Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-07-15
CLEAN Ft&ht for h9h Richmond
written exclusively 5or The Rich
mond Planet, by Franz Noillah.l

mond Planet, by Franz Noillah.l
Richmond, Va, July l922.--Charles
Green, the colored man convicted or
Highway robbery by tho Chesterfield
Circuit Court under Judge South;d!'
has been granted a new trial by taH
Supreme Court of Appeals OF virginia
and will not have to serve the Is
year penitentiary sentence passed up
on him by Judge Southall OF the low
er court.
On May 18th, 1921 somebody attack
ed white woman near Sop II OF tn"
Petersburg Electric Line and struck
her down with a stick, according to cyl
dence brought out at the trial o.
Charles Green, and Green was appfe
hended near Stop IL OF the same car
line that same day and hailed betor"
the court charged with highway rob-
berry. On June End, 1921, Green was
tried in the Chesterfield Circuit Court
amid scene of mixed feeling and r"'
es Away out in tire county secluded
from police protection, with only
handful Of his own race on the scene,
the little court house at Chestertlelo
was crowded to see black man tried
where, as the white newspapers arc
want to say feeling was running
high" Under these untoward circum-
stances Charles Green faced his accns
crs With the only protection he couIo
master, and that was William r. Deb
ny, noted criminal lawyer Of this
place, who was assisted by another
and younger colored man Of ability, C..
A. Mckenzie.
Lawyer Denny plunged into the de-
fcnso and stood by his man until late
in the night and it was near midnight
when the jury finally brought In the
verdict Of equity" and Judge South
all pronounced sentence. Undismayed,
Denny moved the Court to set aside
the verdict and date was set for nrgu
ment.
Argument was had before judge
Southall who refused to interfere with
the verdict Of the jury and Green was
"Forded" back to Richmond for safe
keeping, where he has been safe"
ever since. At the time Of the trial
Frank Howard Hallion was employed
by the owners Of the Richmond Daily
Colored American to give a story OF
the case, and with Lawyer Denny ana
Lawyer Mckenzie he went out to the
pretty little courthouse in the woods.
1.-THE Colored American" took up the
fight to do what it could for Green
and to help his attorneys in his de.
tense and created much public sentil
mont in his favor. The interest Or
The American caused the editor Of the
News Leader to make some investlga-
tons and the News Leader showed q
kindly spirit Of fairness toward the
accused. Richmond people will remem
Der the sensational article In tho
American wrich called upon the Com
monwealth OF Virginia to produce a
certain receipt which was taken Off
Charles Green's person at the time 0.
his arrest by the authorities. This re-
ceipt disappeared" and the American
accused the State Of being negligent
in it's duty to help protect its it's pris--
oner. The position taken by the Ameri
can has been indicative in the opin-
ion Of the Supreme Court as will ne
seen at tho end Of this article.
Possibly the most spectacular Incl
dent connected with the whole affair
was the argument Of lawyer Denny at
the trial, and his shrewd ability to
keep his head under trying circum-
stances and yet say to o. hostile envir
onment just what he wanted to say.
Few men have that capacity. Denny
captiyated his jury and the spectators
in his opening remarks by a laudu-
tory reference to the great Woodrow
Wilson, and the effect his compliment
to this Democrat had on the entire
court room was at once perceptible.
This one incident made the whole
trial much easier and relieved a GER
tain tension which, can be imagine
much better than described. Then
Lawyer Mckenzie looked square into
the faces Of his jury and told that
group that he had made it a custom
Of his practice not to defend a man in
capital charge unless he himself had
first been convinced Of the mans in,
nocence. These two important state
ments by these 2 black lawyers wero
all that stood between black man
and the gallows. The American made