Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-10-26
Richardson
3rd Burglar
Execution
Daily Dispatch Bureau.
In the Sir Walter Hotel.

Raleigh, Oct Zo.-Wilile Richard
son, young Negro will be the third
Negro to die for. one of North Car
Olina's much-mOOted capital affen-
ses, first degree burglary, since Gov
ernOr Clyde r., Hoey took office. This
of course, on the premise that the
youthful felon goes to the lethal gas
chamber Friday, as seems certain
in the light of the governors an
nOuncement he will not intervene.
He will be the first to die for what
in reality, was single crime as both
others were executed primarily be-
cause they had been chronic Of
tenders and had committed scores of
capital offenses other than the spe-
clflc ones for which they were con-
victed
In yet another respect, Richard
sons execution will be unique in that
he will be put away as much for an
otfense with which he has never even
been charged as for the offenses set
forth in the bin Of indictment upon
which a jury condemned him.
That comes about in this way, ac-
cordlng to quite reliable information.
Richardson was charged with break
ing and entering a dwelling house
and committing a brutal and inhu-
man assault upon a woman therein:
but no mention of any criminal at
tack was made. In opposing clemency
however, trial judge, solicitor and
| sheriff are said to have intimated
That such an attack was attempted.
at least. In the absence of this sug-
gestlon, there is good grounds to sup
pose that the governor might have
| Deen more disposed to show clemen-
| cy; though even without it the evil
dence OF the simple assault was con-
Vlnclng as to its brutality and vigor.
Others executed during the Hoey
administration were James Marshall
from Wayne county and Arthur Nor
RS, the famed "eeI' or gray mousse"
sentenced from Wake but PERHAPS
even more infamous in Durham.
Marshall was termed veritable
lone man crime wave" as the result
OF his Offenses; while Morris was held
responsible by police officials for
more than half a hundred crimes
punishable with death under the
North Carolina law concerning first
degree burglary.
MarSnall was put TO death IN Feb
ruary, 1888, while Morris was exc
cuted some two mCHlths ago.
Every session Of the legislature in
recent years has seen some move
ment to modify the existing statute
making capital punishment manda-
tory upon conviction of first degree
burglary, but on every occasion the
efforts hace been beaten back more
through sheer inertia than through
any very active support Of the exist
ing law. There has been a consistent
objection to change, without any par
tlcular or specific reasons for this op-
position being urged.
Governor HOey has consistently
taken the position that, inasmuch as
the legislature has refused to act. he
is not justified in committing first
degree burglary death sentences lust
because neither murder nor rape was
committed by the offender. He has
argued that any modification of the
statute is purely a legislative func-
ton and has assumed that it is his
duty to administrator the law as it is.
not as a large portion of Tar Heel
citizens seem to think it should be.
In practically every first degree
burglary case the governor has been
besought to commute on the grounds
that the offense ought not to be pun
ished with DEATH