White People Petitioned
September 23, 1899
Summary
Mitchell cites an article from the Richmond Daily Dispatch to show the universal opposition to the lynching of a black robber.
Transcription
[Dispatch, Sept. 14, 1899]
The white people of Pulaski county are making an earnest effort to save the neck of Noah Finely, a Negro in jail in Pulaski City under a sentence to be hanged to morrow.
On the night of August 21 Finley waylaid and robbed Major James Darst a very prominent citizen of Dublin. He was captured the next day, indicted on the same day, and on the day following was sentenced to death. The date of execution was fixed for Friday, Sept. 15th.
WANTED THE SENTENCE COMMUNTED.
Recently numerous letters, signed by many of the best known men in Pulaski, have been received at the Governor’s office, asking that Finely’s sentence be commuted for thirty or sixty days, in order that there may be gotten before the Governor various facts tending to show reason why the prisoner should not suffer the death penalty. One letter to the Governor stated that it was thought every juror who tried this case, and the Judge and Commonwealth’s Attorney, besides a large number of citizens, would sign a petition for commutation of sentence for life imprisonment.
THE GOVERNOR APPEALED TO.
Within the past day or two a large number of letters have been received at the Governor’s office, asking for the reprieve. The fact that the death penalty was imposed for the crime of robbery, which is a very rare punishment for this crime, seems to have stirred up sympathy for the Negro. The extreme penalty was visited upon him because of the fact that he beat Major Darst nearly to death and then robbed him. It is thought he intended killing Major Darst, who is one of the most widely-known and popular men in Pulaski county.
The white people of Pulaski county are making an earnest effort to save the neck of Noah Finely, a Negro in jail in Pulaski City under a sentence to be hanged to morrow.
On the night of August 21 Finley waylaid and robbed Major James Darst a very prominent citizen of Dublin. He was captured the next day, indicted on the same day, and on the day following was sentenced to death. The date of execution was fixed for Friday, Sept. 15th.
WANTED THE SENTENCE COMMUNTED.
Recently numerous letters, signed by many of the best known men in Pulaski, have been received at the Governor’s office, asking that Finely’s sentence be commuted for thirty or sixty days, in order that there may be gotten before the Governor various facts tending to show reason why the prisoner should not suffer the death penalty. One letter to the Governor stated that it was thought every juror who tried this case, and the Judge and Commonwealth’s Attorney, besides a large number of citizens, would sign a petition for commutation of sentence for life imprisonment.
THE GOVERNOR APPEALED TO.
Within the past day or two a large number of letters have been received at the Governor’s office, asking for the reprieve. The fact that the death penalty was imposed for the crime of robbery, which is a very rare punishment for this crime, seems to have stirred up sympathy for the Negro. The extreme penalty was visited upon him because of the fact that he beat Major Darst nearly to death and then robbed him. It is thought he intended killing Major Darst, who is one of the most widely-known and popular men in Pulaski county.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Lower Right Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Elias Sturim
Citation
“White People Petitioned,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed January 23, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1719.