Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-02-18
EAECUTION IN KENTUCKY.
Child OF Thirteen Hanged for Mar

A Henry county (kyD Correspondent OF N.
Louisville CoOries writes. under date Of fe0-
ruary eth:
To-day, at New Castle. a negro girl nsmed
Susan suffered the extreme penalty OF tle law
As most OF your readers arr awara. Ihi- girl
aged thirteen. last August killed little whiG.
child, deliberately and r-morsels-sly. At tn
last term OF the Circuit Conrt Of Henry county
she WIS trird and convicted Of murder, and W. A.
sentnced a. be hung D Uecem1-r last 40
appeal was made for "A new trial ami failed
but the delay occasiontal thereby prolonged
the execution till to-day. when il took pIac.
Susan WAS, a. 1 have said, thirteen y.sVs old
was Of IA bright color. and had Ell ,oyed gooo
health 70 the time OF execution. There was no
sorrow on her mind. The knowledge Of having
10 die sesmed no; 10 d-pr,ss her; and. in short
was prepared, a. some would saw 10 ..iie gam. :"
L went 20 her G. II aud had fev moments con-
Nersation with her. ] asked her IL she knew
she must die. She replied, YES 4 asked IL sh.
wanted preacher TO pray for her before sh.
died. She did, only she wanted him 70 b. y
white man, for she couldn I understand whal
me old black man said that come 10 s.-e her tue
other day. She was sorry she killed the child
but hoped Goo would forgive her and would
Let her come TO Heaven. She didn't know WHY
she had murdered the child, but sJmehow III,
couldn't help II. Sh. had implicated another
negro-Lucy-in the crime, but now said sh.
had told a le and Was sorry for ar. Tue scaf.
fold " a. erected on the commons behind IN.
court-house. Ii consisted OF the CUSTOMARY
platform, together with the uprights and cross.
beam and trsp-door. Ga the ground several
hundred men, white and black. imuatl.atlN
awaited the appearance Of the prsoLer,
while IN thu surrounding windows lsiie-
and children were congTegat'd u - witness ihe
execution. At precisely = o'clock the pri.oaer
appeared, surrounded by guard, aud marched
to the scaf'old sttired in "A black bwu Will.
about her neck was the inevitable blsck CAP
As she asCsnded the sclffold there was a yisi.
Bile tremor OF her whole body. Many wondered
at this, and thought she was about 10 gi We x.x
to her feelings. But IL was but tho coldne>s OF
th. day which caused her body 10 SILVER
She took seat Will. the Rev. DR. G,s
offered feeling prayer for the soul Of tn.
criminal. She WAS placed on the trap-ooor
the cap MAS drawn over her fac-, h.r
arms were pinioned To her side and th., fatal
moose was adjusted. Then all WIS still Not
whisper was heard MANY white people syerteo
their eyes. Then the rope ,erked. the tran
door tell, and turned to the criminal sus-
pended betw cen b. ayen and earth. She writhed
and twisted, and lerked many times, bat as lsSsi
she Wa sull-in death. After twenty min utes
Drs. Forman, Mathcrs and Oldham examined
and pronounced the body dead. Three stout
negro men approached, aud the hody being cut
and carried il on for burial.
Everything went on with propriety, except
tnat the silence OF the scene was once dlStprt>ed
by q drunken row between two men, Bur I'M.
Was soon suppressed by the perS onal efforts OF
Sheriff Ditto, whose deserves much pralse for
HE action. A curious thing happened whv
the body had b-en taken down "A man a,
proached and asked to be given piece Of 0
Tore remaining on the cross-beAm This
the incentive, for in two min utex not a mar
OF the rope remained. but was divided 90,
among the recipsents, who, I supposa.
point thear children 70 n and warn n,
crime