Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1928-08-04

aDle JurlSV upon the DeHcn, VINO nelC
his life in his hands to save him from
the electric chair. 1t was his suave
hypnotic attorney that broke the
spell, when he asked: "Did you have
anything against Sam Grimmell?" 81
loved Sam Grimmell like a brother.
| made $500 per week. He was the
only one that treated me like a
brother. The rest of them treated
me like dog. l got up at $50.
The gun was in the kitchen. l did
not intend to kill these people.
No Thought of Burning.
+, 81 did not think of killing those
people or of burning the house up.
2 could have killed those people the
night before. ] could have blown
her brains out and killed him and
burned the house up when the two
were at the supper table. Mr.. Grim
nell told me he had no money. l
asked him to let me so to Norfolk
that Saturday night. There were
things | would like to do. told her
l would like to go to Atlantic City.
Mrs. Haskins told me Mr.. Grimmell
would not get his money before the
1st or End. | do not know where he
got his money. He is in the real
estate business. Miss Evelyn Haskins
was not at home much. She treated
me all right"
Turned Over to Officer.
He said he had been told that Will
liam H. Davis, for whom he worked
that Saturday on Seventeenth Street,
had turned him over to the officer.
Davis had asked him to go with him
for long ride. When he. got to
Thirty-ffth and Marshall Streets,
Officer Cousins had jumped upon the
running board of the car and drawn
a pistol on him, while Davis made
believe that he did not know any
thing about it. He intended to give
himself up. He had stayed over
night in Seventeenth Street because
Mrs. Scott had promised to bring his
mother to see him, after which ne
intended to give himself up.
Wanted Electric Chair.
He was then subjected to q search
ing cross-examination by Common
wealth's Attorney Radcliffe, but ne
stuck to his original statement. Inc
argument then took place. MIR. Rat
cliffe said that he was willing to sub
nit the case on the facts, but that
Attorney Moss wanted to argue 1t.
"This boy is charged with the IGN
est crime known to the law. ex-
pect Mr.. Moss to argue this case
upon the basis of sympathy and ask
for life imprisonment. He has plead
ed guilty and I ask that he be SEN
fenced to the electric chair. The
commission reported him sane. o.,
He argued the question Of mental
ity. He spoke of the shooting in
tent motive. He shot Mrs. Haskins
and shot the boy he loved. HIS IN
tention was to kill those four people,
burn the house up and get away
from there. He. claimed that malice
was1presumed from the killing:
4 Attorney Moss AfEVss.i
Attorney Charles W. Moss said:
"May it please, your Honor. | had
not expected to argue this case or to
have attempted to argue it, but my
sense of duty to my client, boy
under eighteen years OF age sausss
me to argue it. He is charged VIII
the murder of Samuel Grimmefl. All
of the testimony tends to show that
he loved Samuel, had nothing against
him. want you to find in one IN
stance any evidence that there Is one
scintilla of malice against Samuel
Grimmell. He had free access on TINS
place. He could have committed
This crime in the night time, If arson
and murder prompted the act;
1t was 6 o'clock when the BOY
grabbed the gun. Is there any EVIL
dence that he put that gun IN tha1
position? There is no premeditatlon,
no evidence that he had planned, TINS
crime. He went down in that CHAIR.
Remorse came over him. He gets ~
the horse. He never came in the
citv save to have his khaki breeches
to protect his blue suit, when he got
into town, he took off the khaki and
wore the blue. He sought employ
ment within block of the First
Police Station of Richmond.
Does that look like the work OF an
arch criminal? If you want to COM
nit murder, arson and ROBBERY
would that show sense?
An Immature Boy.
Is il not the work of boy, an
immature boy? They wanted to find
q motive. He discussed the waste
naper and demonstrated that there
was no ground for suspicion OF
arson. | am proud of the Common
wealth's Attorneys statement When
he refers to my client as boy. Your
Honor, please, you can see that ne IS
a boy, that he is not over eighteen
wears of age. The uncontradlcted
testimony is that he is seventeen
wears Of age. What does the record
of the Juvenile Court say?
That Dual Position.
If he is under eighteen years OF
- :. he is the ward of the State Oh
Virginia. You stand, your Honor, IN
a dual position. Is this boy respon-
sible for being in this court today!
He has no more to do with his color
than any man in this court room.
It is not of his making. He throws
himself at the feet of your Honor
and asks for justice, tempered with
mercy. Mr.. Moss pictured the un-
done condition of Sylvester's mother.
He roamed about the streets OF Rlch,
mond. Is he responsible for that?
Il he responsible that he is blatk and
that the, streets of this city were his
dwelling place? If he had come
with money, they would say, he got
off because of his influence and his
money.