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Story
September 11, 1910
Daily Press
Newport News, Virginia
What is this article about?
Efforts are underway to commute Richard Harding Biggs' death sentence for killing Annie Davis to life imprisonment, with Josephus Daniels among supporters. Reports about his brothers' crimes are debunked as untrue or accidental.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
STRONG EFFORT TO SAVE
BIGGS FROM THE CHAIR
Josephus Daniels Among Those Interceding for Prisoner—Reports About Brothers Untrue.
A strong effort is being made to save the life of Richard Harding Biggs, the negro who is sentenced to die in the electric chair on September 23 for killing Annie Davis, also colored. A petition asking the governor to commute the sentence to life imprisonment has been prepared, and among those working in the prisoner's behalf is Josephus Daniels, editor of the Raleigh News and Observer.
Biggs' father lives in Raleigh, and the younger man himself was employed by Mr. Daniels before he left Raleigh. Attorney O. D. Batchelor, of this city, who has been asked by friends in North Carolina to do what he can toward saving Biggs from the chair, has received several communications in regard to reports published here to the effect that one of Biggs' brothers is serving a term in the penitentiary for killing a woman, and that another recently shot and killed a woman. These reports reached the police here from Richmond, and were printed in this paper. As to the first report, Mr. Batchelor has a written statement from Mr. Daniels, to the effect that there is no truth in it whatever. There was some truth in the story that Dan Biggs shot a woman, but he did not kill her, and the following statement from a reputable law firm of Raleigh shows that the shooting was accidental:
Aug. 10th, 1910.
To Whom It May Concern:-
It having been represented to us that some newspaper in the city of Newport News, Va., has published as a news story that one Dan Biggs, brother of Richard Biggs, shot and killed a woman, we say upon request, in order that this story may not influence any case against Richard Biggs, that said story is not true in its whole. It is true that Dan Biggs accidentally shot a woman. That he has been arrested but has been tried only for the offense of carrying concealed weapon and fined and discharged. The woman is well of the wound inflicted. Dan Biggs is now at liberty and is employed by the same firm with which he has been for the last seven years.
Very truly,
HARRIS & HARRIS.
BIGGS FROM THE CHAIR
Josephus Daniels Among Those Interceding for Prisoner—Reports About Brothers Untrue.
A strong effort is being made to save the life of Richard Harding Biggs, the negro who is sentenced to die in the electric chair on September 23 for killing Annie Davis, also colored. A petition asking the governor to commute the sentence to life imprisonment has been prepared, and among those working in the prisoner's behalf is Josephus Daniels, editor of the Raleigh News and Observer.
Biggs' father lives in Raleigh, and the younger man himself was employed by Mr. Daniels before he left Raleigh. Attorney O. D. Batchelor, of this city, who has been asked by friends in North Carolina to do what he can toward saving Biggs from the chair, has received several communications in regard to reports published here to the effect that one of Biggs' brothers is serving a term in the penitentiary for killing a woman, and that another recently shot and killed a woman. These reports reached the police here from Richmond, and were printed in this paper. As to the first report, Mr. Batchelor has a written statement from Mr. Daniels, to the effect that there is no truth in it whatever. There was some truth in the story that Dan Biggs shot a woman, but he did not kill her, and the following statement from a reputable law firm of Raleigh shows that the shooting was accidental:
Aug. 10th, 1910.
To Whom It May Concern:-
It having been represented to us that some newspaper in the city of Newport News, Va., has published as a news story that one Dan Biggs, brother of Richard Biggs, shot and killed a woman, we say upon request, in order that this story may not influence any case against Richard Biggs, that said story is not true in its whole. It is true that Dan Biggs accidentally shot a woman. That he has been arrested but has been tried only for the offense of carrying concealed weapon and fined and discharged. The woman is well of the wound inflicted. Dan Biggs is now at liberty and is employed by the same firm with which he has been for the last seven years.
Very truly,
HARRIS & HARRIS.
What sub-type of article is it?
Crime Story
What themes does it cover?
Crime Punishment
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Death Sentence
Commutation Petition
Josephus Daniels
Biggs Brothers
Accidental Shooting
What entities or persons were involved?
Richard Harding Biggs
Josephus Daniels
Annie Davis
O. D. Batchelor
Dan Biggs
Where did it happen?
Raleigh, North Carolina; Newport News, Va.
Story Details
Key Persons
Richard Harding Biggs
Josephus Daniels
Annie Davis
O. D. Batchelor
Dan Biggs
Location
Raleigh, North Carolina; Newport News, Va.
Event Date
September 23, 1910
Story Details
Richard Harding Biggs is sentenced to die on September 23 for killing Annie Davis; petition seeks commutation to life imprisonment with support from Josephus Daniels; false reports about brothers' crimes are refuted, confirming one accidental shooting without fatality.