Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-05-09
INC Hanging at Yazoo. miss.

IiNcn"rd negroes, Tor The murder of their
master The execution took place in the
presence oInot less than three thousand per
sons
Dovard made bis appearance under the
gHllows at the hour of twelve, tastefully ar.
rayed, and showing no sign Of alarm. His
step was firm and elastic, and his whole de-
m.eanor calm and self. possessed. On sean.
nlng his physlognomy, we could not discoy.
or any mark that bctrays the cold sbloodcd
murderer Just before he swung of he
mnde speech to the thousands who were
he issfcS SeRsf RS fp9 PRS9 a%g Win hin &e re
was charged in the Indictment, wascommit-
ted by him while hboring under alteration
of mind caused by hard drinking. 10 bran,
dy be attributed his downfall and in an
earnest tone he warned The young men PIC
sent against tasting that which "enters The
mouth TO steal away the brains,n and en-
treated them-to take warning from him, and
eschew that which "bheth like serpent and
stingeth Ike an adder"
But to his remarks:
This gallows is to end my fife. That box
TO contain my body ard the grave to be
my resting place, until the last loud trump
OF God shall sound awakening my sleeping
dust TO come to The final reckoning.
will make but afew remarks aware of
the fact that anything said by man in my
situation contrary 10 the generally received
opinions of men, (although it be as true as
the red word of Cody is branded as false
hoods by them and men will say the wretch
died with lie in his mouth but be thatias
1t may the truth must and will tell.
on have assembled here to witness
scene which in allhunlan probability you
nave never witnessed before, and numbly
pray my God. that your eyes r,pv eyer. be
spared repetition of tragedy, so awful,
from its very nature, as The one now before
you-a man TO be executed for the crime Of
muIder.the murdered victim being no 9th
er than his own wi(e--the partner of his
bosom and the mother of his little babes.
Gentlemen, am not guilty as charged
IN the indictment under which | was tried
and condemned and in a few minutes TO pay
the penalty with my life, l was deranaed
IN mind-zreason had left her throne--t had
no control OF my reason or myself; when
this appalling and heart.reuding deed was
committed.
L tell you most candidly and truthfully
TOO, that when inmy sane mind the most
distant thought never entered my mind to
harm one OF my own family much less take
the life of that one who was nearer and
dearer to me than my very existence and
had Ifound a'will or desire in my heart to
commita'deed Of such atrocity would have
torn it from my breast and castit from me
as being unworthy to pulsate in its usual
place, No, notall the wealth, The honor
and the glory OF the world combined would
have induced me,nor death itself in the most
hideous manner whichthe ingenuity of man
could invent, would have forced me into the
commiLtal of crime of such magnitude
sgainst the laws of my country and the
la"9 ofthpt o"P,eme peiug wuo mas ueclar-
ed emphalicahy, ,ssEPhou shaltnot.kill" Can
it-be possible that any man who has known
me from my boybood up, (and there are
many.in this county, for it is those who
have known me longest that have Known
me besO can attribute that awful affair to
any other than the true cause - that Of in.
sanity,
Yes, dare 10 believe that in my whole
circie'of acqhainances that there are bul
few who believe me guilty of any known
murder ~
To reveal all in relation to that horrible
scene, really cannot do, for-T have bnt
aVague and indistinct recollection of any,
thing occurring to orwith me, from Sunday
night the 18th of November previous to
that night on which the deed was commit.
ted until Thursday morning the. 22d Nov,
when found myself in the hands of officers
at Mangum's tIDtelM Benton. During this
time, however, had one or two lucid in,
terpals, one Of which | ecollected distinct.
ly. ItSmust have occurred shortly after
the deed was done, for do not think that
there was any one there at the time how
long it lasted cannot tell; it seemed to me
that I had just awoke from frightful
dream, when to my horror l clearly saw
lhat-it Yasno dream, but q sad reality; aud
the first, lhought which came 10 my mind
was to'lake my own life, and acting on that
impulse, 1 got my gun and tried 10 shoot
myself; The, gun would not fire, and after
several attempts gave that up l next
thought that could accomplish MY design
with Opium and recollecting that there was
some in Il drawer, ] immediately got it, and
commenced eating il, as to what quantity
took of il know not, but f;om what ! have
heard. drank at least enough to bave kill,
ed three men, laboIing under no mental de.
rangement.
II would be well perhaps, for me 10 state
for what purpose l had procured this Ops
an1,; / had been drinking exiremely hard
for some lime, and had determined in my
own mind that would quit il, and become