The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-19

hymns. He walked steadily to the place o.
execution, about one hundred and fifty yards
distant, where he was seated. The gallowf
consisted Of two upright posts, with eross
beam and a>trap fve and q half feet nom the
ground. The trap being too low, pit one
and half feet deep was dug for the traE
to swing into. After hymn by the minister
Coachman mounted the ladder accompanied
by Cox and Lee. The sentence OF the court,
and the respite of the Governor from the 18th
OF April to the 18th OF June, we're read to the
prisoner by Get. Lee then read the confession,
which the prisoner had made at IL O'Clock A.
II. Coachman pronounced it correct and sign
ed it with his mark. At twenty minutes past
4P. II. Pincmey, the minister, mounted the
scaHold and said: by request Of the prisoner,
the crowd viii sing, bark from the Tombs
Doleful Sound, My ears attend the Cry The
crowd complied. Pinckney then prayed, say
ing that it was s:source Of consolation to know
that the prisoner felt that death had lost it's
sting and the grave its victory. He hUped that
this lesson would be warning TO all the col
ored people in the district. A glass Of water
was then brought to the prisoner, and Cox be-
gan to adjust the cap, but desisted in conse-
quenoe OF the remonstrance Of the crowd. The
ministers sang another hymn, during which
the rope was put about his neck. At this point
| Q dispute arose between the sheriff and his
deputies and the crowd whether the prisoner
should fall three feet or one and half feet,
but it was finally decided IN favor Of the for
ner distance. The prisoner then, addressing
Cox, said /: Before you put on the cap. I want
to say something" Permission being granted.
he slid: ''''' ''''-' ''.'
LAST SPEECH OF THE CONDEMNED.
Well, nv friends, ! have to say (''good
bye |" from fye hundred throats, am going
from you, but do not want you to weep for
me. Pray for me. have friend IN Jesus
Christ. TeIl my wife. Marie. to meet me in
Heaven. I want all OF you 20 meet me there.
do not mind that have to die this death,
for did not commit the murder, and If it
please Almighty God, tomorrow this time will
be in Q better place than this. I thank
Almighty God that no person can say have
done n5thing against him, and lhaye nothing
IN my heart against any one. Tell Marie to
meet me IN heaven, and I want all OF you to
meet me there.
The speech was distinctly uttered, but with
pause between each sentence. as If be we're
gasping for breath. The key to unlock the
handouts was sent for, anl whils waiting, the
prisoner said: "I wish Mr.. Wyndham was hsre,
that might tell him to tell the truth about
my being the man that committed the muir
der" EWyndnas; was the witness who idcnti-
fed the prisoner.I tx Mtr
TIE CLOSING SCENE.
At 4:25 the key came, the hsndcuffs taken
Of, and the hands tied behind the prisoners
back. The white cap was then put on, aud five
minutes spent in adjusting the knot behind
the left ear. The sheriff then asked the prls-
oner sif he was ready" to which he replied
distinctly, "yes." The sheriff then stepped
down, the ladder was removed, the signal given,
and at 4:SO O'Clock Deputy Sheriff Calvin cut
the rope holding the trap with hatchet; the
trap fell and the prisoner with it. His neck
was broken by the shock. The feet OF the
corpse. in swinging around. touched the bot
tom Of the pit, and shovel was sent for to
dig the pit deeper, negro holding the feet on
one side during the operation.
DR.. Lunney examined the corpse after it
had swung Ave minutes, and let it hang half
an hour. It was then cut down and turned
over TO his friends for burial. 1hsre was only
one nervous movement Of the body when the
the knot slipped TO the back Of the neck.
HOPES OF RESCUE.
From the time OF reaching Darlington until
his death the prisoner was perfectly cool.
Early this morning he said, II do not think
I'll be hung, as belong to league the menu
bers Of which are sworn to protect each other,
aud do not believe they will let me be hung"
Whenever noise was made the prisoner
would turn suddenly in the direction Of it with
beaming codntenanss, as il he thought it
was the noise OF g rescuirg party. He pray ed
with tto ministers, and expressed himself late
in the day as being converted. Previous to
this he said that he was sorry Governor scout
bad respited him; il did him harm as he had
commenced to make his peace with Jesus, but
as soon as he heard that he thought be was
going TO Get clear, he stopped praying right
short off.
On the way to the gallows he walked firmly,
and during al Of the exercises lin which ne
took no audible part, neither in singing nor
praying, the nervous twitching OF his fps
might have besn occasioned by prayer,) he was
perfectly unmoved and apparently Indifferent
to bis fate. He was evidently impressed with the
belief that he had received q full pardon for all
OF his SINS and would, as be expressed 1t, soon
be in better place.
The crowd behaved remarkably well. Very
few citizens witnessed the execution. lhe
negro guards seemed more anxious that the
prisoner should not escape or be rescued than
the whites, and obeyed all orders to keep the
crowd Of negroes and whites back, with tbs
frmness and alacrity Of veteran soldiery. A.
ter the body was cut down the crowd slowly
dispersed.