The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-08-10

Execution of Jdp,cs> Jetcr PAiltips at Rich
n,o"d, VA Tragic Story Of Lorc and
Murder.
No criminal case, within the
memory of the oldest citizens of
Virginia, has awakened through.
out that State an interest or excite
ment that can be in any way com
pared with that created by the
Drinkers farm murder, the pcrpe.
traitor of which paid the penalty
of his crime, in Richmond on
Friday last, by death on the scat.
fold. The deed for which he for
feited his life, was committed more
than three years ago. To realize
fully the guilt Of the murder, and
the circumstances Of the crime, it
is necessary for the reader to 60
back a few years to tho days when
war was still shedding it's baleful
light over. the whole Southern
country-when every Virginian
was a soldier, and the State was
ore great battlefield.
SEVEN YEARS AGO.
One spring day, in the year
1868, a weary Confederate soldier,
travel-worn and footisore, stopped
at the door of a farm. house in the
County of Essex. He was a young
man, hardly of age, and the sal.
low complexion Of his beardless
face, no less than his hollow cheeks
and feeble step. betokened the
presence of disease in his emaciat-
ed body. lie dragged himself up
the steps, and then almost exhaust.
ed-too weak even to knock
sank upon q bench in the porch.
But there was no need for knock.
ing; a lady to whom the dingy-
rebel gray was dear as the uniform
worn by q dead and a living broth.
or, discerned him long before he
reached the gate, and now opened
the door to give the soldier wei
come. In Kind words sue baGe
him enter and receive the hospi-
tality which she, her sister, and
their aged mother wero glad to ex-
tend. He did enter, and under
that humble roof, he fingered for
months-for on the very night of
his arrival, disease obtained the
mastery of his body. lie was
SICK ALMOST UNTO DEATH,
and while the fever ragged, he was
carefully and tenderly nursed by
the same kind woman whose thin
hand had clasped his as he crossed
the threshold on that May even.
ing. She was ever at his bedside
administering the cooling potion
and the soothing draught, bathing
his burning forehead, excluding
tho too bright sunlight from the
room, adj justing the wrappings
about his form, and reading 10 him
when he was rconvalcscent and
able to hear. These kind Offices,
under God, saved the life of Jas,
Jeter Phillips. His preserver was
Mary Emily Pitts.
a NATURAL RESULT. '~
She fell in love with her patient
and he, apparently, with his nurse
She was nearly ten years his Sc
nior, and there was but little trace
of youthful beauty in her face
she was a,assee. Bnt then she was
intelligent and well.read !; she had
n better mind and warmer hear
than her patient; she was mo-
homeiy, and she had been so kind
to him during all those weeks O.
suffering just drawn to an end
So thought, Phillips, and he die
what many other men would have
done. Hardly was he stron 6
enough to walk about, before the
sick soldier fell upon his knees ant
swore he loved her beyond all els,
on earth. And she2 She did wha
most women would have done nm
der the same circumstances; tn,
patient, blue-eyed boy, had woI
her heart. She listened to bi,
words of love, accepted his Offer
Of matrimony. On the 18th o
July, 1896, q minister was sum
moncd, and James Jeter Phillips
and May Emily Pitts were, by tn,
simple ceremony of the Baptis
Church, made husband and wife
AFTER MARRrAoH.
For q short time all went we'll
but only two months after mar
riage Phillips became restless, AM
talked Of doing something tor
living, and, in truth, he was nov
well enough to work. His wifi
and the members Of her famil