The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-16
WOMAN TO DIE
IN CHAIR TODAY

nv ihs SaSNN Tue NhhiT SIilNc Ito III
stallation. Since her last respite she
has protested religion. declares that
she has made her peace with God and
Is satisfied to die" She has had two
negro preachers-Burrell and Stokes
ministering to her daily for two weeks.
and Is outwardiy calm and apparently
fully resigned to her fate.
She has eaten and slept well ever
since her Incarceration and last night
her last on earth--partook heartily
Of the evening meal as the death
watch paced the narrow corridor 'front.'
ing her cell.
The warden. Major Wood. is not per
mitted by law to give out in advance
any information az to the hour when
condemned person will be indicted
to the chair, but it Is presumed that
the execution will take place as soon
after sunrise as the grim instrument
OF death can be made ready for its
victim. The law provides for not less
than six witnesses nor more than
twelve. and it is known that the max
lmum number have applied for tickets
in fact many have applied who could
not gain the necessary permit.
Story of Crime.
In March last at Hampton, Virginia
Christian cruelty murdered Mrs. Mary
Ann Belote frail white woman nifty
one years Old She had been doing
washing for Mrs. Belote and the wom-
an upbraided the negress for losing
certain articles of wearing apparel.
sThe girl. only sixteen years old. but
unusually developed for her age.
! weighing i}6 pounds, became infuriat
ed. knocked the. white woman-who
weighed oriy ninetyone pounds
/ down, beat and choked her into in
Gfr% iiaft f4J h. tlrtF
handle rammed towel down her vie
tim throat producing sunocatiou and
death She was convicted April 9Th
+ OF murder in the first degree and SEN
fenced to death The following day
she frankly confessed the crime. Her
counsel appealed the case TO the Su-
preme Court OF Appeals. which de
I MED the writ. Twice Governor Mana
has respited her, the last time for two
weeks from the "a Of August and
yesterday finally pronounced her doom
by declining to interfere further with
the sentence which DEGREES that she
shall expiate her crime today.
+ Governor Mann's statement, issued
late yesterday afternoon, follows.
Governors Statement
In view of my own responsibility.
with which am Very deeply impressed,
and the interest manifested in the Mr.
GINA Christian case, especially OUT
side OF the State where the facts are
not known. have deemed tt proper
/ to make II short statement
The case was tried in the Circuit
court of Elizabeth City county oil The
9Th Say OF April. 1912. and Nirsirlo
Christian was found guilty Of 'ndtde.
! in the first degree. The court could
not have pronounced its judsnacn on
this verdict IL the evidence had not
/ shown beyond all reasonable drant
that the crime WAS wilfut JId pre-
meditated Counsel for the prisoner
wisely declined to put her on me ".t-
ness stand. as on the 10th of Apr'l sne
confessed her guilt. Her counsel hSc
taken all possible exceptions to the
rulings of the trial court. and having
prepa red their clients petition setting
forth the errors complained az Pre-
scented The same TO the supreme Court
OF Appeals then sitting at NythHH- ie,
which court on the f4th day ~ j1i-t,
1917, entered the following order
Virginia Christian this Gay present
ed to the court her petition for VI II
Of error and supersedeas TO tie 1udg g
ment of the Circuit court OF III Iii
beth city county, entered on the 9Th
dav OF April. 1872, in prosecution
therein by the Commonwe aith agalus .
the said Virginia Christian. whereby
. the said Virginia Christian was found
guilty Of murder In the first deS"c" ANA
sentenced 10 be eleetrocuted unit, she
be dead which petition and a Tran
( script Of the record aforesaid having
been seen and matureiy considered 10y
! the court, ii s of opinion that the
4 Judgment complained ri iS p1aloiS
right. Ii is therefore considered that
this writ be denied"
! A petition Was then brodsht to mo
asking for Communication granted
/ two respltes, one 10 the "a and t|l1
other to the 9th OF August, mi al
/ though | had refused communal ON -
the 18th or July. | took up he case
again at the request Of counsel Cor
Virginia Christian.
I have not contenied myself with
| the verdict Of the jury the oplnl2l.
OF the Circuit court of elizabeth CITY
county. and the opinion or our Su-
! preme Court of Appeals. but have
made a fun. and. i think. thorough
examination of the case in all OF MS
I aspects. have not considered the
sex or color OF Virginia Christian Le-
cause no distinctions are made by l9W.
Ii woman is not to be punished for
crime just as man is punished tae
/ legislature OF the State must 50 dc
| clare 1t Ia not within the power OK
I the governor TO do SO.
I / carefully considered the age of the
1 condemned. her physical d,'veloyment
and her mental capacity. dert&iaG iGX
Information from officers OF the ien-
tertiary including the surgeon, from
/ the Commemorative attorney. VINO
prosecuted the case. and Other State
officers Of unquestioned character ard
intelligence who went TO see hey aud
reported that whatever her age sEe
was well developed. weighing Al
pounds. and looked like woman If
eighteen or twenty. They also said
! that no mental weakness could be de-
| tected: and one OF the officers 81 ll!e
penitentiary has assured me- that she
| wrote a good letter: aud that sne her
| self thought she deserved her punish
ment.
/ ] carefully examined the c>idenc e
given at the trial of the case IA as
certaiaed that while Nirgusi4 lHis-
tan was well developed woman,
Weighing l46 pounds, her victim. Mrs
Relote, was frail woman tftt-,re
Years of age, weighing on, 2 rounds
After considering the evidence pro-
duced at Che trial and all other | EaNr
been able TO procure, I haze roe ehed
the conclusion that Nif.ni,l hrs
tian is guilty of a wilful AMI pc nefll-
tated murder. as cruet. 4 not rore
so. than any of which I have kn"Nl-
edge after an expsrieu-a %. twenty
two years on the bench All rs rauch
longer at the bar. After S'e"t.ng an
choking this helpless cd woman INTO
insensihility. Virginia chris. IA IanJn-
ed her victims tough. h,- hair and
II towel Down her~tAtstst nth II i-foa n