Richmond planet., 1928-08-04
CsDeciaI by John Mitchell, Jr.)


Sylvester Medley, the II year-old
colored youth, charged with the muir
der of a siXteen-year-old white boy
was tried in the Circuit Court OF
Henrico county, Tuesday, July 3lst,
1928 and with jury trial waived,
sentenced by Judge Julien Gum to
Imprisonment for life in the Virginia
penitentiary upon his plea Of guilty,
He was represented ably by Attorney
Charles ". Moss of this city.
Convened Promptly
Promptly at 10 o'clock last Tuesday
morning. the Circuit Court Of Hen
rico county convened at the Court
House in this city, with Judge Julien
Gnnn. presiding. Sheriff I. w. Seay
performed his duty, having previous
ly brought in and placed at tne oaE
Sylvester Medley, the dark-s6lnneo
colored youth, who was ON trlal Ior
his life. He had shot and wounded
using 9 double-barreled shotgun, MIS-.
Nellie l.. Haskins, shot and wounded
! Henry F. Grimmell and shot ana
kiue{ Samuel +. Grimmeu, Az this
time ne was on trial fog the murder
of Samuel Il. Grimmell and the other
indictments were not in evidence.
A Peculiar Condition
There was no excitement in the
court-room and the surroundings We're
. sombre. for the ime7being and unln-
feresting. The prospective jurors
were in the seats and the number OF
colored persons present did not eNceeo
twelve, while many seats were unoc-
cupied. 1t was istless aggregation
of on-lookers and gave no lndlcauon
that a human being was, to 90 on
trial for his life with the electric
chair looming up menacmgly IN tne
distance The witnesses were sworn,
the list of Jurors called by Sheriff
Seav. after which Attorney Moss,
representing the accused announced
to the court that a jury trial would be
waived and the final decision in the
matter be left to the Judgment OF ms
honor.
Commission Reports
Commonwealth's Attorney H. NJ.
Radcliffe called DIR. Henry, Superin-
tendent of the Central Hospital at
Petersburg, Va, to the stand Il, give
the findings of the lunacy commission
which sat in Judgment on sylvester
Medley. He stated the commission
found him sane and ne passed over the
10i'0" July 26, 1928.
To the Honorable Julien Gum,
Judge of the Circuit Court OF Hen
rico County,
Richmond, Virginia.
Sir:
We, the undersigned commission
appointed to examine into the mental
condition of Sylvester Medley, charg-
ed with a felony respectfully report
that we find him not insane.
Respectfully submitted,
G. w. BROWN,
H. C. HENRY, NJ. D,
j. L. DeJARNETTE, NJ. u.
The Cross-Examination
DR.. Henry was cPoss-eXamined by
both the Commonwealth attorney
and by Attorney Charles w. Moss.
DIR. Henry said, "We thought ne was
fairly up to the average of his race
in intelligence. The Juvenile Court $
rating was SO. In some respects, ne
was above the average. Attorney
Moss had him correct himself by ask
ing him if it were not 90 instead OF
SO. He admitted his mistake. Where
is the border line?" asked Attorney
Moss. Cant define it,, was the
reply. "No one can define it. " Why
do YOU say that when he is above 60
it indicates good condition? DID you
read the statement in the Juvenile
Court report that Sylvester Medley
had the mind of child 10 years OF
age?" DR.. Henry repeated that ne
could not say where the border Ane Oh
sanity and insanity was. 1t has never
been fixed.
That Wound in the Side
He wanted to know if the boy was
emotional and he wanted to know II
he displayed any. DR.. Trainum, Coun-
ty Coroner was the next witness. Ihe
wound in Samuel Grimmell's side COW
cred a radius of five inches. The shot
penetrated above the hip. He display
ed some of the shot taken from the
wound. They appeared to be No. 3
shot. He showed a wad ne picked up
ON the floor and some of the shells
and the gun were in evidence. He
estimated that Medley was about 10
: feet away, when the gun was fired
MIR. GrimmelPs Statement
Henry F. Grimmell took the stand,