Evening star., 1933-12-17
CRAWFORD, GUILTY,
SENTENCED TO LIFE
Jury Takes Four Ballots Dur.
ing DeIiberation-AppeaI
Is Not Likely. s
BY stan Correspondent Of The star.

George Crawford, convicted here this
afternoon in the murder of Mrs. Agnes
Boeing Ilsley, was taken late today to
Richmond, where he is to remain in the
Henrico County Jail for 80 days before
starting a life term in prison.
Crawford, colored ex-convict and for
merly chauffeur for the slain Middle
burg society woman, was found guilty
after the jury had deliberated l hour
and 40 minutes. Judge James L. Nc
Lemore, who presided during the five
day trial in Loudoun County Circuit
Court, Immediate sentenced him to
life Imprisonment, as recommended by
the jury.
No appeal i expected, defense counse.
said.
Death Was Expected.
The prosecution had asked the death
penalty, and the punishment imposed
surprised the scores of spectators IN the
tinv court room when the verdict was
read. 1t had been freely predicted that
Crawford would be condemned to death
for his part in the double murder OF
Mrs. Isley and her maid, Mrs. Nina
Buckner, whose battered bodies were
found On the Ilsley estate near Middle
burg on January l3, 1882:
All spectators were held In the court
room by State troopers until after the
nrisoner and his guard had departed
for Richmond. However, there was no
attempt at a demonstration.
The iury's recommendation was pc
1iaved due to the fact that Crawford, a
dwarf. in a confession made after. ms
conture in Boston, stated that he STOOD
-krr,ard outside the Ilsley home Whne an
eccomnlce whom he identified as one
Charlie johnson went in to burglarlze
It and actually committed the murders.
Then. too, Crswford's counsel, Cna[IeS
H, Houston, dean of the Howard Onl-
versity Law School in Westminster,
stressed as one of the strongest polnts
in his argument the contention that
Crawford was the only instrument
through which his> alleged accompnce
couId be brought to justice. There were
no finrerprin6s or other evidence 10
CONNECT .'Chariie johnson" with the
crjrne Houston asserted. and II CraW-
ford were to be executed the last pos
eibility of apprehending the other man
would be destroyed.
It is understood four ballots were
taken before the jury agreed on It's YER
dict. Three members OF the panel OF
chant were said to have favored the
death sentence at the beginning OF the
deliberations, but were finally won
over. |.
when Judge McLemore read the de-
cision brought in by H. c. thompson,
foreman of the jury, there was hurry
of whispering indicative OF the specta-
tors anazement, but no sign OF
demonstration.
The second surprise came quickly
when Houston announced he did not
expect to appeal the case TO higher
court. Nevertheless, for the purpose OF
the court record. he entered a motion
to set aside the verdict and another to
obtain a new trial Judge McLemore
overruled the two motions and allowed
Houston 80 days in which to file his
claims.
Because of previous motions entered
by the defense contesting the constltu-
tionality of the trial because there
were no Negroes on the grand jury in
dieting Crawford or in the pettlt jury
venire from which the IL men were Sc
lected to try him, it had been antici-
pated that the case would be fought up
to the United State Supreme Court.
Terminates Long Fight.
The defendant had appeared uncon-
cerned throughout his trial and dis
played no emotion when the jurys ver-
dict was read He chatted with news
paper men while the jurors were de-
Gliding his fate, smiling and joking as
questions were put to him.
Eloquent expressions Of appreciation
for the fair manner in which the case
had been fought were made by both
prosecution and defense counsel in their
final statements.
The exchange Of courtesies continued
after the jury had retired, with Capt.
Wray and Houston, expressing their re-
gard for Judge NTcLemore and thanking
him for his conduct toward them.
In his impromptu speech, Houston
referred feelingly to the courtesies shown
him and the other colored attorneys in
the case. He said that during his in
vestigation Of evidence he had travelled
throughout LoudoQn County and had
yet to meet with the first discourtesy.
He said he wished it known that he
had not come here to attack the insti-
tuition of local citizens despite the mo-
tions he had fled in regard to placing
colored persons on the grand and petty
jury panels of the county.
we cannot hope to rise by breaking
down the institutions here Houston
said. We can only hope to rise by
convincing your people that we may
Justldably share them"
The verdict this afternoon marked
the termination of a Nationwide man.
hunt and long legal battle. Crawford
was arrested in Boston almost a year
to the day from the date of the slay-
ing. He was taken into custody on a
househreaking charge there and identi-
fed through his fingerprintS, which
had been sent throughout the United
States in a police circular.
Shortly afterward there began a
heated legal contest precipitated when
the late Judge James A. Lowell issued
a writ of habeas corpus releasing the
suspect from eXtradition to Virginia.
stating as his reason, Every one knows
the Supreme Court would reverse con-
vlction OF this man on the ground that
Negroes are not allowed to serve on a
jury in Virginia"
The United States Circuit Court of
Appeals later reversed Judge Lowell's
ruling and the Supreme Court of the
United States refused to review the re-
Yersal.
Closing arguments in the trial proper
were heard this morning. Every seat
was occupied and many persons stood
throughout the day awaiting completion
of the case.
Opens Defense Argument.
The final statement of the prosecu-
ton dealt principally with Crawford's S
confession and emphasized the dove
failing of his admission of guilt with
the testimony given by more than two
score witnesses the State summoned.
Capt Frank Wray of Clark County pre-
sented the main portion OF the prosecu-
ton argument and State Senator Cecil
Connor another special assistant to
Commonwealth Attorney John Galleher
of Loudoun County, completed summa-
ton for that side.
Leon Ransom, one of three colored
Washington lawyers who assisted Hous-
ton, opened arguments for the defense
with an outline of discrepancies in the