Dispatch, June 25, 1889

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Moral -- Murder

ONANCOCK, Va., June 22, 1889.

Judge Gunter, of the Circuit Court, has overruled the verdict of the jury that convicted Mrs. Virginia Taylor last March of the murder of her husband and fixed her punishment at five years in the penitentiary. In overruling the verdict Judge Gunter held that the County Court was wrong in charging the jury that they might find the accused guilty of any degree of murder or of manslaughter. As the statutes of Virginia define killing by poison as murder in the first degree the jury should either have found Mrs. Taylor guilty of murder in the first degree or have acquitted her. The new Code of Virginia provides that when a verdict in a criminal case is set aside the accused shall not be tried for any offence greater than that of which he was convicted on the previous trial. Mrs. Taylor cannot therefore be tried again for murder in the first degree and Judge Gunter decided that the nature of the case does not warrant conviction of a less offence. Judge Gunter has accordingly ordered Mrs. Taylor to be discharged from custody, and she is now enjoying the first freedom from imprisonment since her arrest last Christmas.

The case has been one of the most remarkable that ever occurred in this section. The trial, which took place at the March term of the County Court, lasted for five days, an immense crowd being present all the while. Throughout all her imprisonment and during the trial Mrs. Taylor displayed wonderful fortitude and still maintained her innocence. She received the news of her discharge without any effusive demonstrations of joy, and left for her home, near Modest Town, as soon as she could get ready.

Her ultimate discharge from custody has been considered a foregone conclusion here for some time past, as the verdict of the jury in finding her guilty of murder in the second degree was held to be irregular and unwarranted by the facts in the case. It is said that the jury rendered that verdict because they were opposed to hanging a woman.

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Moral -- Other violent crime

ONANCOCK via TASLEY, VA., June 24. -- The June term of the Accomack Court began to-day -- Judge Neale, of Northampton, presiding. The newly elected county and district officials qualified by giving bond and taking the oath of office. Horace Costin, a young negro who has been in jail since last December awaiting trial for shooting an old negro woman in the town was tried and sent to jail for thirty days.