The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-09-27
There was nothing

end There was nothing vicious
about him He had been in no
trouble before, and loved by all as a
quiet citizen, a good neighbor, capa-
been a kinder husband and father,
he having five as interesting and
bright children as lived in High Point.
Mr.. John T. Benbow, of Winston
Salem, said that he had known Dr..
Vestal and his wife, who was a Miss
Stanford, ever since ~boyhood. He was
raised near them in Yadkin count
and their families were of the very
best. The mother of the dead girl,
not only came from the same neigh
borhood in Yadkin, nj was closely
related to DR.. Vestal. Her father had
moved from near H~amptonville, in
Yadkin, to StatesviIie. They were all
good people, and aside from this
present trouble, nothing had ever been
heard TO their discredit. Not Grim
inal intent" he concluded. but liquor
and drugs are primarily responsible
for this sad fate
Judge ~Strudvick said that the man
slaughter statute realized hat often a
life is taken without great criminal
ity, and for that reason a
of four months had been provided.
The verdict of manslaughter precluded
the idea of reconciliation or malice,
and the maximum in the statute
oS 1 bof ~ III o-9S ~ 'oNh -
omar was five Years. Besides in
voking the 1eniency of the court,
Judge StrudWick reasoned that the
law. as laid down, fully justified d
moderate sentence.
Strong Pleas For Stern Justice.
Mr.. John n. Wilson related that
when the horrible situation at DIR.
Vestal's residence was oniy
by the death of this girl, the county
commissioners had employed him to
be present when the c~OronerS jury
made the investigation, IN order that
the truth might be established, and
if necessary crime be ferreted out, So
that punishment might be lnf1lcieo
and all persons in any way inclined
TO commit similar offenses may be
deferred by reason OF sure and swift
Justice in this and other cases. NO
worse case has ever been brought 70
light and this county feels thal q
service will be done the whole STATE
nv giving a sentence in his case
which will be a warning to all others
everywhere that this increasing class
of horrible crime has got to stop.
Mr. +. c. Caldwell said that Mr..
Thomason had shown all through lhiS
case hat he bore no malice, but SIN
Div wanted justice done. iteiefrit-
to the encomiun1S which had oeeh udlu
Dr Vestal by his attorneys, he san
that il would seem that when BessIt
Thonoason came to him for the pQf-
nose she did, he would knowing the'i
close kinship. have notlhed ner lathel
and pursued a course thal was mo-
criminal and fatal III he Gale"
attention 10 the fact hat another slF'
was there, and after the death OF Re
sic She was taken to the hospital
where for days her HE nung Oh
thread. He paid a high tribute to II:
intelligence. III integrity ptheNt
1enca of the members OF the HiedifA+
profession as a class. saying next e
Tho sacred ministry it was justly rec
ognized by all as the highest OF Gu
nos and professions But the PUNISH
ment in this case would be such tina
no other member Of this high pre-
fession would dare entertain eeeH >;
future the thought Of committing such
on ahominable offense- He sara iaai
DR. Vestal was known far ana Wlo<
as practicing this kind OF crime. ~
,atino instances OF other cases lfoi"
distant points. without calling fa!nfsss