Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1927-12-17
THE STRANGE CASE OF SHIRLEY w1NNEGAN.

Shirley Winnegan sometimes called Wlngham OF Smlhhed
Isle of Wight County, Va. is to be ekctrocuted January Il
1925 if the sentence imposed the Hastings Court OF this city
Is care cut The has acted much attention and end
Of comment The peculiar part Of the whole affair the attitude
Of many ,,hte citizens hereabo. who far to express
doubt that Wnnegan the person guilty of cminay assaung
and numbering Miss HIda Barlow the neighbohood OF bis
home town.
from the Central Hospital Petersburg which ne had been
committed on of kind of insanity which the commission
which authorized his commitment ncuable and OF which
every aenist interviewed at his trial admitted that he had
that kind of insanity, would last him from the cradle to the
grave. @
But the white men in Isle of Wight County, Va who had
poyed him gave him an excellent reputation both for the kind and
nature work rendered by him. and went far as to that
he outspped his performances of the workmen employed
by them He earning $500 per day and taking OF his
wife and children His wife weakminded 1t account OF
his superiority along the lines indicated that the sheriff OF the county
was induced to permit him remain the neghborhood al
though the sheriff stated that he should be in the asylum for fear
that he might do injury himself to others he killing OF the
young white girl this horrible to have been the act
Of mailman.
Wnnegan protests his and the witness stand
planned away every Of his time from the hour ne quit
work October H. 1927 until he arrested and spirited away
to prevent mob from taking his life but fair to say that the
action of the angry white citizens overthrowng the regular
Democratic the county election because they carried
out their oahs Of office and evented the chng OF Wegan
has caused some bitterness against them only this section but
in other parts Of the State.
The coored people have no sympathy with rapis with
murderer and interesting situation to note that there abb
souey eeing towards the cooed people by the white
people Of this dastardy crime he question: as one
distinguished white jur quoted saying, novel one Gan
inmate of natc asylum parole and legally lrespon-
sbe be tried convicted and sentenced the electric chair tor
that he actually commts9 This the substance and purpose
of the plea estoppe made by that distinguished legal practitioner
James G. Martin Of Norfolk, Va. :
Il IL of the
or did not commit the crime ALLEGED not involved Can le-
gay irresponsible natc be made RESPONSIBLE by
and through the same channel that adudged him nac? Can
he be tried for until the Central Hospital him
sane and discharges him from custody and when discharged
he be arrested tried and convicted ofense committed when
he was legally insane although the time the CRIME commit
ted he sane How he be discharged from custody OF an
asylum sane when his commitment papers show that the all
from which he suffering the kind of insanity with which
he afflicted. mcabe and will last the patient from the
cradle to the grave?
The lunacy commission decided August g. 1927 that he
victim of this kind Of insanity Within ten weeks Wmnegan. the
lunatc is alleged have brutay murdered l4year-od white
girl lunacy commission called to pass his November
3d. 1927 admitted that he acted crazy but that he sham
ming He threw it, so speak. This commission composed
of three of the distinguished authorities mental diseases de-
cared that Wnnegan then and they believed that he
sane when Fda Barlow murdered By what system OF
reasoning could they this concuson2 Dr. Deanett adj
mited that Wmnegan specified IN the COM
mItment papers, he would be crazy TO ms grave.
We failed to remark that the damaging against
Wmnegan was younger Of his color, who said he
Wnnegan the field the body Of the girl but he did not
him either raNsh kill her. He thought the body that Of
coored girl Winnegan had dirt the knees Of his
overalk MI. Martin claimed that the dirt the field dark
dirt The prosecution countered with the statement that light rain
had fallen and this caused the earth be dark. Mr. Martin
claimed that the photograph showed that the earth was dark
Wnnegan claimed that he his knees fixing Ford and
this caused the dirt on the kneesof his overals
The prosecution countered with the statement that the road
where he claimed have fixed the hard surfaced and he
could not have gotten the dirt his overa there Then there
was claim that there blood his overalls few drops
Counsel for Wnnegan claimed that man could have commit
ted the murder and be bloody He denied that the overas
showed blood Wnnegan explained that he his
against ow-vokan and hurt his left hand slightly He named
the man No part of the charges made against him remained
answered He gave the time and the Of the people, both
white and coored alleged though that much he said was
corroborated.
This then is the gi Of cause ceebre that worrying the
legal authorities Virginia HWmnegan is matc, can he be