Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-16
WOMAN EXPIATES CRIME
IN THE ELECTRIC CHAIR
Virginia Christian Executed
in Richmond for Murder of
Mrs. Ida BeIote.

special DlSpatcn 10 me Star-
RICHMOND, Va. August l6.-Virginia
Christian the young negro woman who
was sentenced TO death for the murder
OF Mrs. Ida Belote of Hampton. went to
her death in the penitentiary this morn
ing. The execution was witnessed by
the usual jury, prison officials, ministers
and surgeons. Gov. Mann declined to
interfere in the case late last evening.
The woman made confession of the
crime, detailing the murder in every way.
She was about twenty years old. though
the claim was set up that she was only
seventeen. This is the statement OF
those who have known the girl for years
The contention was then made that
she was feeble minded. but this was dis
proved when q letter which she wrote
fell into the hands of the governor. True.
she is not a scholar, but she is educated
enough to be able 20 express herself
clearly.
Story Of Fight Disproved.
The woman's statement that she and
Mrs. Belote had fight and that she
killed Mrs. Belote is not borne out by the
records in the case, which have been
gone over with great care by the judges
OF the supreme court OF appeals and later
by Gov. Mann, who opposes the idea of
putting woman to death. The woman
claimed that she had been accused of
theft by Mrs. Belote. That may have
been true, but it is shown from the rec
ords that robbery was the prime purpose
of the crime. When arrested the ac-
cused woman had the pOcketbOOk and
some other things which belonged to Mrs.
Belote.
Virginia claimed that there were two
clubs or broomsticks in the room i'll which
the fight took place. The evidence CON
tradicts that fatty. 1t was shown that
there was one. that the Christian woman
got hold of this and struck Mrs. Beiote
blow over the head. rendering her un-
conscious. This happened in the rear
portion of the home. With Mrs. Belote
in a dying and unconscious condition. the
slayer dragged her through two rooms
and hid her in the parlor, while she
calmly walked through the entire house
and left by the back door.
Leaves Trail of Blood.
That this is correct was shown by the
trail of blood from the rear portion to
the front portion of the house After
knocking Mrs. Belote down. the muir
deress stuffed towel into her mouth to
prevent her from screaming. q physician
testifying that the blows on the head
were not sufficient in themselves to pro-
duce death, and that really Mrs. Belote
came to her death from suffocatiOn. 1t
was in this condition that Virginia Chris
tian left her victim, a frail and delicate
woman, weighing ninety-one pounds. Vir-
ginia weighed when arrested A., and at
the penitentiary she weighed 146.
Gov. Mann received many hundreds of
letters and kilograms and appeals from
all parts Of the country asking that the
sentence be commuted to life imprison-
ment. In addition, Chicago newspaper
sen, Il negro lawyer here to plead for
her, and he was given hearing. He
knew nothing of the facts, but before
he left they We're made known TO him.
No Extenuating Circumstances.
Gov. Mann is averse to seeing a woman
put to death, and he has tried hard to
find one extenuating circumstance. one
solitary thing to justify him in delaying
the verdict OF the jury, and lie failed He
characterized the crime as bein. cold
Hooded. deliberate and with every in
dication of careful premeditation There
was no other person in the house than
Mrs. Belote when Virginia Christian went
there. and she said that her object in
putting the body in the parlor was to
prevent Mrs. Belote's daughter, a school
girl from stumbling over her when she
came home at noon,