The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-07-29
LAST EXECUTION
Of NEGRO WOMAN
TOOK PLACE IN DANvILLE AND
WAS WITNESSED ny ONLY
FEW PERSONS.
WAS AN ACCOMPLICE
ENTICED HER HUSBAND TO HAS
DEATH AT HANDS OF HER
pARANOUR--BOTH HANG
ED AT ONCE.
WAS AN ACCOMPLICE

|
| DANVILLE. VA. July 28.--The
death sentence recently pronounced
| upon Virginia Christian, the Hamp-
| ton negro girl, convicted in the ElllA-
| city county cour. Of murder in the
| FIRST degree for the killing of her
| employer, Mrs. Ida Belote white
| woman. and the refusal of the Su-
| preme Court Of Appeals to grant a
review of the case and Of the COVER
nor to commute The sentence have
given rise to an inquiry as TO the
last legal execution Of woman in
Virginia and the identity Of the one
executed,
1t is beyond doubt that Margaret
LAshley. negro woman, who was
hanged upon the came scahold and at
the same time with Jim Lyles, her
paramuur, In the jailyard of this city
on January %, 1892. was the last
woman to pay the death penalty by
law In Virginia and probably in the
country al large. The two were con-
yicted OF the murder Of the Lash
ley woman's common law husband.
George Lashley, on Saturday night,
october %, 1890, as the result or a
conspiracy TO remove him as an OBJ
stacle in their path. The crime was
committed Just outside Of the hame
Of the Lashley couple on Washington
street In North Danville. The wo-
man had become infatuated with
Lyles. who had been keeping COM
pany with her to such an extent as
to arouse the jealousy of her hus-
band. The day OF the murder Lyles
had taken the woman to a dance
near Design. Pittss1yania county.
about FIVE miles from the city, and
No lafn faa aS ~
accused her 1t was then that Mar
garet and Jim removed him,
Lured to Death.
The plan, It was alleged. was to
have the woman call her husband
out of the house at night, whereupon
I4yles was to shoot him. 1t was car
RED ont 10 the letter, I.yle<, who
vas in the darkness. shooting Lash
ley through the lung WIN a revolver
at close range, the victim dying in
a few minutes. Suspicion pointed to
the two when investigation OF the
killing was instituted, and they we're
arrested. Conclusive evidence was
soon secured and a conviction result
ed The woman was convicted AZ an
accessory before the fact, with Lyies
as the principal.
Strenuous efforts were made by the
ttorney for the convicted couple TO
secure q. Communication or clemenoy in
some form for the woman, and
though the lives Of both were pro-
| longed for more than year, they
were finally executed together on q
| scafYo1d in the 5allyard on Friday
morning, January %. 1892, Patrick
| Fl. Boisseau. then and now city ser
| Eeant, being the executioner A
| twelve foot fence was constr usste d
! around the enclosure. and only, n
dozen persons witnessed the impress
sive double tragedy enacted In the
name OF the law. The two were
given a drop OF five feet, and both
traps sprung simultaneously. Life
was pronounced extinct after eleven
minutes
Each Makes Confession.
The woman made n clear statenen'
from the ecaffold, admitting her re-
! lations with Lyles. but emphaticaliy
denying that she had any knowledge
of the mans intention 40 shoot hel
husband. Lyles left a written con
fession in which he admitted the
shooting. lie, Margaret and another
Eeouple,. had returned from the dance
and the two men We're outside listen
ing to hear what Lashley had to sa,
TO her for going TO the dance. Lyle
claimed that the door suddenly open
ed and 14ashley came out Fearini
that Lashley intended to kill him, h.
fired, the first shot missing. but tn,
second doing its fatal work Mar
| 7 ~