any
thing to say to her he could say 1t ther
and there. Gilbert making no reply
| Miss Morse turned from him and took
| the arm of Mitchell to walk further or
| the bridge. Just as she did so Gilber,
drew his pistol and fired three times al
her. Two Of the bullets entered tho
girls back. The third grazed the coat
of Mitchell. Gilbert would have beer
mobbed but for the early arrival OF the
police He claimed TO have been engaged
| to the girl and declared that their wed
| ing was scheduled for an early date wher
she Spurned him.
Gilbert's Defense Insanity.
| Gilbert's defense was general depravitS
and mental responsibility. it being
sought at his trial TO prove hereditary in
sanity. After the trial eight members o.
the jury petitioned Gov. Swanson to com
mute Gilbert's 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 recommen
dation 10 the governor who declared that
| if he should commute Gilbert he coult
not permit another man TO be executed
for murder so long as he occupied the
gubernatoral chair. The supreme court
was then appealed to. among the ground:
being that Gilbert had become insane
since his conviction. and that the act OF
! the Legislature changing the mode of in
! hicting the death penalty in Virginia from
| hanging to electrocution was strange
and unusual" and therefore i'm conflict
with the constitution of the state. The
supreme court denied writ of error or
Gibert's appeal, and Gov. Swanson, who
had granted numerous respites to permit
court action. refused to interfere further
Efforts to Save Gilbert.
Gilbert's parents spent their all in al
effort to save his life, even mort gagins
their beds to raise money with which II
carry the fight to the higher courts. Dan
! lei Coleman. jr., the young lawyer wht
defended Gilbert. not only received ne
compensation. but had to supplement from
his own pocket the money raised by Gil
| bert's parents to carry on the fight fol
the condemned boy.
/ Gilbert after being carried to the peni
/ Tertiary repented and had his spilitua
adviser write to the parents of his victim
asking forgiveness, the youth saying tina
! he could die easier if he had this forgive
ness.