The New York herald., 1868-04-04


east Of the town, between creek and Tar river
which nobody owns or nobody cares to own,
which has been the place for public executions from
time immemoral, the scafold was erected this morn
ing. 1t was rude structure, made out OF Roughly
hewn timber, amply strong and OF proportions
sufficient to launch two beings into eternity at once.
In consequence of an anticipated large crowd Of both
ness the dying agonies of two criminals, both mar
dened wretches, whose sentence had been so Justly
guard Of seventy men, without distinction OF color,
had been summoned. No one skilled as puD,ic
eXecutloner could be found, and 80 general was the
without farther annoyance to perform the duty MN.
self as required by law. SO superstitious are the
blacks that numbers refuse to serve on coroner's
jury, much less to become hangman.
HOPES OF COFESsION
From the frequency Of calls for spiritual counsel
latterly by the doomed men, the strongest hopes
were INDUCED in that confession OF the terrible
%au they aut t nsr to 9a s
this cloudy, gloomy and lowering morning had ar
rived, and sti they remained stubborn and callous
and scarcely seeming to realize their terrible prox-
unity to eternity Taylor particularly was obdurate
and hardened, leaving the impression on visitor
nation OF human being and brute. who suffered
no remorse; whose mind was not narrowed with
other hand, while asserting his innocence and call
ing on his Maker to witness his words, exhibited
strong symptoms Of the weakness human nesh is
blood OF fellow being on his hands, and he was fast
there is hOpe;" and these two wretches with q saw
age sort Of cunning and despair, seemed to think to
the very last that without q confession of their
crimes they would not be executed; SO to the last
they were hardened In their guilt.
DAY OF THE EXECUTION.
Tho entire morning was black well befttng the
tragic event Of the day. Rain fell incessantly but
this did not prevent the assemblage Of an immense
with blacks male and female, and special train
brought large number from Nash and Halifax and
OF Whtaker's station where the murder was perpe-
trated. By ten O'Clock the streets were lined from
end to end with negroes. The rain beat down In
and wondering freedmen Were gathered within
sight Of the terrible scafold, the coffin and the
rear OF the scanold. Around the jail, IN tho west
side Of the town, the guard, blacks and whites,
armed with old rifles, shotguns and muskets, were
assembled. The shackles were stricken from the
| condemned by Mr.. Palmountan, gunsmth and
now, for the irst time the assumed savage forttude
OF John Taylor began to give way, and although he
| well endeavored to maintain hts blasphemous, bra
yado air, nervous twltching Of the muscles OF the
face could be seen and his legs and arms were re-
quonty convalsively jerked, giving unmistakable
evidence OF guilt and Punishment OF his false cour
than he had been heretofore. Two coored preachers
| remained with them the entire morning. Offering
In all this truce Taylor did not once touch upon the
crime, while Knight spoke freely, steadfastly deny
ing any knowledge OF It: Both seemed peaItent and
The terrible death penalty read thai the condemned
be taken from the Jail OF Edgecomb county to the
place Of public execution at Marlborough, and there
| be hanged by the neck until both were dead, be-
tween the hours OF ten A. M. and four r NJ.
| SCENES ABOUT THE sCAFFOID.
Precisely at half-past eleven they taken from
their cell and led forth into the centre of square
| formed by the guard and in accordance with their
| expressed wish were marched to the scatrold The
| solemn procession moved slowly through the
/ mud in the Streets encounterng cold, peting
1 rain, accompanied by attendant crowds OF sable
| citizens, among whom We're inconsderable num-
Der of women Fifteen minutes later and the scaf-
rAI chad fa I'M ycl
| while dogged silence, Taylor looking defiant,
| Knight calm and resigned. AT the scanod a dense
| just above on the side OF the town were
| covered by an immense multitude OF over six thou
sand persons. The ram still descended but without
any effect on the sable mass who seemed TO be fas
cinated by morbid and deprayed curiosity to wit
ness an execution.
Accompanied by Benjamin I. Hart the Sheriff. the
condemned fearlessly assembled the steps of the
| scahOld, taking seats on the two new chairs pro-
vided especially for the occasion. brief CONVERSE
tion with their respective spiritual advisers then
esued In which both continued to assert their inno
| cence, Taylor emphatcally at one time using an
OATH saying he knew nothing about it, in . sullen,
savage tone. Knight appeared throughout to be
resigned to his fate, which both seemed anxious to
meet probably from the fact that they could not fully
realize their terrible position.
| THE LAST VIEW.
short and excellent prayer by OF the colored
clergymen which was listened 10 with an impressive
| Farewell was taken when the Sheriff and assistant
proceeded to pnion the victims. This being conf
wv White Caps were piaceu VAer rt6
was adJtsttpd frfily and securely round both their
necks, and at this moment Taylor broke forth into
fncoherent address, eXhorng the multitude who
then listened white and black, to pray, and stating
o day would soon come when the bad and the good
would appear before their Maker. This ended at a
quarter past twelve O'Clock. The rope was cut
with a hatchet BY an assistant, and the bodies Of
John Taylor and Jim knight fell some four feet. The
former struggled good DEAL the latter but little
and soon their souls in eternity. Just as the
| bodies were suspended q piercing and almost un-
earthly Shrek rent the air, which was followed by
several Others and Of the adjacent hills quite
an excited movement was observed among the as
sembled Africans Numbers to the spot and
| there was found one OF the concubines OF John
Tay lor, upon whose evidence he convicted yell
| ing and screaming In manner narrowing to ones
| nerves in the midst OF such solemn scene. Nearly
| at the same moment number Of freedmen
| made o rush upon the rear portion Of the
| guard, as II to get through It, when, their
| muskets being levelled upon them they quickly
| retreatcd. After hanging fifteen minutes Lie
| was declared extinct by the attending surgeons.
last earthly resting place. Close to the scafold upon
which they paid the penalty Of OF the most foul
OF modern crimes, slowly and seemingly reu Giant,
as II spellbound by some fearful hallucination, the
crowd dispersed, and the graves were LEFT alone. On
the ground where the scaiiolds victims only sleep
| night came and all was STILL
| Considering the absence OF anything like military
force or any representative of the Bureau and vi, ii
so large and excited assemblage of blacks present
to-day 1t Is creditable in the extreme thai the affair
should have passed OF In q amahner so pcaceable and
| quiet