TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA - NEWSPAPERS - Clinch Valley News, 19 Feb 1915 Hugh Tabor Slayer Sentenced ----¤¤¤---- "Clinch Valley News" Tazewell, Tazewell Co., Virginia Friday, February 19, 1915 TABOR’S SLAYER GIVEN TEN YEARS Sam Taylor Pleads Guilty and the Judge Determines the Extent of his Punishment SAM TAYLOR, the young man who killed HUGH TABOR during Christmas week, at TABOR'S home on Mud Fork, was tried in JUDGE KEGLEY’S court here this week, and sentenced to ten years in the Virginia penitentiary. It will be recalled that the murder of TABOR was pronounced at the time of the killing, one of a very atrocious character. He pled "guilty" to the charge, and was tried before the judge without a jury. After TAYLOR’S confession JUDGE KEGLEY ordered evidence to be taken in order to determine upon a verdict, as a confession of guilt is not admitted in law as evidence. After the hearing a number of witnesses and speeches by counsel for and against, JUDGE KEGLEY promptly and at once, announced a verdict of ten years. MESSRS. HENSON & BOWEN and PAYNE & PAYNE appeared for Taylor. JAMES W. HARMAN, Commonwealth’s attorney, and MINTER & MINTER and T. C. BOWEN appeared for the State. The verdict caused surprise and much comment on the street. Here are the facts: TAYLOR plead guilty to the killing of TABOR. This confession took the case out of the hands of the jury. Evidence was heard by the court, and it developed according to the evidence and circumstances, that the killing was second degree murder, instead of first degree murder. All the circumstances were considered. There seemed to be no evidence of a premeditated crime. There had been trouble on more than one occasion between the parties, and taking all the circumstances, the judge thought ten years an the penitentiary a sufficient punishment. The young man’s youth, his early and later advantages or disadvantages, and the fact that a full confession was made all went to temper justice with mercy. MR. TABOR, a relative of the dead man, who was here at the trial, said openly that he was entirely satisfied with the verdict, and furthermore said that five years, instead of ten would have been sufficient. Ten long years in confinement for a boy accustomed to the wild, untrammeled freedom of the hills and mountains, heaven knows, is punishment, indeed and enough. May he come through a better man! Other cases disposed of at this turn of court are as follows: RICHARD VANCE, forgery, one year. TOM FLOOD, selling cocaine, two years. J. H. TOWNS, stealing and housebreaking, three years. WILL HAIRSTON, house breaking and stealing a case of whiskey, one year WALTER BURRESS, & JOE CARTER, to the reform school [Hugh Edward Tabor, s/o James Russell Tabor & Martha Jane Havens. Hugh Tabor a grandson of Richard Adam Tabor & Mildred Permelia ‘Milly’ Shrader , aslo Howard Havens & Dicey King. Hugh Tabor married Margaret Rebecca Sluss, d/o James Sluss & Clair Rinda Gouldy/Goldy/Golden. The given name on my/our great great grandmother’s tombstone is Clair Rinda, and she is buried in the Sluss Cemetery at Upper Mudfork, Tazewell Co., VA]. Karen EAGLE Moman arizonaeagle@qwest.net June 30, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Karen EAGLE Moman arizonaeagle@qwest.net -----------------------------------------------------------------------------