The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-11-14
insane MURDERER
AWAITS HIS end
RIG MOND, va Special.

Dope, insanity, Authorizations,
felony finally developing into rcd
handed murder and jury call
Ing for Iaw-breaker'S death in
the electric chair-theSe are the
features in tie case OF Fred Ar
rington, of Halifax county, now
one OF the condemned men await
ing their doom ut the State peni-
tertiary.
Unless the executive intervencs
Arlington will meet his fate De-
ccInbcr g, 1912, though the belief
grows that he will escape the
chair on account of his mental
condition. In fact, two expert
aIienists-Dr. Drewry, head of
the Central State Hospital, and
DIR. De Jarncttc, head of the
Western State Hospital-havc
pronounced the man insane.
Governor Mann, who has al
ready once exercised his cOnSti-
tutional prerogatiVcs in the case,
still holds the matter in allegiance
TO await further information.
Arlington WAS tried and con-
victed last July OF the killing of
Tom Jones, and the Judgment of
the court was that he should
meet the extreme penalty OF the
law October 1th. But the cXecu-
tive, warned by certain reliable
citizens GO look carefully into the
matter. granted the accused n re-
spite until December 9th.
AN AWFUL, DIABOLICAL
MURDER.
Opinion even now differs as
TO what should be done with
this condemned murderer. whose
crime Is described by NJ. i. VIII
lard, OF Nirgilina, IA Halifax mag
iStrate, as IAN awful diabOlical
murdcT-the most foul L have
ever heard Of"
Nor does Squire Willard stop
there. He says the prisoner Il
one Of n family of dangerous peo-
pie. who are disposed 10 seek re-
ycngc for every fancicd wrong.
Attention il called by the same
authority TO the fact that one of
the family has just emerged from
the pcnitentiary after serving a
term for attempted murder.
But Governor Mann Is hearing
both sides of the case and slit
ing il as well as he can. To
Squire Willard, who has protest
ed against the exercise OF Glenn
enCy, the executive, on September
2Sth. wrote as follows:
''In the Arlington case there
has been pre- ,cnted to me the GER
tificateS of DIR. Drewry and DIR.
De Jarnette, both insanity Spe-
CiaIiSts, who say that Arlington
Is not I'm his right mind. 1 have
reSpited him until December 9Th
70 enable the Officers and surgeon
OF the penitentiary TO investigate
the question of his sanity. l. 90
not suppose anybody in Virginia
wants an insane man CICERO
cuted. If he Is not insane i do
not expect to interfere with his
sentence. i believe In capital pun
fshnent and in the execution OF
the laws, and think my admin
lStratiOn shows this
FULL OF UNUSUAL FEATURES.
Many clements of the fantastic,
the bizarre and the unusual, as
well as of the grewSome, marx
Arrington'S crime and its seQuei.
And matters are complicated Dy
the actions OF his family, which
have been pronounced most pc
cuIiar. Obviously they are &C.
centric people.
Some representatives OF the
clan, IL so the family may be de-
scribed, display mental vagarieS
and characteristics that are puZ-
zIing alike TO lawyers, detectives
and police. Two brothers even
now are in Virginia hospitals Tor
tanned at williamsburg and BeV-
erIey at StauntOn.
Relatives of the prisoner who
have been to Richmond TO plead
In his behalf, talk frequently of
the use OF dope and of "conspir-
aciSS," though their statements
and charges are too nebulous To
afford definite working basis for
the authorities
40 EN NKTh n
have seen the condemned man in
his death cell, that he, likewise,
harps on drugs and intimates that
that they have played an inn
fpOrtant part in his undoing.
But his utterances as to dope,
unlike his conversations on other
subjects, arc irrational. They
seem 10 show that he is "a victim of
monomania.
Vet all the evidence appears to
Indicate that several members of
the family have used drugs Of
one so,E OF another-cither wit
tingly or unwittingly. As TO the
charges that The cope has been
used 10 work their undOing, they
are hazy. Somehow there is no
asccYtaining just who has been
resorting to these tactics. The
Arringtons simply say that "they
nave Dccll SsFlNlnS 10 ruin us Oul
DO not specify whom the pro-
norm represents.
USED A FAKE SKELETON.
The murder of Tom Jones oc-
Cured at Ramble, Halifax county,
y in February, 1908, and his slayer
escaped immediate arrest. In
fact, he was missing for about
four years. Part of the time ne
seems TO have been I'm Virginia
AID part of the time i'm Florida,
though his lxinspeoplc apparently
kept In touch with him.
While the murderer was at
large, sorae one-eviGently his
friend--trnmped up an ingenious
acheme 20 delude the authorities
into the belief that Arlington was
dead.
A skeleton was procured and
placed where tt could readily be
round. The bones were dressed
In the rugItive's clothes and his