The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-19
tarno1AL TELEGRAM TO THE HEwal

FLORENCE, s. c., Friday, June 1s..--The t1rst
execution in South Carolina, under the new
Radical Safe Government, took place to-day.
At half-past four o'clock this afternoon, Coach
man, q negro murderer, paid the penalty of
his crime at Darlington Courthouse. The
event was attended with considerable excite
ment throughout this and the adjoining coun-
ties, especially among the colored population.
The whites. too, had their interest aroused by
the fact that the sheriff and most Of the other
officials who were to. act ON the occasion were
negroes The following is brief statement
Of the ... &, 49,.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Cyrus Coachman, colored, was convicted be-
fore Judge Rutland, at the last term Of court
IN Darlington. Of the murder of Robert p.
Suggs, colored, near Florence, on the 10th Of
January, 1859, and sentenced to be hanged.
The execution OF the sentence was delayed, in
order to allow time for an investigation of the
case by the Governor. to whom petition for
pardon was made. The Governor, as is his
plan now with all such cases. applied to the
judge for his opinion on the case. Judge Rat
land wrote an opinion. and also submitted ON
outline of the testimony, which was Yolumin-
Ous. The murdered man -Suggs-was clerk
Ia store, and was murdered by party of five
persons for the purpose Of stealing the goods
in the store. Some of the goods were found
with Coachman-in his house and about it.
His explanation was that he bought tEem from
one ofthe other four-o one who was not caught.
1t was clearly proven that Suegs was murder
ed by one Of party of five, and two witnesses
identified CoachmAn as one OF that Eve, al
though it could not be proven that he dealt
the fatal blow. His being present, aiding and
abetting, is as conclusive against him in law
as if he we're proven to have himself done the
deed. All the witnesses concur in proving
Coachman to have been present. Judge Rut-
land describes Coachman as having bad face,
and the homicide as q most daring, unpro-
voksd and premeditated act.
The case was well defended; but Coachman
was convicted mainly upon negro evidence,
and by o jury partly composed Of coored men.
THE GROUND OF APPEAL -
for Executive cemency consisted almost en-
tirely in q feeble doubt as to identity. At the
soIoner's inquest, at which Edward jackson,
colored-who was also tried tor the murder
along with Coaohman-was present and Coach
man was not, one witnesses, Windham, swore-
that jackson was the murderer. Windham
seems to have relied entirely in this identified.
ton upon the coat that Jackson wore at the
inquest, swearing then that the coat was the
same as that worn by the murderer When,
however, Windham was confronted with jack
son without that coat) and Coachman to.
gether in court, he swore that the murderer
was Coachman, and not Jackson. Besides,
Jackson proved an albi. So that there re-
manned not even shadow of support for Pc.
htion; yet petition was made. After q care-
full consideration OF Judge Rutland's opinion,
together with the evidence in detail, the Gov
ernor declined to interfere further in Coach
mans behalf with the regular operation Of the
law. sa
The Jail at Darlington Courthouse having
been destroyed by FIRE, the prisoner has been
Oonfiued for some time past in the Jail; at
Marion Courthouse, whence he was brought to
Darlington on Thursdey afternoon; The ne
groes in the neighborhood for two days past
have been very much excited, and threatened
to prevent the execution, so the sheriff sum
moned, all the citizens to mouat guard last
night, but no interference was attempted.
THE PRISONER MAKES FULL CONFESSION.
During the night and early this morning the
prisoner told several different stories in re-
gard to the murder, but at II O'Clock to-day.
Captain E. 4. Darg IN, who was appointed by
the court to defend the prisoner, called upon
him, when he made confession, duplicating
negroes who had not heretofore been known in
connection with the crime. Prominent among
them is an Intelligent mulatto rascal nam al
Howe. who was formerly deputy sheriff, and
who was one Of the principal witnesses for the
Stats in the case. The confession was taken
down by magistrate. and warrants for the ar
rests Of the parties implicated have been made
out. The confession is as follows
Charles Howe organized the party that kill,
ed Suggs about ten days before the murder
Noses Williams, Perry Green, Tom Green, Tim
EvanaN John Harllee and myself were the
party. howe and Evans did: nos 90 70 the
store; al the rest did and had guns, excepting
and then rob the store. When we got to the
store, Williams jumped on the counter to seize
him, but they suddenly abandoned this plan,
and determined 10 kill h,m. Williams then
handed me hls gun. and asked me to 20 OUT
sideand shoor Suges. refused, and 80 did
another fellow. wao was also asked. He
then told Tom Green to shoot suggs. I
did not see Green 30 out, but suddenly
a.gun was fred through the window from out