The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-06-08
LATEST FROM VICKSBURG,
Execution Of the Murders ofCook's
Family---Ninc ColOrod Soldiers
Auug--The Speeches Of the
Oulprits--They Declare Their
Innocence.
.lrom ih, Memphis Bullctin,
Nr-rer---r, af,v 80
Alcmrhis huIlciin,
NIcKsurEa. MnY 20.

NIcEsuvE9, May 20.
This day had been st part for the ,x.
ocution O, the negro soldiers convicted Of
thc murder Of the Cook family.
The negroes, twelve in number. had
been tried aud convict 4 of numbering
womaa and child. The ,ral was fair,
and the punishment just according to
military ard ,iyil law. Thcy were so'-
dicrs, in the service OF their country
they had ~ camp, on the night in qUcs.
tons without authority, add for the pur-
pose of fr,hhcry. They went directly %
The hnus, Il Colonel Cook, and dtmani-
ed of him his money. lie begged them
Tor Gud's sake, not to XIII him. A shot
WIS Cred, and he f,ll. lI,. lay f'w
minutes, aud then, on his hands aud
knees, crawlld out Osth' house to the
barn near hy, The murJetcrs then ru'h.
ed at his wife, demanding her money nul
jewels. Sac refused TO givc them up nrd
N them 20 go about thcir business
Tncy told her she must die. A child,
about five or six years Of age. hung TO
her dress and begged in vaih for tho IT.
of It's "ma." The chill's Innocence and
plcndings could not move them. The
fiends then, in cold blood, butchrrcd
mother aud child. They then sacked aud
fred the place To wipe out the last trace
Of their crime. This is the story Of their
crime. Now We will give the scene OF
retribution n--,hc last OF these unfortunate
men ever gaz' upoG on earth. The
stores were all closed by military order
Tho iavncibln militia was ordered out.
and, led by feeling of morbid curiosity,
thousands 1uckcd 10 tho scene. The
place chosen was near the machine shup,
and outside the inner Corliicatiuns. A
hollow square was formed, surrounding
the ra!loW s--- a rude wooden structure
about twenty-five feet high, platform
thirteen feet from the ground. The fol.
lowing regiments formed the square sur.
rounding the gallows. 7lh Tennessee
Cavalry. % Militia Regiments, aud bed
u. ). G.. l., the regiment these men be-
lungcd to. At IL o'clock the prcpnra-
tions were ~ completed. The negroes
were asked If they had any thing to say.
The frat came forward; he was n lichl.
colored, likely looking negro, about
twentv.eielt years of nge; he wore a
uniform a. ] oorporOl's stripes on his
arms. llespoke in n bold clear voice;
he said he had been fighting for two
years for lis country, but "ncver did |
think my ryices would be rewarded by
the gullowsi my friends, never did think
to meet van here; have been good
soldier, NO ,anuy nf you know me, but
before you declare myself "not CuIy.
He the stepped aside, and the next said
few words. lie said he was absent from
camp at the time: he chad heard there
was some rebels out there, and went with
the rest Of the boys he had been tanqht
TO hUto rebels; and here he was checked
from making some remalks about n
Lieutenant. "This is oil have got TO
say, | went Dfcr rebels" The third
came forward, aud he ayered his limo.
ccnce, and said that ho had resigned him.
self TO Jesus; He was his friend. lie
then told all his friends Jesus was thoir
friend. The others followed in very
near the same strain. each declaring
himself mot guilty." They then sang .
hymn, aud the chaplain made short
prayer. The corporal seemed quite ncrv.
Gus oil the time, and would, frequently.
~ loud voice, say he was"uot guilty"
and hc never thought he would haze to
die on the gallows for serving his coun.
try. The negroes were then requested
TO sit down while their hands were tied
behind them. Aller this, each man rose
10 his feet, and the cXccutionor passed
around placing the rope around each
mans neck, and adjusting the caps over
thcr hcnts. The word was given, the
traps descended, and the bodies Of these
unfortunate men wero lefl swinging with
the coils Of he rope, dangling between
earth aud heaven. Thus they passed
nwny with scarcely q struggle, while II
wild murmur OF tho black women and
children rang from hill to hili. The baud
struck up, the troops began to disp7rsc,
aud the curious multitude began to seek
their homes. Thus ended the affair;
therc WAS no revolt of the negro troops,
no signs of any, excep, what the negroes
themselves tried to create in their favor.
Great credit is due The military Huthori-
tics Tor the stirct and soldcrly manner in
which every thing was arranged.