The New York herald., 1871-03-21
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and Boss right In tho forehead. the ball aiancinl
THE rAyr. pR MURDER.
kea HoTry Sepn ana oa me- Ton HowreS
or step6. or some OF them S don't exactly remeni
Der whch-told me day or h 70 10 before layior S az
dIan't take Old TAYLOR Oh Theal Henry Berry say
that ne ana Boss and Steph KIN. ~ a. nim All & sne
Berry, Boss Esrs sepn me ceorges ses Tom Lowrey
Andrew Strong and Zach Mclauchin.>
lie next graphically states the capture OF num-
Der Oh citlzens by the gang, one OF who 50 naHca
was Saunders. All the prisoners were turn ed loose
after while but him, and Oxendine COCA Oh TO
VERY STUBBORN AND PROUD
while we had him III the camp. He got a knife q ne
DEATH but it didn't bleed a great deal. Then ha
took arsenic. George Applewhite had some In his
pocket and gave It to nim.. lie put It In his mouth
and swallowed 1t. IL didn't seem to 40 much. Ho
didn't complain OF pain. Said one time he felt 1t
burning IN his stomach. On Wednesday evening
or some distance ana then all stopped. Steph
Lowrey tod HIM that he might have an hour to pray
told to, them they had better let the man 90. Henry
Berry and Steph swore he shouldn't turned
round @ little and stepped on, for saw that they
were gong 10 XIII him. Just then Stepn shot one
parfe OF ms gun into him and he fell dead Tom
Lowrey was or two or three hundred yards when
saunders first came into the settlement as a school,
ieacner . and friend OF the coored people, never
Knew Henry Berry to be with him but once Henry
Berry never went about his schoolhouse They
killed him because he had come ana tri ed 10 nass
on lor friend. and then betrayed them. / told
where Saunders was buried. (The body has been
found from this descriplon.)
rms nearly wound up what the condemned man
nad TO say OF any material interest," though IN the
latter part OF his confession he refers 10 several
other murders. Up to his last night on Earth Oxen
desperate he was. He frequently said the
only objection he had 70 being hanged
was 'uas COMPANY wiTM EHa ms coMpAsiSss SS on
whom he knew were sure TO follow him sooner
later Great as his crimes were he professed TO be-
come religious convert and in his spiritual com
municatlon with clergyman who was In Jealous
and regular attendance upon him since his convic-
uon, he seemed to have repented, ard. like all
other negro criminals. believed he was forgiven and
was on the way to the regions or Paradise. 1t Is
most extraordinary feature OF negro CRIMINALS who
are executed that ali OF them die with the conscious
ness OF Divine forgiveness and the prospect OF
eternal JOY and happiness. Oxeudme was not an
exception and he, too, realized at the last moment
that 1t was the happlest OF his existence.
HIS LAST NIGHT
was passed III comparative quiet, though his Slum.
bers were somewhat disturbed by nervous starts;
but ne arose this morning considerably refreshed
ana parlook heartily ol nus last meal Shortly alter
he renamed In prayer the better portion OF the
morning iaiG calmly awaitng the fatal hour During
this time he was visited by NUMBER OF friends anu
acquaintances. whom he bid an eternal fare
We'll, and gave some OF them well.tmed and
should lead II they regarded the salvation OF their
souls. The day was peculiarly adapted TO lhester-
neavy, black vapor hung over the earth like
FUNERAL FALL.
and there was general gloomy sort of feeling per-
vading the entire community owing as mucn per-
haps, to the heavy damp atmosphere as to the exc
culion OF the criminal The instrument of death, q
hin the jail yard enclosure in conformity with
the law requiring executions TO be private. 1t was
with drop, above which was the gallows from
which hung the rope with the traditional hang
mans moose. Tue drop was supported by another
rope, which ran through a pulley in the gallows.
and was made fast to peg In one OF the uprghts.
This cut, the drop fell There wasa
LARGE CONCOURSE OF PEOPLE
In attendance, most OF whom were whites. owing to
the great and widespread notorIety the criminal
had gained from his connection with Lowery's gang
OF outlaws and his own celebrity as murderer. At
an early hour there was ludicrOus and eager
scramble for every available foot OF space,
including h0uSetopS, trees and fences, from
which view or the impending tragedy could
be obtained Long before noon every emlnencs
human beings waiting with the most heroic endu-
rance through drenching rain to witness the ex-
arrived the rain was still falling in torrents and
the condemned had not made his appearance: but
not solitary spectator gave way under the terribly
trying circumstances OF the occasion At last, at
fifteen minutes past twelve A. NJ, accompanied by
the Sherin and the clergyman, HENDERSON Oxen
dine marched from the jail, and with firm
and elastic step, though somewhat subdued
air, he assembled the galows to the platform. He
was attred in neat suit OF Clothes made OF native
manufactured material Of comfortable and sub
stantial kind He bid the clergyman farewell at the
foot the steps, and his first act after taking quiet
sur ,ey OF the crowd was to open a hymn book and
sing in a clear, steady and musical mtonatOn OF
voice that did not once culver. the hymn. "And
shall yet deay? This concluded, with permission OF
the Sheriff he sang another hymn and then pressed
his readiness to submit to the sentence OF the law.
For moment more he stood as If in prayer, with
bowed head and his eyes covered by his handker-
Chief This latter article he gave to the sheriff,
with his hymn book, to be delivered TO his mother.
In a moment more the criminal was pinioned at the
ankles ana by The wrists behind his back. The rope
was adjusted with admirable precision and ceerity,
and ere another moment elapsed there was sharp
CLICK OF HATCHET,
a dull noise OF the rope running through the pulley,
the creaking OF the trap, and OXendine was swing
Ing IN mid-air. The neck was broken by the fall,
and with the exception Of few conyulsive twitch-
ngS OF the lower limbs that were scarcely perceptt-
bic, the body never moved, In O few moments life
was pronounced extinct, and after hanging sixteen
minutes II was cut down and delivered to the
afflicted mother OF the outlaw tor interment. The
crowd hung around the Of the catastrophe for
a considerable time afterwards and, indeed, seemed
reluctant to leave when they did begin to disperse.