A Grave Offence in North Carolina
October 2, 1897
Summary
The Planet describes a rape incident involving an educated white man, and proves to the Dispatch that “crime is not confined to any one race of people.”
Transcription
The following explains itself:
Raleigh, N.C., September 22. – A shocking scandal has just developed in the penitentiary here. Dr. Kirby Smith, the son of the superintendent is charged with a grave offence in connection with two insane women.
Arrangements are now in progress to turn all convicts over to the syndicate which offers to maintain the penitentiary without cost to the state.
Dr. Smith is white. His offence is the “usual crime.” He is educated, and therefore was in full possession of the facts relative to the nature of the act which he was committing.
What has the Richmond Dispatch to say to this? Will it write grave editorials on the subject? Will it designate it as a race crime, or will it claim-like, close its shell and say nothing.
Again, we assert it, -crime is not confined to any one race of people. It is an affiliation which all suffer and the crusade should be made against the criminal classes upon broad lines without regard to race or color, politics or religion.
Raleigh, N.C., September 22. – A shocking scandal has just developed in the penitentiary here. Dr. Kirby Smith, the son of the superintendent is charged with a grave offence in connection with two insane women.
Arrangements are now in progress to turn all convicts over to the syndicate which offers to maintain the penitentiary without cost to the state.
Dr. Smith is white. His offence is the “usual crime.” He is educated, and therefore was in full possession of the facts relative to the nature of the act which he was committing.
What has the Richmond Dispatch to say to this? Will it write grave editorials on the subject? Will it designate it as a race crime, or will it claim-like, close its shell and say nothing.
Again, we assert it, -crime is not confined to any one race of people. It is an affiliation which all suffer and the crusade should be made against the criminal classes upon broad lines without regard to race or color, politics or religion.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Brian Schrott
Citation
“A Grave Offence in North Carolina,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed March 15, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1208.