Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-03-12
Execution of "a Negro Woman In
Maryiand---she Confesses To
BuryiOg her Victim Alive.

On Friday the ssth Of February, LUCY
Purnell, negreSs, was executed at Snow
Hill, Maryland, for the murder Of Han.
son Robbins, The soatiold was erected in
an open field. The prisoner snook hands
with all those admitted 10 the seaffold.
She expressed herself as loving everybody
and, having made her peace with God,
was ready and anxious To 80 home 10 him.
While the clergyman was addressing the
crowd in her behalf her eyes lit up with
a wild unearthly excitement, and she was
rocking herself back and forth, olapping
her hands and working her lips. So soon
as he was done she burst forth in the fol.
lowing manner; "les, | have got the
grace Of God in my soul, | don't fear to
die, | am going 10 my God. am going
home TO glory | am going 10 a house not
made with hands, | shall live forever |
have just found out how 10 live I'm go-
ing home, There's no mistake about il"
After oonyerSing with several friends she
exclaimed II am going TO live with
God forever, l am going home 10 live
with God. ! am only going TO die little
spiritual death here" Then, with grea,
tervor, Turn sinners, turn. have
turned, die now one time, and never
no more. am just going 10 church" As
the visitors left the scatfold she com.
menced shouting, eXclaiming, all the time
over and over that she was ready TO CO.
that "she was going 10 God" sc. Then
sitting down she said, This is good old
Friday my best day. prayed God las,
night that il should not rain or snow, and
lie has answered my prayer. am going
home to glory. Don't shed tear over
my grave. Farewell TO this sinful world
I'm turned from sin 20 grace. This death
won't be any more than horse hy bite.
+ She died with but little apparent suffer.
/ ing. Before the body was placed in the
coffin the crowd became highly excited,
and in defiance of the guards rushed
over the barriers up to the body. Ii was
finally carried off the grounds,
CONFESSION.
/ She states that on the night upon which
I the homicide was connected she had re.
: tired 10 her bed, while the deceased was
lying on his plank before the fire. The
deceased retired TO his bench or plank be.
fore the fire, and prisoner fell into doze
surprising that the deceased had aban.
doned his intended violence on her, ,when
! she was again aroused by his seizing q
table belonging to her and dragging il
towards the door. which he had thrown
open, as though To throw il out, and then
sat down ON hi, plank, looking towards
the fire She arose from bed very angry,
seized pestle made by the deceased Tor
Beating apples in cider making, crept up
behind him without his seeing her, and
struck him heavy blow ON the head
which knocked him >enseless. She then
struck him second time whilst he was
lying PROSTATE. That, seeing he was
worse hurt than she intended, She struck
no more. At this stage of the tragedy
her daughters woke up, and the three took
the body across the road and laid il down
The deceased was then alive, as indicated
by his groans. She babe her daughters
90 UTUK 70 rrTU rUTTST, UUg i n0TT HUTSGTl
and placed the body in it alive! Having
covered it with dirt, she placed shayings
on top to conceal the place of burial. Al,
ter placing the shayingsRn the newly
made grave she heard the most unearthly
groans proceeding from the buried man
Conscience stricken, she turned and fed
from the scene of her horrible crime.
She seemed, however, to be drawn to the
spot by some terrible fascination, and some
time afterwards discovered in one Of her
visits past the grave that the hogs had
rooted up part of the skeleton, which, she
carelessly inferred. Again she discov,
cred that a dog had scratched up the skull
and carried il into the adjoining field
This she took with her, and. making o
circuit around the field, buried il in the
woods under a cedar tree.