Last week marked the 70th anniversary of the February 1951 executions of the Martinsville Seven. Joe Henry Hampton, Howard Lee Hairston, Booker T. Millner, Frank…
Roger ChristmanFebruary 10, 2021
In his debut novel, Forsaken, Ross Howell Jr. tells the story of an uneducated African American servant, Virginia Christian, who was tried for killing her white employer in…
Roger ChristmanMarch 3, 2016
This is the third in a series of posts spotlighting recently released email from Governor Tim Kaine’s administration. These posts are not meant to be…
Roger ChristmanFebruary 24, 2014
Welcome to Mug Shot Monday Special Edition. This is the final post focusing on records at the Library of Virginia related to the “Hillsville Massacre.” In March 1913, Floyd…
Roger ChristmanMarch 14, 2012
Welcome to Mug Shot Monday Special Edition. Next Wednesday, 14 March marks the 100th anniversary of the infamous “Hillsville Massacre,” where five people were killed in a gunfight in…
Roger ChristmanMarch 7, 2012
Welcome to Mug Shot Monday (Halloween Edition)! This is the latest entry in a series of posts highlighting inmate photographs in the records of the Virginia Penitentiary. At…
Roger ChristmanOctober 31, 2011
The Library of Virginia is pleased to announce that the records of the Virginia Penitentiary (Accession 41558) are now available to researchers. The collection contains 289 bound…
Roger ChristmanSeptember 28, 2011
Joseph Robinson, alias “Cocky Joe”, was convicted on 9 April 1951 in the Portsmouth City Hustings Court for the 1943 murder of Marc A. Terrell…
Roger ChristmanApril 20, 2011
On 16 August 1912, 17-year-old Virginia Christian was electrocuted at the Virginia Penitentiary for the 18 March 1912 murder of Ida Belote, her white employer.…
Roger ChristmanSeptember 14, 2010
These records are part of the Virginia State Penitentiary Collection, 1796-1991 (Accession 41558). Access to the execution files and four audio cassettes is restricted for…
Roger ChristmanMay 26, 2010
