Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Arson, 1876 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Slade LEWIS, burned, 11 Sep 1876; Amos JOYNER, convicted of arson, 18 Oct 1876 "The (Richmond, VA) Daily Dispatch," Fri., Sep. 15, 1876 p. 2, col. 3 Virginia Items. [...] On Monday night last the store of Mr. S. Lewis, on Blackwater river, Southampton county, was destroyed by fire. Mr. Lewis in trying to save his books and papers was badly burned about the face and hands. He did a large business in his county, and is also a partner in the firm of Stephenson & Lewis, of this city. His loss by the fire was fully covered by insurance.- "Norfolk Virginian," 14th. [...] "The (Richmond, VA) Daily Dispatch," Thurs., Oct. 19, 1876 p. 3, col. 4 TELEGRAPHIC. SOUTH CAROLINA'S TROUBLES. Sherman Concentrating Troops at Columbia - Chamberlain's Rifle-Club Bugbear Found to be Legal. MILITARY MATTERS. General McPherson's Statue Unveiled at Washington - Reunion of the Army of Tennessee. IMBROGLIO IN THE EAST. Prospects for a General European War Increasing. FOREIGN STOCKS DEPRESSED. Excitement in the London Stock Exchange and Other Bourses. &c., &c., &c. HOUSE-BURNER SENTENCED TO THE PENITENTIARY. [Special telegram to the Dispatch.] Norfolk, Va., October 18.- Four negroes were tried at Southampton Court to-day for burning the residence and kitchen of Slade Lewis, Esq., on the 12th. One of the number, Amos Joyner, was convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for ten years. The others were acquitted. [...] These items posted as parts of the Library Of Virginia's "Virginia Chronicle" Virginia newspaper project, at: http://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/virginia_newspapers - text of articles corrected Court proceedings: Southampton Co. Court Order Book 1875-1881 [p.] 106 At a Court Court held for the County of Southampton at the Courthouse thereof on Monday, the 16th. day of October A.D. 1876. Present, The Hon'l J.W. Urquhart [...] [p.] 107 [...] William Urquhart, Foreman, Geo: W. Laurence, C.C. Willliams, Junius W. Williams, Thomas Vaughan, R.A. Bristow, Lemuel Beale & Henry B. Kindred, were Sworn a Special Grand Jury of Inquest for the body of this County and having received their charge withdrew, and after Some time returned into Court and Presented _ An Indictment against Amos Joyner, Thomas Joyner, alias Atkinson, Henry Joyner and Thomas Jones, alias Artis, for Felony, "a true bill" They also made the following presentments, to wit; "We present Robert Conoly, for making an assault and battery on the person of John Bailey Colored, in the County of Southampton, on the 4th. of October 1876, upon the evidence of John Bailey, Sworn in Court and Sent to the Grand Jury at his request." And the Said Grand Jury having nothing further to present were discharged. [...] [p.] 109 [...] Amos Joyner who stands indicted of felony jointly with Thos. Joyner, alias Atkinson, Henry Joyner and Thos. Jones alias Artis, and who elected to be tried separately was this day led to the bar in Custody of the jailor of this Court and being thereof arraigned pleaded not guilty to the indictment, and a pannel of sixteen persons of the thirty six summoned by the Sheriff, examined by the [Court] found free from all legal exceptions and qualified to serve as jurors according to law. Whereupon the accused peremptorily Challenged four of the jurors and the remaining twelve, to wit: Allen Cotton, Newitt Edwards, John Screw, J.H. Drake, Byrd Gray, J.L. Council, W.J. Cobb, Dan'l Bradshaw C.E. Story, R.E. Darden, Wm. Johnson and Jerry Spivey, who being Elected, tried and sworn the truth of and upon the premises to speak, and having heard the evidence were sent out of Court to Consult of their verdict and after sometime, returned into Court, and not having agreed in their verdict, were Committed to the Sheriff of this County, who is directed to keep them together without communication with any other person; and thereupon, an oath was administered to D.J. Watkins, a deputy Sheriff of this County, to the following effect: "You shall well and truly, to the best of your ability, keep this jury, and neither speak to them yourself, nor suffer any other person to speak to them touching any matter relative to this trial until they return into Court to-morrow morning at ten o'clock_." And the said Amos Joyner is remanded to jail. [...] [p.] 110 Ordered that the Court be adjourned till tomorrow morning ten o'clock. J.W. Urquhart Judge Tuesday Morning October 18th. 1876. Present, The Hon. J.W. Urquhart, Judge Amos Joyner, who Stands Indicted of felony was again led to the bar in Custody of the Jailor of this Court, and the Jury Sworn yesterday for the trial were brought into Court by the Sheriff of this County and were sent out of Court to Consult of their Verdict and after Sometime returned into Court and upon their Oath do Say; "we the Jury find the Prisoner guilty and ascertain the term of his Confinement in the Penitentiary to be ten years; we also find that Said Prisoner has been Once before not Convicted and Sent to the Penitentiary." And it being demanded of him the Said Amos Joyner, if anything for himself he had or Knew to Say why the Court here should not now proceed to pronounce Judgement against him according to law and nothing being offered or alleged in delay of Judgement, it is Considered by the Court that the Said Amos Joyner be imprisoned in the Penitentiary of this Commonwealth for the term of ten years, the period by the jurors in their Verdict ascertained, and it appearing to the Court that the Said Amos Joyner be imprisoned in the Penitentiary of this Commonwealth for a further Term of five years, to Commence from and after the expiration of the period of his Confinement Under the Sentence of the Court above ascertained. And it is Ordered that the Sheriff of this County do as Soon as possible after the adjournment of this Court remove and Safely Convey the Said Amos Joyner from the Jail of this County to the Penitentiary of this Commonwealth therein to be kept imprisoned and treated in the manner directed by law. And thereupon the Said Amos Joyner is remanded to jail. [...] Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/news/18760915rd.txt