Smyrna times., 1869-03-10
MARYLAND ITEMS.
A Great Day in Princess Anne.
FOUR NEGROES HING.

fOUh NE'iROES HUNG.
On Friday last four negroes. known rs tbo
chesapeake pirates were hung at Princess
Anne for the murder of the CAPTAIN and matc
of the oyster schooner Btttre. The names by
which the prisoners have been known are
llIIam Wilson, Wm. Wells Frank Rounds.
and Geo. Baily. The last two names are, we
DehevG, correct, but the right name of Wm
Wilson is Charles Wesley DENNY. and that of
William Wells, Linsey G. Wells. We will re-.
publish the following particulars of the crime
one OF the most cold-bloOded murders ever
committed
The four men were all deck hands on the
Schooner Brarc, Benjamin f. johnson, Capt.
and Henry Cannon, mate, who were the 0nlv
two white men on board
On the day of the murder, Monday. the 3Otb
OF March, 1868, the vessel was lying in harbor
IN Little AnnamesseX river, and the Captain
and Mate went in the evening to visit Cant
Ephralm Price, whose vessel was also at anchor
close by. 1t was during the absence of these
gentlemen that their murder was planned.
About i o clock, Capt. johnson and the mate.
cannon, reached their vessel and hailed their
hands to come and haul the punt "a small boatl
on deck. While the mate went down the cab.
IN hounds and Bailey followed the CAPTAIN
forward while Wells followed the mate down
the cabin. As the Capt bent over to look at
something, Rounds stuck him a terrible blow /
with stick and feed him senseless to the
deck, while Wells, in the cabin, was attacking
the Mate, three times he struck him over the /
head with the club he had carried in his hand.
w llSon, catching up a stick, entered the cabin.
and by mistake struck Wells at the first at
tempt, but then he struck the Mate twice.
leaving him senseess on the floor. They then
got the schooner under weigh, and presently
noticed the Mate, who had somewhat recovered
from the blows, In the companion way of the
cabin with a gun in his hand. Bailey who
was steering, snatched the gun from his hand, Y
and threw it down the cabin, while Wells 7
struck him with the axe. The Mate troubled Y
them no more. n
About three O'Clock in the morning. the YES a
sci struck on Mussel Hole Bar, and could not
DC got off by them. Here they waited until u
daylight, when they rfled the boat finding on "
y twelve dollars on bOard-and all four asSis- ~
ed to throw the Captain, who was dead over a
BOARD. When the Mates turn came Baly did
lot assist to throw overheard his friend but
he other three, entering the cabin dragged G
ut Cannon, who was still alive, and beseechinr r
hem to let him be, threw him also overheard o.
ie called plteously on Bailey for hep-and Il
is last words were, as he sank beneath the
aves-"O Oh, George! Oh, George!" They
hen landed in the punt on Smiths Island C
nd got negro man tC set them in his canoe, g
the main land. He landed them at Pungo- ic;
ague, where they separated Wilson and
'ells remaining in that County, until thcv
ere arrested in Drummondtown the next week: to
lelr share in the division of the punder be- CT,
G counterfeit so cent note Rounds and
alley next day went to Batimore-where af-
r various adventures they were arrested and col
lily and fairly tried and condemned by the @
rcult Court, Wells and Wilson, at the July
rm 1868, Rounds at the October term, 1865. G.
q Bailey at January term, 1862
Ihc EeecutiOB.-lt is estimated that about A
w people were present. Punctually at a sici
arter past one, Z. NJ, the criminals were free
lducted to the scaffod accompanied by N
erltf Miles, Deputy Shcriffs, and the Revs. ease
: HeatOn, and Mr.. Carroll, their spiritual 'Vh wht
visers, all of whom asccnded the scaffold %roe %l"
h them. After the prisoners were seated of h
y sung the beautiful hymn, "Jcsus lover of eati
soul. Mr.. Heaton then read appropriate with
ectiOns from the Scriptures, and offered up to h'
crvent prayer, during which the prisoners cn5 cmy
'cled, and joined in loud protestations of Med
htence; and continued praying some time on
n he had concluded. Each of the prisoners ma
feSscd the crime, and acknowledged that 70
y deserved the fate they were soon to meet. .oH %
forty minutes past one the trap fell The Nee
IS OF three of them were broken, but the New
Sc around Wilson neck became dsarranged qSt 2c@I
in his struggles he crawled upon the plat. inlan
when one Of the guard ran nupon the scaf- &5thm
ana adjusted the rope and pushed him off Man,, ~, !
:h TALL broke his neck. and 1t
IL the prisoners were young-the Oldest 81, fgr En