The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-09-29
RICHMOND. VA-special.-

N = II M - ~ ID, As ID q a L.
II. Stewart Jones. clerk of the Vir-
buzzed around the State Library
building like an excited humble bee
Saturday, and IL was easy to see
by his beclouded brow that he was
much worried.
The thing that caused his discom-
fture was the case of one Ed. Jones.
a Buckingham negro, now under SEN
tence OF death for completely in the
murder of t. c. and w. ]. Stuart.
brothers.
Had everything gone off according
to program, Jones-that is, the Buck
ingham man-would have died in the
electric chair early next Tuesday
morning. But Saturdays mail brought
n communication from the court at
Staunton, which announced that the
negro had been allowed a writ of
error and supersedeas.
Now everything would have been
smooth sailing for Clerk Jones in this
Inatterof Convict Jones had il not
been for the fact that the prisoner is
being held in buckingham county,
and that the least delay in the mails
might cause the man to meet his
doom despite the order Of the court.
Under the law pertaining to cleo
trocution, condemned men must be
taken TO the death chamber of the
penitentiary at least fifteen days be-
fore the Jiane set for the execution of
the laws sence. In this case. how
ever, the statute does not appear to
have been followed. Some hitch has
occurred and the negro has never
been brought to Richmond.
1t was the duty OF Clerk Jones to
mail the order OF the appellate court
but as Sunday comes tomorrow. there
will. of course, be a days delay in
the delivery of the letter.
This close trimming made the Rich
Of fo1 hn Zoo
precautiOn to keep things straight In
addition to preparing the order with
the greatest care he telephoned to
the penitentiary, so that in case Jones
is brought there tomorrow or Mon
day there can be no mistake early
Tuesday morning.
1t may be OF interest to note, in
this connection, that Convict Jones
case will not bring penny in the way
OF fees to Clerk Jones, for the negro
has appealed lin forma pauperis' and
the Commonwealth, therefore, is foot
ing all the bills.
Three men have been sentenced to
die for the atrocious murder of the
Stuart brothers. whose cabin was
burned after they had been shot and
knocked down by their assassins. One
is w. Dallas Wright, white, and the
others are Ed. Jones and Richard
Perkins, negroes. All three have now
been granted writs of error and it be-
gins TO look as if all three may ulti-
mately escape the tolls of the law.
Jones was indicted jointly with
Wright and Perkins, but tried sepa-
rately. He was arraigned at the July
1909, term OF the buckingham Cir
cult Court, with Judge b. T. Gordon
- Oh che bench. The jury said murder
in the first degree and electrocution
for Jones. but Judge Gordon set the
verdict aside He said il was based
on evidence unsatisfactory, untrust-
worthy and challenging human be-
lief
This meant a new trial for Jones
and he got il. but he likewise got an
other verdict Of first degree murder.
Again n motion was made TO Judge
Gordon TO set aside the verdict and
Ire tOok-the matter under adVisement.
But in the interim the Legislature
transferred Buckingham county from
the Twenty-ninth TO the Fifth Judi
cial Circuit. and another judge
George j. Hundley-had to pass on
the matter. He refused to set the YER
dict aside. And thus the case came
to the Supreme Court.
Practically the same points are in
volved in the Perkins and Wright
cases.
A singular thing about this double
homicide is the fact that G. E. Boil
ton. white man OF good standing
who resides In Buckingham, claims
that on the night of the crime-April
II, 1909-he had a remarkable dream
In which he claims TO have seen the
assasSins doing their deadly work. In
his vision he recognized Richard Per
kins and Dallas Wright being two
OF the five men coming before his
gaze Bottoms testimony as to the
dream was excluded, but ii has an
important bearing on other phases OF
the case.