The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-01-27
FEARFUL SCENES ON A
SCAFFOID.

Cruelty Of a Preacher-Struggles
with Death-The Condemned Man
Gets His Feet on tn Platform
and is Pushed Oh.
Last Friday a negro man named Lewis
Hines was hanged at Tarboro, \. G., for
capital offence upon young man in April
last. Al about quarter past eleven o clock
the condemned man, pinioned At the ell
bows, was led to the scaffoid, which he AZ.
cended firmly and took a seat on the chair
viewing the assembled crowd calmly and
smiling all the wili.e, Without rising from
his chair he made q rambling semi relig-
lous address OF over ten minutes duration,
10 which he endeavCred TO Impress the
sp. ctators with the information tina, be was
going to heaven, where he hoped to meet
sll OF them, both white aud colored.
Alter TINS he asked for a chew of tobacco,
ana he took an immense euid into bis
mouth, which by-stander contributed.
Next he asked for glass Of water. aud
then another, both of which he drank with
an evident relish. His next wan, was
preacher, and after while dwaifish bu,
venerable specimen Of the colored race quite
modest In his demeanor, ascsuded to the
platform OF the scatfo!d; but instead of
praying, he commenced a sermun, which
was delivered With telling effect He point
I'd to the condemned, now on the verge of
eternity, and held him up as warning to
ail'his hearers, both white and colored
men should control their passions. and
when tad thought suggested itself il
should be crushed at once. He hoped his
brother waj prepared to meet his Maker,
and that he had repented of all the Sins,
done in bis body. During the delivery of
the sermon the condemned man exhibited
the strongest symptoms OF emotion and
terror. His features at tiues assumed
fearful and repulsive expression of misery;
the muscles became contracted and the
grimaces he made were horrible TO
behold. Tie shook in every limb, bis heels
beating the scaffold violently, 70 nervous
was he. He fairly wri,hed in his chair;
but the preacher needed not this exhibition
of terror. He rather seemed gratifed, and
continued in the same strain, which the
more terribly increased the tortures of the
condemned. Many in the crowd who wit
messed this scene were surprised that the
Sheriff did not suspend the remarks Of the
preacher aud put an eud to the agony of
the unfortunate wretch. As soon, how
ever, as the preacher concluded, and took .
last farewell, Lewis stood up and seemed to
regain his composure. Another incoherent
religious address followed, but no allusiop
to the crime whatever. tie broke into
sQEt,at saRg necyiiaK to pearnaa 81 thes,)a-oe
GU, of the body and with the angels in
heaven, and call upon all, regardless of
color, to meet him in that blessed place
The Sheriff then asked the condemned
maj. if he had any confession to make, to
which he replied that he had not but in
making no confession be did not deny his
head, for even darkeniug his vision to all
earthly things; the moose was adjusted by
tee sheriff's deputy, and at twelve NJ. the
drop ie.i. A scene of fearful excitement
hele ensued. The knot in the rope was
not properly placed and when the body fell
it slipped round under the chin. The legs
had not been pinioned either. and the sus
pended wretch struggled in terrible man
ner. He had fallen about three feet aud
half the neck was not broken. With
convulsiVe effort he succeeded getting his
hand up TO the rope at his throat and,
holding this. he got his feet again on the
platform, All this there was the greatest
excitement and commotion IN the small
crowd within the inclosure, while those
without were ignorant OF the exciting scene.
A gurgling noise in the throat, a, of 1ifh-
cult respiration, could be distinctly heard
by the entire crowd in the yard. The
Sheriff ran and pushed tho feet of the
scafoii, and the condemned was again
swinging in mid air, but still struggling
violently. In seventeen minutes, however,
he was pronounced dead by Drs. J. II.
Baker aud Stanton aud the body was cut
down and placed in coffiu Thus ended
tt execution of Hines. a bungled aud hor-
rbie affair; but Tarboro had its annual
hanging.