Shirley Winningham, 1928 January 25

was taken to the jail in Petersburg, That night, a mob made threats
against the family of the Sheriff of Isle of Wight County and forced
him to reveal the location where Winningham was being held. The Sher
iff promptly notified the Petersburg authorities and Winningham was
moved on to Richmond, Because of the efforts of the Sheriff and the
Commonwealth Attorney to spirit Winningham to safety, both were de-
feated for reelection in November by candidates who had been nomina-
ted by enraged citizens at a mass meeting. Winningham was granted a
change of venue to Richmond Eustings Court and after he had been exam~-
ined and ruled bane by a sanity commission, he was tried there, con-
vieted and sentenced to die, He sat impassively through his trial
which lasted for 16 hours and showed absolutely no emotion, His only
remark was after thejudge had sentenced him to die when he said: "You
will be killing an honest man," There was no appeal of the conviction
and when the Governor declined te grant executive clemency, he was
electrocuted at the Virginia State Prison on January 25, 1928. He
went to his death calmly and as impassively as he had sat through his

trial, ;

RICHMOND TIMES=DISPATCH 10-16-1927 ¢ 10-18-1927 3 10-19-1927

30=19273 121-1927; 1-25-1928;

1-5-1927; 1l-9-1927; 11-12-19273 1
1+26-1928

was taken to the jail in Petersburg. That night, a mob made threats
against the family of the Sheriff of Isle of Wight County and forced
him to reveal the location where Winningham was being held, The Sher-
iff promptly notified the Petersburg authorities and Winningham was
moved on to Richmond, Because of the efforts of the Sheriff and the
Commonwealth Attorney to spirit Winningham to safety, both were de-
feated for reelection in November by candidates who had been nomina-
ted by enraged citizens at a mass meeting. Winningham was granted a
change of venue to Richmond Hustings Court and after he had been exam-
ined and ruled bane by a sanity conmission, he was tried there, con-
vieted and sentenced to die. He sat impassively through his trial
which lasted for 16 hours and showed absolutely no emotion, His only
remark was after thejudge had sentenced him to die when he said: "You
will be killing an honest man," There was no appeal of the conviction
and when the Governor declined to grant executive clemency, he was
electrocuted at the Virginia State Prison on January 25, 1928. He
went to his death calmly and as impassively as he had sat through his
trial, ;

RICHMOND TIMMS-PISPATCH, 10-16-1927; 10-18-1927; 10-19-1927}
11-5-19273 11919273 14-22-1927; 11-30-19273 13-1-19275 1-25-19285

1=26-1928

was taken to the jail in Petersburg, That night, a mob made threats
against the family of the Sheriff of Isle of Wight County and forced
him to reveal the location where Winningham was being held, The Sher-|
iff promptly notified the burg authorities and was
moved on to Richmond, Because of the efforts of the Sheriff and the
Commonwealth Attorney to spirit Vinningham to safety, both were de-
feated for reelection in November by candidates who had been nomina-
ted by enraged citizens at a mass meeting. Winningham was granted a
change of venue to Richmond Hustings Court and after he had been exan-
ined and ruled bane by a sanity commission, he was tried there, con-
victed and sentenced to die, He sat imassively through his trial
which lasted for 16 hours and showed absolutely no emotion, His only

trial,

RICHMOND TIMES=DISPATCH, 10-16-1927; 10-18-19273 10-19-1927.
11-5-19275 11-9-1927; 11-12-1927 14-30-1927; 13-1-19275 1-45-1928
1-26-1928

Sioetd Se eae Sune
rer

rane ropcteery toaster MITT, ENTE ag,

HoPigen esate WResets oat
eat)

i WINNINGHAM, Shirley

Winningham, alias Shirley Wimnegan, was a 25-year-old black native of
Isle of Wight Co,, Va,, who was married and the father of two children
During the summer of 1927, he began acting peculiarly, on one occasidn
attempting leave a house at which he was visiting through a closed win.
dow and when he found that his suitcase would not pass through the
pane, falling to the floor in a pecuadair stupor, and on another atten-
pting to jimp into a well adjacent to his home, and fkeeing screaming
into the woods after he was restrained by his family. In August, 1927
he was declared insane by a lunacy commision in Isle of Wight County
and sent to the State Hospital on August 6, Shortly afterwards he was
released and he returned to Isle of Wight County where he continued
working as a farm laborer and at odd jobs, On the afternoon of Oct,
14, he completed his work hauling gravel for a bridge construction and
was standing in a gate when he noticed Hilda Barlow, a lheyeareold
white $XEX school girl, walking to her home carrying a loaf of bread
and a newspaper, Winningham follewed her to a deserted area on the
road and there, after a terrific struggle, subdued her and dragged

her into a corn field where he raped her and manually choked her to
death, Her body was found shortly afterwards and when several wit-
nesses came forward who testified that they had seen him in the vinin-
ity, he was taken into custody, Because of the threat ef violence, he

WINNINGHAM, Shirley

Winningham, alias Shirley Winnegan, was a 25-year-old black native of
Isle of Wight Co,, Va,, who was married and the father of two children
During the summer of 1927, he began acting peculiarly, on one occasién|
attempting leave a house at which he was visiting through a closed win.
dow and when he found that his suitcase would not pass through the
pane, falling to the floor in a pecuaair stupor, and on another attem-
pting to jimp into a well adjacent to his hime, and fkeeing screaming
inte the woods after he was restrained by his family. In August, 1927
he was declared insane by a lunacy commision in Isle of Wight County
and sent to the State Hospital on tugust 6, Shortly afterwards he was
released and he returned to Isle of Wight County where he continued
working as a farm laborer and at odd jobs, On the afternoon of Oct,
14, he completed his work hauling gravel for a bridge construction and
was standing in a gate when he noticed Hilda Barlow, a lheyeareold
white §XEX school girl, walking to her home carrying a leaf of bread
and a newspaper. Winningham follewed her to a deserted area on the
road and there, after a terrific struggle, subdued her and dragged
her into a corn field where he raped her and manually choked her to
death. Her body was found shortly afterwards and when several wit-
nesses came forward who testified that they had seen him in the vinin-
ity, he was taken into custody, Because of the threat ef violence, he
WINNINGHAM, Shirley

dingham, alias Shirley Winnegan, was a 25-year-old black native of
Isle of Wight Co,, Va,, who was married and the father of two children
During the summer of 1927, he began acting peculiarly, on one occasidn|
attempting leave a house at which he was visiting through a closed w:
dow and when he found that his suitcase would not pass through the
pane, falling to the floor in a pecudair stupor, and on another attem-
pting to jimp into a well adjacent to his hame, and fReeing screaming
inte the woods after he was restrained by his family. In August, 1927,
he was declared insane by a lunacy commision in Isle of Wight County
and sent to the State Hospital on tugust 6, Shortly afterwards he was
released and he returned to Isle of Wight County where he continued
working as a farm laborer and at odd jobs, On the afternoon of Oct.
1s, he completed his work hauling gravel for a bridge construction and
was standing in a gate when he nobiced Hilda Barlow, a lli-year-old
white §X#X school girl, walking to her home carrying a loaf of bread
and a newspaper. Winningham follewed her to a deserted area on the
road and there, after a terrific struggle, subdued her and dragged
hér into a corn field where he raped her and manually choked her to
death, Her body was found shortly afterwards and when several wit-
nesses came forward who testified that they had seen him in the vinin-
ity, he was taken into custody, Because of the threat of violence, he|

Ht

i