The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-03-09

, OeleCtlNe smith came TO Richmond
last Monday with n requisition warrant
for Stripping. The reQuisition was hon
ored by Governor Mann. but IL had
been drawn for Charles Norris" in
stead Of r. +. Morris, and the remedy
TO this defect caused a delay until yes
terday- Detective Smith then received
the proper papers and at 1O:45 left
( for DanVille.
Arrest Police Chief.
lie arrived there about 4 O'Clock and
shortly after, at his request, Deputy
City Sergeant w. w. Boisseau arrested
Stripping.
The latter made no resistance and
little complaint They've got me- H.
said. Later. he said that he had n
doubt that he would shortly he a free
eXOnerated man. as he shot Cornett H.
defense OF his sister. Details were
given neither by him nor Smith. nor
have they yet reached here from
GeorgiU.
The mans demeanor. however. sup
ported his claims of coming freedom
and the fact OF Hun's pardon Civ,
additional weight to his claims. ii,
was not only cool. but compiacent ana
confident. He might have delayed his
departure oy asking for a writ of ha-
beas corpIs but did not suggest il.
and rather than serve n night I'm Jail
agreed to go to the Georgia city i'm
mediately.
Stripping served several years on the
came its chief. He succeeded ]. b.
Akers about four years ago. Before
going to Danville he had lived in
! .tidsville. y. &. lie has a wife and
tn children and is about forty years
old.
Since he has been a DanviIle po-
liceman he has killed two men. The
first was a negro who was attempting
TO rob his home and the other was
: Rufus Reynolds young white man,
I ~f1n IN, Il 4
/ the city, was attempting 10 escape
| from him. He later shot at another
negro, striking him in the leg, and
not long ago was charged with kick
/ ing an old man named John Destine,
who was drunk. He was fined $40
/ for this.
The fact of him having been ac-
quilted OF the other charges. how
ever, seem in his favor. and last night
he was TO have been reelected Chief
J of Police.
Chicf i'm Irons.
! Last night at IL o'clock Harris. or
Stripping boarded a southbound train,
] with Striping's destination a peniten-
tiary. in which he would spend all
/ that is left to him of life. Crowds
/ thronged the route and he. like Eu-
! gene Aram, walked between with
gives upon his wrists" He was
manacled to Officer Smith. and the
! mockery of CONFERENCE.-The gives
| that he, escaped life convict ii Chief
| of Police. had placed upsn many
other wrists-must have reached into
his feeling until he would have well
coined death.
Whatever his crime, and his plea,
| if true, justified it, there was no es-
cape from this penalty as there had
been from the prison.
Never was a greater lesson offered.
In all probability Stripping hasn't
known moments peace in thirteen
yearS-probably he would have been
! happier serving his term as convict
than serving term as Chief OF Po-
lice.
No man, however great his crimes,
however complete his callousness, is
altogether impervious. Let him be
possessed of as little conscience as
Nero. he is still susceptible to threats
against him and those he loves. and
no man was ever proof against love.
Even The Corsalr" had linked one
virtue with a thousand crimes.
Heavy Blow.
Stripping had many to Iowa wife
and ten children.
Maybe he accepted his arrest cold
| ly-it is not impossible that it came
/ TO him gladly-it relieved him from
| the welcome duty of looking at his
children at night, with a mind tor
| tured by the fear of what was to
come-the penalty awaiting him in
| Georgla-almOSt as certain as death.
Stripping escaped at the beginning
! of his life term. and it is said that
he did so through the help of friends.
and friends whose adherence extends
beyond penitentiary walls. are proof
| OF some good in even the vilest OF
living creatures. The next heard OF
him definitely he was in North Caro-
lima. He then came to Danville and
went upon the police force.
He prospered in those days
He became the head of the police
force-this escaped and wanted con
vict--this man who had lived close t,
the gaunt shadows of the gallows.
may be that he. as an officer, ha
seen men hanged. and with the pic
tUre Of its terrors and horrors in nj
mind, has gone home to his wife an
7 ! children.
J If persons can duplicate such a
= agonizing torment as this they reacl
= close to Unreasonable, Incompatible
: inhuman fortunes. An imp of perdi
ton would make no angel suffer more
n And with this upon his mind, 5
: | far as Is known, the man was eve
: kindly at his home-even when re
= membering that the form danglin
e from the end of the rope might hav
n been his own.
Stripping has paid a heavy penaIt
g even though he killed Cornett with
4 out the justification he claims. He ex
: onerated Huff-let that be said to nj
credit--and HUFF served but two year
Il OF the sentence that had been for life
:. The men seem to have been equali
y guilty.
nghe probably suffered more In one da,
hethan Hun did in HIS two years-th
haunting fear that never left his mind
~