The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-02-16
From ns ciHeinna,i Commercial
hanging OF two mon at Greenup,burg,
Kentucky 49, :.

kentucky. ~
Stephen Short and VIM. Hanninr vero
hanged BY the neck until dead. y AT Green.
upsburg, Ky, Friday afternoon. at 40
o'clock. Both had been hard drinking.
worthless men, and had wives and children
the former large iamily. Shor, murder
ed Mcfarland, worthy man, manager OF
the Clinton Furnace, Greenup County, Ky,
in August last. He (Short) was employed
about tho furnace. and became incensed at
Mcfarland because he ondeavored TO keep
his hands from drinking whiskey. Mc'Par-
land nlso discharged one of Shorts sons,
who was an idle follow, and this aggravated
the bad feeling.
Ono dny Mcfarland was riding by where
Short was at o grocery. and stopping min
ute, somo angry words passed. and Short
was told that he would DO discharged for
4 his insolence and intemperance. As McFar-
land rode Of, Short took his rife in his hand,
and said that no would shoot his employer,
who rode along. thoughtless OF danger, moro
Tod by an lrishman at his side, also drunk,
that no must Grc at once if he intended to
do so, rs his mark would soon be out of
sight, round turn Of the road At this
Short did FIRE. and Mcfarland fell, being
shot through the chest. The murderer then
walked up TO his victim. and told him that
he deserved to have been killed long before.
Mcfarland being widely known and use
inl man, with young wife and child, swas
much lamented.
Hanning was queer individual, having
lived alone in wretched cabin, eight miles
below Greenupsburg. His hut was half
buried in the side Of the largo hills that
stand near the river, and was more like
cave than q house, while Hanning, who
never shaved, cut bis hair, or took the least
care Of bis person, more resembled wild
beast than human being. Ho was exc
cuted for tho murder Of man named Ma
lone. whom ho hired to dig well. Malone
had been at work ut tho we'll for time, but
could not get any pay, and had quit, when
Hanning told him IL he would resume ope-
ralions he should have some bacon and meal.
Malone was poor and drunken, had family,
and he consented. When ho proceeded to
the house to 60 to work. Hanning. whose
hands, from excessive dissipation, were very
unsteady, told him to load his shot gun, as
he wanted to shoot dog, saying ho had
just shot dog, and would now shoot an-
other. Malone loaded the gun and handed
it to Hanning, who told him 10 20 to the
door and SEQ II he could not find stray dog
there. Malone thought the request curl.
ous one, but he complied, when he heard
noise that startled him, and turning, saw
that Hanning was taking aim at him. In
I'm instant tho gun was discharged, and Ma.
r.n al. A.. All. A.
hands had placed in tho gun, in his body
llanning then seized him by the hair and
dragged him some distance to clump of
bushes, where he left him dying. Abou.
an hour afterwards, some persons passed.
and HanninS called to them that he had
shot Malone, and to confirm his statement,
pointed to puddle of blood in front of the
door. Malone was found, and fingered sew.
eral days, and HanpiDg went to the dun.
geon.
The time Of the occurrence of these sick.
cning tragedies was in August last. The
murderers were tried, convicted, and sen.
fenced during tho November term of the
Greenup County Court.
As they were given considerable time 10
prepare. they spent the FIRST part of il in a
shocking manner. Short blasphcmcd n.
the ministers who visited him 50 horribly
that they fed from his cell, and amused
himself by hanging rats, and spseuiating on
The analogy bettreen The death struggles Of
those animals and men.
He swore that when he died, nll he want.
cd was ten feet of rope in the clear, and for
q band of music to play Jordan is hard
road to travel" When his legs wore be.
ing ironcd, he said "that s right - shoe
this old hoss well-he 5 gotta hard road to
travel" llanning was more quiet, but not
less desperate. But about four weeks ago
change came over tho spirit OF their dreams,
and they gradually became " anxious inquir.
ers," and losing all hope of pardon, respite
or escape, they were glad TO see tho minis.
tcrs, aud finally became Jealous professors
of religion, saving that the fact that they
were to be hung was tho most fortunate
event Of their lives. II they had not been
found guilty Of murder, and doomed to
hanging, they expressed belief that
they would have died drunksrds and Va.
grants; now they thought they were good
Christians, and would be taken from the
gallows to Abraham's bosom.
Several ministers OF tho Methodist Der.
suasion, among the most constant and ar.
dent Of whom wero two "slaye. preachers
in Grcenupsburg II. g., colored persons
held as slaycs, who arc regular PREACHERS of
the gospel. In Greenupsburg, whites and
blacks, slaves and masters, belong 10 tho
same church, and meet in the same house
Of prayer.
At an carly hour Friday, great crowds of
people gathered about the street corners Of
the town, where the hanging" was to
take place. Everybody talked OF tho
+" hanging" People camo In NIL directions.
along by roads, big.roads, and no roads at
all in skiffs, wagons and buggics mount
of all conditions; one. two and three per.
sons to IN animal some with saddles and
somo without some on foot and some on
cruchcs male and female they came old
and young; black, white, and Of all inter
mediate colors and shades Of color: with
hair whose yariega:ions OF knk was
astonishing; ngcd women and blooming
country lasses. women with children in their
arms and clinging to their skirts; men with
borrifying boards, boys with no boards -
wsll.dresscd, drunk, and sober, with cigars
and pipes. many who chcwed tobacco, and
few who did n't. They marched and coun-
termarchcd, single and in couple; by plat
oons, by companies. by regiments. by grand
armies, by professions that TO all appear.
ance extended back to the crack Of
doom" Horses stood in rows, in strings,
in phalanfcs, far along the fences Tho
groceries were oycr1owed, tho taycrns more
full than omnibusscs when there is not room
for one more.