The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-08-03
The .ScafoM.
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Exeeusion Of James Jctef PhilIlps at
RtehnaqnA,s va.--A tragic story or
Love ana Murdefs
No criminal case, within tho memory
of the Oldest citizens. Of Virginia. has
awakened throughout that State an in
terest or excitement that can be in any
way compared with that created BY tho
Drinkers farm murder, the petpetrator
ofwhioh paid tho penalty Of his crime
in Richmond on Friday last, by death
on the scaffold. The deed for which hs
forfeited his life was oomitted moro
than three years ago. TO realize the guilt
Of the murderer, and the circumstan-
ces of the crime, it is necessary for the
reader to go back a'few years to the days
when war was still shedding it's baleful
light over the whole Southern country,
when every Virgiuiau was soldier, and
the State was one great battlefield.
SEWN YEARS AGO.
One spring day, in the year 1868, q
weary confederate soldier, travel-worn
and footsore, stopped atthe door of a
farmhouse in the county of Essex. He
was young man, hardly ofage, and the
sallow complexion of his beardless face,
no less than his hollow cheeks and fee
BILE step, betokened the presence of dis
case in his emaciated body. He drag
ged himself up the steps, and then al
most exhausted-too weak even to
knock-sank upon a bench in the porch.
But there was no need for knocking q
lady to whom the dingy rebel gray
was dear as the uniform worn bya dead
and living brother, discerned him long
before he reached the gate, and now
opened the door to give the soldier vel.
come. In kind words she bade him
enter and receive the hospitality which
she, her sister, and their aged mother
were glad to extend. He did ehter, and
under that humble roof he fingered for
months-for on the very night of his
arrival disease obtained the mastery of
his body. He was
SICK ALMOST UNTO DEATH,
and while the fever ragged he was care
fully and tenderly nurscd by the same
kind woman whose thin hand had clasp.
ed his as he crossed the threshold on
that May evening. She was ever at lis
bedside, administering the cooling por-
tion and the soothing draught, bathing
his burning forehead, excluding the too
bright sunlight from the room, adjusting
the rapings about his form, and reading
to him when ho was convalescent and
able to hear. These kind offices. under
God, saved the life of Jas. Jeter Phil.
lips. His preserver was Mary Emily
Pitts.
A NATURAL RESULT.
She fell in love with her patient, and
he, apparently, with his nurse. Sho
was nearly ten years his senior, and
there was but little trace Of youthful
beauty in her face-she was passee.
But then she was intelligent and we'll
read; she had a better mind and O
warmer heart than her patient she was
not homely, and she had been so kind
to him during all those weeks Of suffer-
ing just drawing to an end. So thought
Phillips, and he did what many other
mcn would have done. Hardly was he
strong enough to walk about, before
the sick soldier fell upon his knees and
swore he loved her beyond all else on
earth. Aud she ? She did what most
women would have done under the same
circumstances the patient, blue~eyed
boy had won her heart. She listened to
his words Of love, accepted his offer of
matrimony. On the 18th of July, 1865,
minister was summoned, and James
Jeter Phillips and Mary Emily Pitts
were, by the simple ceremony of the
Baptist Church, made husband and
wife.
AFTER MARRIAGE.
For short time all wont we'll but
only two months after marriage Phillips
became restless, and talked Of doing
something for living, and, in truth he
was now we'll enough to work. His
wife and the members of her family
begged him to stay in Essex and carry
on the farm. But no, he had a father
and mother in Eastern Virginia, near
Richmond, and he would go and consult
them about his future business. So one
night he packed up his clothes and the
next morning started off, promising to
come back in few weeks. But weeks
and months, nearly year, passed before
he was again seen in Essex; and mean
time his wife grow thinner, paler, sadder
and though she said she often heard
from him, people began to whisper "de'
sertod," when her name was mentioned
THE RETURN.
But he did come at last and remained
in Essex until February, 1867-siz
months and more. Then, to her great
Joy, he proposed to take her to his own
homo, which, he said, was in the coun-
ty Of Henrioo, not far from Richmond
On the 10th of February they lett the
old homestead in Essex and took the
cars for Richmond. On Saturday eve
ming they arrived in the city, and put
up at the Virginia House, a second
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