Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1866-11-03
THE DEATH PENALTY.
IKE oUgIoE AT UPPER MARLBORO'.
EOUR NEGRO MEN HANGED.
CONFESSION OF THEIR GUILT
4 CONDEMNED MAN REsPITEp


REPORTED FOR THE ALEXANDRIA. GAZETTE.
Yesterday morning at precisely twenty min
utes before twelve o'clock, William Platter,
ThomassDavis, Hecry Luckett and William
Henry Jones, four negro men, arrested IN his
city on The 10th OF last July, by Officers Davis,
Webster and Padsett, by order OF the Mayor,
upon information furnished him by tie Cashiers
of the Bank Of the Old Dominion and Farmer
Bank of this city, on the charge of numbering
the late William Lyles, Of Auburn, Prince
Georges county, Nd, and robbiug his wife,
were, having been convicted OF the horrible
crime of which they stood accused, launched
into eternity, from galows erected Oh the
north side of the Court House, in the village
Of Upper Marlboro. The details of the muir
der Of Mr. Lyes, and the confession OF the
parties hung yesterday, have already been pub
lished at length in the Gazette, and need not
now be repeated.
At the trial last September, by the Court OF
Prince George county, they were ably defend
Cd by Messrs G.. G. Magruder, jr, and j. IL
Roberts, jr., cut the evidence concerning their
guilt was 50 positive that the CommonweaIth's
Attorney, E. W Belt, esq.,. had merely TO state
the case to procure their conviction.
The Jail at Marlboro having been destroyed,
the Lyles murdercrs, together With thirteen
other prisoners, white and black, were confined
in large room in the second story Of the Court
House, to the floor OF which the heavy iron
anklets combining their feet were chained, and
in which they ate and slept and laughed and
talked, and formed fruitless plans for escape,
until the arrival Of their doomed hour.
Some trcpidation was occasioncd among the
ladies of Marlboro on Thursday night, by ru-
mors which found their way there, Of the ap
roach of 600 armed negroes from this city and
Washington, who were to release the prisoners,
but all anxiety was relieved when it was made
known that Captains R. B, B. Chew and Ii.
B. Bowie, each with company Of sixty horse
men, and Capt. Thomas Brooke, with a com
mand Of sixty infantry, the whole under charge
of Colonel Boyd Edelin,, were pick citing the
roads leading TO the village, and acting as guards
in and around the Court House.
Tie prominence Of the murdered gentleman
il. the community in which he resided; the cold
b!oodcd manner in which lie was killed; the
discovered attempt OF Platter, who WAS found
with quantity of glass and hard brick in his
shoes, with which, it is supposed, he designed
cutting his ironsto escape; the reported
efforts Of the friends of the condemned
to effect their rescue, and the anticipated sight
of a quadrupcd hanging, naturally Induced the
gathering OF large number, among whom
were several from this city, at tue scene of the
execution: but though the crowd present was
larger than had ever before been congregated
in the village, owing to the excellent arrange
ments made Icy the Sheriff, John Il. Iurton,
the solemnity Of the occasion was rlgldly 90
served and not one incident occurred to with
draw the attention 81 the Two thousand wit
nesscs-half Of whom were negroes-from the
awful destiny Of the criminals.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the Rev, IL.
J. Kershow, Rector of the Episcopal Church
in Marlboro who has been their constant and
ardent spiritual instructor and advisor during
their confinement though they had expressed
a desire to see mulatto preacher OF this city,
named Robinson-had final private interview
with each Of them separately shrouds
covering them, and their chains removed
though their hands were bound behind their
backs--in which, after conversrg about their
souls welfare, he exhorted them to unburden
their breasts by full confession OF their crimes
This they promised 10 make, and the result, as
taken from their own lips, is that they, togeth-
er with Nimrod Richards, John Parker, Louis
Anderson, Frank Dickson, Frank Henson and
Jerry Snowden, al! negroes, formed murder
Gus, inoendiary and thieving gang, to whose
agency nearly all the villainy lately pcrpetrated
in this locality can be legltmatey attributed.
Four Of them have met their deserts and the
officers of the law are on the hot scent of the
remainder. Some of them robbed the resi-
dence of the Misses Palmer, in Maryland, last
May, where Platter, large and muscular negro.
from Chester, Pennsylvania, the most ntelIec-
tral of the crew, and who seemed to be their
leader, ravished an old lady over sixty years of
age. Previous to the murder for which they
were hung portion of them burned the two
residences of the late MIR. Lyles, Auburn"
and CHERRY Mount" They, at the dead of
night, entered the dwelling of Mrs. Murphcy,
near Edsell's Station, last June, and alter
shooting at her husband, who barely escaped,
robbed her house of whatever they wanted.
They stole and slaughtered cattle in this neigh
borhood, and for stealing and killing calf, be-
longing to e. Wyman, last June, some Of them
we're arrested but, it being represented that they
were in the service of the government, were
turned over to the military authorities for pun
ishmcnt Richards, Parker: Luckett and two
white men, on whom the police have their eyes.
broke open and robbed the store of Mr.. } Z.
McCracken some months before. Platter,
Davis, Richards and Dickson the latter now
in jail in this city on the charge OF }urglarous-
entering the dwelling house of Mr.. Allen Har-