Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-08-16

| not known, / have deemed it proper
| to make short statement.
The case was tried in the Circuit
Court of Elizabeth City County on
April 8, 1912, and Virginia Christian
was found guilty of murder in the first
degree. The court could not have pro-
nounced it's judgment on this verdict
if the evidence had not shown beyond
all reasonable doubt that the crime
was wilful and premeditated. Coun-
sci for the prisoner wisely declined tc
put her on the witness stand, as or
April 10 she confessed her guilt. Hel
counsel had taken all possible excep-
5ions to the rulings of the trial court
and having prepared their clients pc.
tition setting forth the errors COM
planned of, presented the same to the
Supreme Court of Appeals, then sit
ling at Wytheville, which court, on
June IA, 1912, entered the following
order:
Virginia Christian this day pre-
5ented to the court her petition for a
writ of error and supersedeas to the
Judgment of the Circuit Court of
Elizabeth City County, entered on
April 8, 1912, in a prosecution there
n by the Commonwealth against the
said Virginia Christian, whereby the
said Virginia Christian was found
guilty of murder in the first degree
and sentenced to be electrocuted un-
til dead; which petition and tran
scrip Of the record aforesaid having
been seen and maturely considered by
the court, it is of opinion that the
Judgment complained of is plainly
right. 1t is therefore considered that
this writ be denied"
A petition was then brought to me,
asking for communication. I granted
TWO respites, one to August 2 and the
other to August 16, and although l
had refused communication on July Is,
took up the case again at the re-
quest of counsel for Virginia Chris
tian.
1 have not contented myself with
the verdict of the jury, the opinion of
the Circuit Court of Elizabeth City
County and the opinion of our Su-
preme Court of Appeals, but have
made a full and, think, thorough ex-
animation of the case in all of its as
poets. l have not considered the sex
Or color of Virginia Christian, because
no distinctions are made by law. If
woman is not to be punished for
crime just as man is punished. the
Legislature of the State must so de-
clare. 1t is not within the power of
the Governor to do so.
1 carefully considered the age of
the condemned, her phycical develop
ment and her mental capacity, de-
irving my information from officers of
the penitentiary, including the surg
con; from the Commemorative attor-
ney who prosecuted the case and 9TH
er State officers of unquestioned char
acter and intelligence, who went to
see her and reported that whatever
her age, she was well developed,
weighing LAG pounds, and looked like
woman of eighteen or twenty. They
also said that no mental weakness
could be detected, and one of the Off
GERS of the penitentiary has assured
me that she wrote good letter. and
that she herself thought she deserved
her punishment.
l carefully examined the evidence
piven at the trial of the case, and as
certained that while Virginia Chris
tian was we'll developed woman
weighing LAG pounds, her victim, Mrs.
Belote, was a frail woman, fifty-one
years of age, weighing only ninety
one pounds. After considering the ev-
idence produced at the trial and all
other l have been able to procure, l
have reached the conclusion that Vlr-
ginia Christian is guilty of wiltul
and premeditated murder, as cruel,
if not more so, than any OF which l
have knowledge after an experience
of twenty-five years on the bench and
as much longer at the bar. After
beating and choking this helpless old
woman into insensibility Virginia
Christian rammed her victims tongue,
her hair and towel down her throat
with a broom handle, thus producing
suffocation and death. After drag
ging or carrying the body to the back
room, got the pocketbook of Mrs. Be-
lote, containing SIS, and a ring be-
longing to Mrs. Belote's daughter,
She then came back through the
house, went out of the rear door
around the house and out of the front
gate.
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