The Sweetwater forerunner. [volume] (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1867-1869, 1868-04-16
THE DEATH PENALTY.
EXECUTION OF TWO NEGROES IN NORTH
CARoLINA-sCENEs AT THE sCAFFoLD.

CAROLINA-SCENES AT THE sCAFFOLD.
On Friday the Sd instant, the execution
of two negroes, John Taylor and Jim
Knight, took place at Tarbororough,
North Carolina, for the foul murder of
young man named John II. Cutehen.
From a telegraphic account of the exc
cution in the New York Herald, we copy
the following:
DAY OF THE EXECUTION.
The entire morning was black, we'll
beftting the tragic event of the day. Rain
fell incessantly, but this did not prevent
the assemblage of an immense crowd.
Every road leading to town was thronged
with blacks, male and female, and spe-
cial train brought large number from
Nash and Halifax and the upper portion
of this county in the neighborhood of
Whitaker's station, where the murder
was perpetrated. By ten O'Clock the
streets were lined from end to end with
negroes. The rain beat down in torrents
almost, and already large crowd of ex-
cited and wondering freedmen were gath
cred within sight of the terrible scaffold,
the coffin and the ominous grave, dug a
little to the right, in rear of the scatfold.
Around the Jail, on the west side of the
town, the guard, blacks and whites, armed
with old rifles, shotguns and muskets,
we're assembled. The shackles were
stricken from the condemned by Mr..
Palmountain, gunsmith, and now, for the
first time, the assumed savage fortitude of
John Taylor began to give way, and al
though he we'll endeavorcd to maintain
his blasphemous, bravado air, nervous
twitching of the muscles of the face could
be seen, and his legs and arms were fire.
quently convulsively jerked, giving un-
mistakable evidence of guilt and BAN
ishment of his false courage. Knight re-
mained the same, calmer if possible than
he had been heretofore. Two colorcd
preachers remained with them the entire
morning, offering prayers and alternately
convcrsing with them; but in this truce
Taylor did not once touch upon the crime
while Knight spoke freely, steadfastly de-
nying any knowledge of it. Both seemed
penitent and asserted their peace was
made with their Maker.
The terrible death penalty read that
the condemned be taken from the Jail of
Edgeeomb county to the place of public
execution at Tarborough, and there be
hanged by the neck until both were dead,
between the hours of ten A. NJ. and four
p. NJ. a.., s.t .of .azal
SCENES ABOUT THE scAFFoLD.
Precisely at half-past eleven they were
taken from their cell and led forth into
the centre of square formed by the
guard and in accordance with their ex-
pressed wish were marched to the scaffold.
The solemn procession moved slowly
through the mud in the streets, encoun-
tering cold, pelting rain, accompanied
by attendant crowds of sable citizens,
among whom were no inconsidcrable num-
Der of women. Fifteen minutes later and
the scaffold was reached, the prisoners
maintaining all the while doggod 81
lence, Taylor looking defiant, Knight
calm and resigned. At the scafold a
dense crowd, mostly black, was collected,
and the heights just above on the side of
the town were covered by an immense
multitude 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 an execution.
~, aE ON THE sCAFFoLD. era..,a
Accompanied by Benjamin 7. Hart, the
Sheriff, the condemned fearlessly ascended
the steps of the scafold, taking seats on
the two new chairs provided especially for
the occasion. A brief conversation with
their respective spiritual advisers then
ensued, in which both continued to assert
their innocence, Taylor emphatically al
one time using an oath, saying he, knew
nothing about it, in a sullen, savage tone
Knight appeared throughout to be resigned
to his fate, which both seemed anxious tt
meet, probably from tho fact that they
could not fully realize their terrible posi-
tion. 4
THE LAST VIEW.
! A short and excellent prayer by one o
the colored clergymen, which was Listened
to with an impressive earnestness by tho
surrounding thousands, followed. Fare
well was taken, when the Sheriff and as
sistant proceeded to pinion the victims
This being completed two white caps wer
placed over their heads, forever shutting
Z out the light of heaven, tho fatal rope wa
adjusted firmly and securely round botl