The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-27
show are you Frank How are you, Roxy''

s'WHERE IS NY SISTER 2"
Miss Pitts then asked: "Mr. Phillips, where
is my sister, whom you took from US on the
18th of February.?" No reply. .'.i
Presently Phillips inquired when Mr.. Pitts
left home. The latter exclaimed, Home
Whose home ~ No reply was given, but Phil.
lips sat down and Mr.. Pitts continued. "Where
is your wife7 Did you carry her to- Surry, as
you said ~ sun no answer, and Miss Pitts
what occurred In our parlor on the 18th OF
July ?n She alluded to his wedding day.
"a great many things" he replied.
stDo you remember when you sat on the
sofa with Miss Anna Dlshman and she asked
yhether you were frightened YS1 told hsn her
you said, i will You said EN- was more
frightened than you"
The prisoner again hung his head in silence.
Frank Pitts then asked, "Do you remember
promising to protect her, saying clearly you
Receiving no reply, Miss Pitts askedif be
knew that DR.. Baynham. the minister VINO
performed the marriage ceremony, was Win
them. .,,.
~ have heard so.'
a''Can you face him 2"
s'Yes.b
ssCan you face our mother ?"
'sYes, can"
''Yotr mother ?"
'sYes, can face anybody he answered,
with slight smile. -, g,
Miss Pitts then remarked in a low tone, II
left at home heart-broken mother and sister,
who have not tasted food since Saturday. You
have disgraced one mother and broken anoth-
ers heart ! Here we stand side by side, with
q lust God looking down upon us Can you
deny that you murdered my poor, dear SIS
ter ?"
ii refer you to my counsel for an answer to
that" -
ii left at home," continued Miss Pitts, ia
mother who wants to know
HER DAUGHTERS DYING WORDS.
What did my sister say p
The prisoner was still silent. and the visitors
rose. Miss Pitts excalming, as she looked
once more upon the prisoner: "My God My
God Could he offer me the hand that clasped
my sisters throat p uj
Phillips turned away with tears in his eyes,
and the party then left the cell.
TRIAL AND CONVICTION.
Soon after came the trial. when, In the pres,
ence of ON Immense audience, the more and
more convicting testimony was adduced. IL
was proved that Jeter Philips had married
Mary Emily Pitts; that they came to Richmond
on the 18th Of February, 1867; that they were
at the boarding house and on the street TO-
gether on the next day; that eleven days after
she was found murdered In Drinkers Wood;
that her husband had made no Inquiries for
her; and that during these eleven days ne had
plunged into round of gayety little Denttlng
the circumstances. Letters were also pro-
duced written by him to his wife's family.
weeks after her dead body was found, In which
he represented, first that she was With him
and we'll. then she was sick. and finally that
she had the lock-jaw, and her life was despair
ed of by physicians. 1t was established That
he had always deported himself as an unmar-
ried man; that he had been paying attentions
looking toward marriage, with young lady OF
Henrlco County; that his famlly were kept In
ignorance of his marriage, and that he was IN
the house to which the body OF his murdered
not go to see It. Yet the evidence was pure
ly circumstsntial, and the 6rst jury could not
agree upon verdict. Another could not be
found In the city nor county, and uealre mad
to be summoned from remote parts OF the
State. Then he was convicted OF murder IN
the first degree, and sentenced to be hanged
on the 9Th Of November, 1868. ~, 70 H
usual and emphatic fulllment Of the old say
ing, 20 -s
WHILE THERE'S LIFE THERE'S HOPE.
First, the case was carried to the Court OF
Appeals on bills of exception filed by the pris-
onefs counsel during the progress OF the trial.
This involved respites and delay of MONTHS
but the high tribunal to which the appeal was
addressed saw nothing In the technical ques1
tions raised, and in learned decision affirmed
the Judgment Of the lower judlcatory. Every.
body then thought that Phillips must die, and
he, deeming death nigh, is said to have made a
confession to his spiritual adviser, and given
instructions as to the disposition OF his trunk
and its contents. But notso. His counsel had
in the meantime matured plan involving, as
it turned out, whole years delay. The case
was brought before the United States District
Court (Judge Underwood) on a writ
of habeas corpus, and the. prisoners dis
charge was asked for on the ground
that the Judge by whom the sentence
by the Fourteenth amendment to the Constitu-
ton of the United States, and that the judges
OF the Court of Appeals, by whom the sentence
was affirmed, were laboring under the same
disability. It took Judge Underwood a long
while to get into the merits OF the case, but
finally he decided adversely to the petitioner,
and an appeal was taken to Chief Justice
Chase, who also, only last spring, decided that
Phillips was not entitled to discharge. While
these matters were in progress, the Governor
of course had to be appealed to, to stave of
the day Of execution, and Phillips was
TWELVE TINES REsP1TED. !
When Chief Justice Chase's decision became
known desperate effort was made to obtain
communication of the sentence to Imprisonment
for life, and petition TO that end, signed by
about five hundred persons, was presented to
Governor Walker. The Governor took a few
weeks to consider the matter but his final de-
cision was announced on the 18th inst. 1t was
that
PHILLIPS MUST DIE.
The prisoners spiritual adviser, Rev. DR..
Jeter, latter whom he was named) was Sc
lected to inform him OF his fate, and went i'm
mediately from the Executive mansion to the
county lail and obtained an interview with the
doomed man. On entering the cell Phillips
rose and stepped forward, and extended his
hand to the doctor. After interchanging q
few commonplace remarks, and after brief
but solemn and suggestive silence, the reyer-
end doctor gently as possible broke the news,
and with fearful eyes told Phillips that the end
of his days was fast approaching. Phillips re-
ceived the information stoically-yea almost
indifferently, merely remarking: "Wel,
thought that's the way 1t would be-" He
enyinced neither emotion nor surprise. The
stolid demeanor aud unconcerned manner
which he has all along maintained, was In no
wise altered. He stared faie In the face, and
made no sign of fear nor show of remorse. The
doctor remained with him about half an hour,
advising him to look away from the things OF
this earth, to cease to hope for human inter-
position, to settle his worldly affairs, and to
IL = I'll 6.l