The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-16
WRIGHT UNDER
DEATH SENTENCE
But TWO NEGROES CHARGED
WITH COMPLETELY IN BUCK
ISGHAM MURDER To HAVE
NEW TRIAL.

Especial to The Richmond virginian.)
BUCKINGHAM. VA, Jan. l6.-The
recent action Of the Supreme Court
In remanding the cases OF the negroes.
Jones and Perkins, for retrlal. and
also granting change of venue in
these cases, and its action in refusing
To set aside the verdict of the. Jury In
the case against Wright on a purely
technical ground, places counsel for
Wright, the white man, in a singular
attitude. Their client stands convict
ed OF murder in the first degree. with
no nope but that of executive clemen-
cy, aud II the negroes, Jones and Per
kins, are tried in another county or
city and acquitted. 1t would seem
that the Governor would then pardon
w. Dallas Wright. for he Was conyict-
ed on practically the same evidence
on which the negroes were tried, and
counsel for Wright would do more
for him as at present circumstanced
by defending these negroes than they
could do in any other way.
Edward Jones Was first tried alone
for the murder of the Stewart broth
ers. He was tried before Judge Cor
don, and not having the means to
procure counsel for his defense the
court appointed Senator Aubrey j..
STROBE to defend him, and when q
jury brought in a verdict of guilty, Il
motion to set aside the verdict as con-
trary to the law and the evidence was
made. and Judge Gordon took the
matter under Amusement. hut before
he had rendered his opinion on matter
of granting 81 new trial there was u
change made by the legislature ny
which Buckingham county was placed
! In the judicial district presided over
by Judge Hundley and Judge Cor
don, having presided at the trial of
Jones, and being familiari with the
evidence in his case, was asked to
come TO buckingham and render an
opinion on the motion for new trial.
which he did, setting aside the YER
! dict and granting new trial.
Jones was then tried again before
Judge Hundiey, found guilty a sec
ond time and sentenced to be exc
euted. Wright and Perkins We're also
tried before Judge Hundley. found
guilty and sentenced to he electro-
cuted. Hall. STROBE and Lee. counsel
! for Wright and the negroes took the
case tn the Supreme Court. All three
4 Of these men are now incareerateo
/ in the Jail of Henrico county. and
! Willie Jackson and Aylett johnson.
/ upon whose evidence principally these
men were convicted. are in Jail here
where they have been held as wit
nesses since the inception of these
| cases, and ii Is probable they win he
held until the final trial of Jones and
! Perkins. The crime for which Wright
Jones and Perkins stand convicted
was committed on the 18th day OF
April, 1909, when two old bachelor
brothers were murdered in their little
/ log cabin home and their bodies cree
mated in the burning of their house.
J fria ~ I-tu f,,
hung jury one of the men who STOOD
| for acquittal stated that he did not
believe in convicting n white man on
no other evidence than that of ne
! grOPs. The cost of these cases has
been enormous already. and to pay
the cost of another trial in another
place viii greatly add to the expense
which already reaches into the thous-
ands of dollars.