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

Pntchard negroes. for The murder of thei
master The execution took place in The
presence oil not less than three thousand per
sons.
Boyard made his appearance under the
gallows at the hour of twelve, tastefutlv ar.
rayed' and showing no sign Of alarm. His
/ step was firm and elastic, and his whole de.
meanor calm and sef-possessed. On sean.
nlng his physiognomN we could not discov
or any mark that bctrays the coldsblooded
murderer. Just before he swung OF he
made speech to the thousands who were
he RSSSfa sseSSs SsRse Ra ppa Rda sFRngd a%g MR h &6
was charged in heindictmenr. wasc scommit-
ted by him while hboring under alteration
of mind caused by hard drinking. 10 bran
dy he attributed his downfall, and in an
earnest tone he warned the young men pl O.
sent ngainst tasting that which "enters The
mouth TO steal away the brains,n end en-
treated them to takewarning from him, and
eschew that which "bi,eth like serpent and
stinge,h Ike am adder"
But TO his remarks
This golows is to end my life. That box
to contain my body ard the grave to be
my resting place, until the las, loud trump
OF God shall sound awakening my sleeping
dust TO come to the final reckoning. .
l will make but afew remarks aware of
The tact that anything said by a man in my
situation contrary TO the generally received
opinions of men, (althoughit ii be rs true as
the sacred word Of Cody is branded as false
hoods by them and men will say the wretch
died with lie in his mouth; but be thatsas
II may the truth must and will tell.
You have assembled here TO witness a
scene which in all human probability you
nave never witnessed before, and L numbly
pray my God, that your eyes may ever be
spared repetition of a tragedy, so awful,
from Its very nature, as the one now before
you-a man TO he executed for the crime Of
mWder-the murdered victim being no 9th.
er than his own wiGe--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 paw
the penalty with my life. l was deranged
iin mind--reason had left her throne had
no control of my reason or myself; when
this appalling and heart.rending deed was
committed.
| tell you most canddly and truthfully
too, that when inmy sane mind the most
distant thought never entered my mind to
harm one Of my own family; muehless take
the life of that one who was nearer and
dearer to me than my very existence and
had | found 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, not all 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
commlttal of crime of such magnitude
eeganst the laws of my country and the
iamo Of .hpt o"PteHo cs!ng wuo mas uecIar-
ed emphaticahy,s ,ssThou shaltnotkili." Can
it-be possible that any man who has known
me from my boybood up, (nnd there are
many'in this county, for ii is those who
have known me longest that have known
me best can attribute that awful affair to
any other than the true cause that Of in.
sanity.
Yes, | dare to believe that in my whole
circieiof acqhaintances that there are but
few who believe me guilty of any known
murder ~ ~
To reveal all In relation to that horrible
scene, really cannot do, for-I have but
apague and indislinct recollection of any,
thing occurring To or with me, from Sunday
night the 18Th of November previous ia
that night on which the deed was commit
ted until Thursday morning the. 22d Nov,
when found .myselfin the hands of officers
at Mangum's HDtel ut Benton. During this
time, however, had one or two lucid in,
!erSals, one of which Ilecollected distinct.
Iy. ItSmpst havesoccurred shortly after
the deed was dono. for do not think that
there was any one there at the time: how
long it lasted | cannot telI; it seemed to me
that I had jua awoke from a frighuul
dream, when to.e.y horror l clearly saw
Ihat-it Wasno dream, but sad reality; and
the first, lhouglft which came 10 my mind
was to take my own life, and acting on that
impulse, 1 got Lly gum and tried 10 shoot
myself; the, gun would not fire. and after
Several attempts | gtYr that up. l next
thought that L could accomplish my design
with Opium and ollectipg that there was
sonsih q drawer, I Immediately got il, and
commenced eating ii, as to what quantity |
took of il know not, hut from what have
heard, ! drank st least enough TO bave lall-
ed three men, iaboling under no mental de.
rangement
8 Il would be well perhaps. for me to state
for wha, Pirpose I had procured this Opt
uni; had beer drinking extremely hard
for some time, and had determined IN my