Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Newspapers.....Manslaughter, 1907 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Times Dispatch, Number 17615, 8 July 1907 p. 1, col. 6 CUT HIM TO DEATH WITH INK ERASER Robert Pitman Killed by Moody Coggin in Self-Defense. RELEASED ON NOMINAL BAIL Victim Attacked Coggin While at Work, and Latter Quick With Weapon. [Special to The Times-Dispatch.] BRANCHVILLE, VA., July 7.- Moody Coggin, a young man about twenty-one years of age, and son of the local agent for the Seaboard Air Line Railway, at this place, cut another young man, Robert Pitman as a result of which young Pitman died in about four hours. It seems that Pitman, presumably on account of some previous trouble, attacked Coggin while the latter was attending to railroad work, Pitman walking up behind Coggin and striking him back of the head. Coggin had in his hand at the time an ink eraser, which he had just been using to sharpen a pencil, and after being struck from behind by Pitman, turned to defend himself, and in the scuffle which ensued Pitman was cut in the left side and died from shock and hemorrhage. There were five eye witnesses and they agree that Pitman provoked the dlfficulty and brought on the trouble which resulted in his death. It is not known whether or not he made a statement after he was cut. A preliminary hearing of the matter was had last night before Justice E.N. Harris at Branchville. Mr. Coggin was represented by J.C. Parker, of Franklin, and after hearing all the evidence produced the magistrate sent the case on to the grand jury and admitted the accused to bail in the sum of $1,000. The case will probably be heard at the term of the Circuit Court which begins July 15th. There is no feeling against the accused in the neighborhood, and the almost universal impression is that he will be acquitted. Times Dispatch, Number 17623, 16 July 1907 p. 4, col. 5 COGGIN TO FACE MURDER CHARGE Grand Jury Indicts Railroad Man for Killing Andrew Pittman, Aged Fifteen Years. [Special to The Times-Dispatch.] SUFFOLK, VA., July 15.- In the Circuit Court of Southampton county to-day Moody Coggin was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Andrew Pittman, the fifteen-year-old son of a merchant at Branchville, Va. He gave bond in $1,000 for appearance July 23d, when the case will be called. A Norfolk attorney has been retained to assist the prosecution, and the defendant will have three lawyers. Coggin, aged twenty-two years, is a railroad clerk. He is said to have gone to Pittman's store, and being denied credit, had a difficulty with the boy. After being fatally stabbed the boy rushed at Coggin and knocked him down. Times Dispatch, Number 17631, 24 July 1907 p. 5, col. 4 POSTPONE TRIAL OF YOUNG COGGIN Owing to Absence of Witnesses, Case Goes Over Until October Term. [Special to The Times-Dispatch.] SUFFOLK. VA., July 23.- The murder trial of Moody Coggin was called to-day in the Circuit Court of Southampton county at Courtland, and because of the absence of material witnesses, was continued until October 24th. Coggin, who is twenty-two years old, was Seaboard Air Line agent at Branchville. He went into a store in which fifteen-year-old Robert Pittman was a salesman, and was denied credit by the latter. Coggin abused Pittman, and in the ensuing fracas the Pittman lad was stabbed to death. The defendant was released in $1,000 bond. Times Dispatch, 24 December 1908 p. 3, col. 7 Mother's Health Got Pardon. [Special to The Times-Dispatch.] SUFFOLK, VA., December 23.- Having paid for the life of Robert Pittman, a sixteen-year-old clerk, whom he stabbed to death with an ink eraser at Branchville, Va., with about nine months' penal servitude, Moody Coggins [sic; Coggin], a telegraph operator, sentenced from Southampton county to three years' imprisonment, was pardoned yesterday afternoon by Governor Swanson. Guy Harner, his attorney, of Boykins, Va.. said to-day that his mother's ill health was the chief ground for Coggins's pardon. Times Dispatch, 24 December 1908 p. 10, col. 7 YOUNG CONVICT FREE William Coggins Pardoned at Request of Sick Mother. William Moody Coggins [sic; Coggin], a young white man from Southampton county, who had been in the penitentiary for more than a year, having been convicted of manslaughter, was pardoned yesterday by Governor Swanson. The Governor took the matter under consideratlon at the request of several of the most reputable citizens in the young man's native county, who appeared at the executive office with a petition stating that his mother was critically ill, and for two months had been craving the sight of her son. The petition was signed by several hundred of the best citizens of the county. Coggins killed a young man of about his own age and was sentenced to three years in the penitentiary. Up to the time that he committed the act he bore an excellent reputation, his father being one of the county's most respected citizens. ****************************************************************************** These cited newspapers appear online as part of the Library of Virginia's Virginia Chronicle newspaper database, at: https://virginiachronicle.com/ Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/newspapers/19070708td.txt