Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-04-10
The Execution in TarborO'.

The Execution in TarborO'.
TARBoRo', N. c., April 3-6 PM
With the existing mystery in this remarkable
murder trial it is due the country to state that
every means of defence was accorded the accused
and two of the ablest lawyers here were appointed
as their counsel, who so battled the prosecution
| rs o BRING upon themselves the indignation O
the community. This excited the professional
| ire of the lawyers, and by appeal upon the
merely technical grounds Of the legality of Gen
Sickles' order making negroes eligible on Jurles.
| they prolonged the lives of their clients over
| twelve months. The jury by whom The condemned
were TIRE was selected by themselves from out
OF one hundred, summoned OF both races, but
only two OF their own race were chosen and these
were the first to pronounce the terrible decree,
guilty"
| PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXECUTION.
| The preparations for the execution had been
quietly IN progress under the direction OF sheriff
who understands his business for several days and
with the setting of yesterdays sun. the last the
prisoners saw go down, everything was completed
The bar-roorls were ordered to be cloeed On a
knoll sraced by few tall pines lying to the south
east Of the town, betw en- creek and Tar river,
which nobody owns nobody cares to own,
which has been the place for public executions
from time inmemorial, tho scafold was erected
this morning. 1t was @ rude structure, made out
of roughly heWn TIMBER amply strong and OF pro-
portions sufficient to launch two beings into eter-
nifty at once. In consequence OF an anticipated
large crowd of both races from this and the sur
two criminals, both hardened wretches, whose
sentence had been so justly pronounced and Vas
30 thoroughly approved, guard or seventy men,
without distinction Of color, had been summoned
No one skilled as public executor could be found
and so general was the objection to becoming one
that the sheriff decided without farther annoyance
So superstitious are the blacks that numbers re-
fuse to serve on corOners Jury, much less to be-
| come hengman.
HOPES OF CONFESSION.
From the frequency Of calls for spiritual c0un-
sci latterly by the doomed men, the strongest
hopes were INDUCED IN that confession Of the
terrible crime they were about 70 expiato the
scatfold would be made. But their last night had
passed. this cloudy, gloomy and lowering morn
ing had arrived, and ST Ill they remained stubborn
and callous and scarcely seeming TO realize their
terrible proximity to eternity. Taylor particular
ly was obdurate and hardened, leaving he i'm
preston on visitor of an aWtuliy repul:ivc dos-
perate criminal, combination Of human being
and brute, who suffered no TemOTso whose mind
was not narrowed viii appantlona or his bloody
victim Knight, on the other hand, while assert
ing his innocence and calling on his Maker to wit
ness his words, exhibited strong symptoms Of the
weakness human flesh is heir to. He realized the
fact that he was on the verge Of eternity soon TO
meet his Maker, with the blood OF q fellow being
on his hands, and he fast sinking under the
awful load. While there is life there is hope -
and these two wretches, with savage sort oi
nlng and despair, seemed to think to the very
last that without confession of their crimes thew
would not be executed so TO the last they were
hardened in their guilt.
DAY OF THE EXECUTION.
The entire morning Was ok, well BETTING
the tragic ovent of the day. Rain fell inco SANITY
but this did not prevent the assemblage Of an
immense crowd. Every road leading to town was
thrOnGed with black, male and fem ale, and
special train brought large number from Nash
and Halifax and the upper portion Of this county
in the neighbOrhoOd of Hhitaker's station, where
the murder was perpetratcu. BY ten O'Clock the
Gfrl
The rain beat down III torrents aim JSt and al
ready large crowd Of excited and wondering
freedmen were gathered within sight of the tep-
ribio sCaiOld, the coffin aud the OminOus grave,
dug little to the right, Id rear Of tbs acaiOld
Around the jail, the west side OF the town. the
guard, blacks and whites, armed with old rifles
shotgunS and mn>k 9ts wero assembled. The
shackles were stricken from the condemned by a
Mr.. PalmOuntaln, gnu8Inlth, and now, Tor the
first time, the assumed savage fOrtitudt CT John
Taylor began to give way, and although he well
endeavored to maintain his basphemous, bravado
air, nervous ivy tchiOg OF the muscles of the
face could be seen, id lis legs and arms were
frequently convusiVely ierked, giving us,1nistala-
ole evidence OF guilt and Punishment Of his false
courage. Knight rt;nAined the same, camer if
possible than he had been heretofore. Two
COlOred preachers remained with them th0 entire
morning, Offering prayers and alternately con-
versing with them but in all this trace Tay lOr did
Dot once touch upon the crime, while Knis 1t
spoke freely, steadf9stly denying any knowledge
OF it. Both seemed penitent AMI asserted their
peace made with their Maker
The terrible death pOn&ity read til8t the con-
domned be taken from the jail ot Edeecolnbe
county to the place Of public czecuti II at Tar
bcro', and thsre be ranged by the neck until
bCtl. were dead, between the hours Of ten A. Il.
ard four 2. IL,
SCENES ABOUT THE scAr&oIp.
Precisely at haf-paat eleven they were taken
from their cell and led f2rh into the centre of q
square formed by the guard md in accor lance
with their exl ressed wish were marched to the
ScatfOlI. The solemn moved S!t: a
through the mud in the streets, encountering i
cold, pelting rain. accompanied by attendant
crowds OF sable citiHcus, among whom were DO
inconsiderable number Of woinen. Fifteen min
utes later and the scaf)ld was reached, the pris-
Oners maintaining all the while dOgged silence,
Taylor looking defiant Knig h5 calm and resigned.
At the scaffold a dense crowd mostly black, was
collected ana the heights just above on the side
Of the town covered by an immense multi
tude of over six thousand persons. The rain still
descended, but without any effect on the sable
mass, who seemed to be fascinated by morbid
and depraVed curiosity to witness the execution.
ON THE scAFFoLp.
Accompanied by Benjamin T. Hart, the sheriff,
the condemned fearlessly assembled the steps of
the scaffold taking seats On the two new chairs
provided especially for the occasion. brief con-
versaton with their respective spiritual advisers
then ensued in which both continued to assert
their innocence, Taylor emphatically at one time
using an oath, saying he knew nothing about 1t,
in a 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 po
sitiOn.
THE LAST YIEWs
si.Ort aud excellent prayer by one Of the col
ored clergymen, listened to With impress
sve earnestness by the surrounding thousands, |
followed. Farewell was taken, when the sheriff
and assistant proceeded to pinion tho victims
This being completed two white caps placed |
over their heads, forever shutting out the light Of
heaven; the fatal rope was adjusted firmly and Sc
ourey round both their necks, and at this moment
Taylor broke forth into incoherent address, |
eXhorting the multitude who then listened white |
and black, to pray, and stating day would soon
come when the bad and the good would appear
before their Maker. This ended at quarter past |
twelve O'clock The rope was cut with Ratchet |
by an assistant, and the bodies of John Taylor |
and Jim Knight fell some four feet. The former
struggled good DEAL and the latter but little, |
and soon their eouls in eternity. ust as the
bodies were suspended d piercing and almost un-
earthly shriGk rent the AIR. which followed by
several others, and on one of the adjacent hills !
quite an excited movement was phGepved among |
the assembled Africans. Numbers ran to the spot |
and there WAS found one Of the coucubpes of |
John Taylor, upon whose evidence he was con-
Yicted, yelling and screaming in @ manner har |
rowing to ones nerves in the midst Of such q |
solemn Nearly at the samo moment 3 |
number OF freedmen made rush upon the rear