Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1889 — A STRANGE LAW OF VIRGINIA. [ARTICLE]

A STRANGE LAW OF VIRGINIA.

Owing to a peculiar statute in the Virginia laws the conviction of Mrs. Virginia Taylor of murder in the second degree for poisoning her has been set aside, and instead of serving a sentence of fire years she walked out of jail a free woman. Judge Gaunter, on an appeal, has decided tuat the County Court erred in instructing the jury that , they could find the prisoner gmltv ol any degree of murder, as by the Xir- , ginia law killing by poison is* murder in the first degree. By the same statute ! Mrs. Taylor can not be tried again.