The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-15
Execution Of Henderson Young
(NegrO) In North Carolina.
For the Double Crime of MUIR
der and Arson.
Full Details Of the Murder, Arrest, Trial and
Conviction OF the Criminal.
Young Confesses the Crime and
Dies Penitent.


the records Of crime was explated Oh the scanold
| here to-day. when Henderson Young lnegro) ex-
| pred with the hangman's halter round his neck.
As the negroes become older the exercise OF their
civil rights and the franchise, and as education and
all the other accompanlmeltS or civilization pro-
gress among them, so also does crime seem to In.
| crease. Each new deed OF boodshed Is marked by
more aroclty horror and barbarity than those pre-
cedng It, ana The rapidly with which they occur Ia
fearful ana alarming. Murder, rape, arson and
burglary the crimes to which the negro race in
the South are now chiefly addicted, and often they
all combined in heinous and bloody outrage.
But q great deal or THIS Is due to the course
pursued by the radical Governors OF the Southern
States, who, by the wholesale and lndscriminate
exercise of the pardoning power in the cases OF
negroes, actually gave them license to commit
crime and outrage which they did TO such an ex-
tent as to hall justify the acts OF the Ku KluX
Klans and other ileQa secret societies.
THE CRIME
for which Henderson Young died to-day was no ex-
ceptiOn to oil others as fendish and bloody deed
From the evidence adduced at his trial 1t appears
that Edwin Smith, white man, and his wife. were
the sole occupants Of small house. in which they
Kept liquors for sale, at point eight miles from
Charlotte not lar from the Wood gold mine. On the
evening OF the 27th OF December, 1870, Henderson
Young, VINO was working small farm with other
purchased a bottle OF wnskey and changed
q bill OF large denomination This gave
him opportunity to see, at least conjecture,
what amount OF fnnds the Smiths had on hand, and
1t was then he conceived ana plotted the bloody
deed that brought him TO the scaiTold to-day. AS
the theory Of the mcrder Is established by the evi.
dence, Young returned that night. armed with
gun, and Knocked at Smiths door Smith demand.
eu, VINO is iheres to which Young replied, "Irs
mo. fha fpor 7 vvop IN N nj
nately for himself, the unsuspecting man did as he
was requested and rs he stood in the opening, his
hand yet holding the door, Young
SHOT HIM THROUGH THE HEAD,
killing him instantly. Ills body fell In the Threshold
half in, half out of the house. Mrs. Smith, terrified
by the report OF the gun and the heavy fall OF her
husbands body jumped out OF bed and screamed,
'Murder murder help help ~ but the assassin,
who had rushed In over the PROSTATE form OF the
murdered man. struck her
TERRIBLE BLOW ON THE HEAD,
which feed her To the ground, and stlned her cries
for mercy ana assistance. Exhibiting some signs OF
animation aud consciousness the assassin again
struck ner, and repeated his blows until she became
thoroughly lnsensiole, and both husband and Wife
lay weterng in their own blood, dead to all appear
ance, on the door OF Their own house. With system.
attic detail tie Hend then proceeded to rife the
house He first examined the contents OF a trunk,
In which he expected TO find what little money and
e psr @ D IN IN ' bs ne trunk
thinking himself then OF the ways and customs OF
little money, he next Investigated the bed with more
success; Tor under It's head he found secreted 1913
the precious and accumulated earnings OF the unior
tunate par for quite considerable period. Alter
securing tS on MS person the murderer, In order
g. wipe out all traces OF his crimes then proceeded
with iendlsh glee KICK the CHUNKS OF fire from
the hearth the ioor From these the dwelling
caught fire, and then the murderer ed the BELIEF
that the fire nend would efectualy destroy ali
means by which solution OF the tragedy could
arrived A. hut IN as ms sS s grsa Were M
way Mr.. Smith returned to consciousness and with
what feeble strength she could muster. aided by |
n
TORTURE Or DEATH BY THE FLAMES,
she crawled Su Of ne puTngg house me S the cold
was rozen-escapiDg one terrible death and dying |
to another Soon me shy was III up n WIN n, the
na,past one u r the morning II was Ibis dis
mile distant. This gentlemen at once repaired to
the scene, and arrived there IN time to the whole
house enveloped IN flames and IN, roof falling IN.
Half an hour afterwards he found the body OF Mrs.
Smith lying some hften or twenty steps from the
house,
Believing that lie was not extinct. Mr.. McCombs at
once put q fire, before which he laid Mrs. Smith.
she again reganed her and speech sufficient.
II to say, "My husband was sn0t IN door and my |
over her features which were covered with con.
Realed blood McCombs found that the frontal bones |
several large and iu dangerous cuts on other por
lions Of the skull. He then examined the doorway |
Of the Sody Of e man haf
consumed. fallen through the burning floor 10 The
where her wounds received all the attention 1t was
possible to give then, and the next day the
oHARRED REMAINS
OF Smith buried. On the day succeeding the |
Coroner had these remains disnerred TO mold an |
Inquest, and, upon post-mortem examination,
Ing concusvely that lie came to his death by shoot
Ing. Upon the statements made by Mrs. Smith,
who had now sufficiently recovered TO be able TO |
give evidence, Henderson Young, Dan Young and |
Ben Young, three negro brothers, and Rufus
McComb and another negro, were
ARRESTED FOR MyRDEI AND ARSON,
aud were eomlnltted to jail here. A true bill was
found against them all except Ben Young, was |
then discharged. 1he trial, which long and |
patient one, lasting four days. resulted In tie ac-
quittal OF Dan Young and Kutus McComD ana the |
conviction OF henderson Young as the sole perpe- |
traitor OF these heinous crimes The prisoners being
unable to employ counsel the Court assigned them |
Mr. Joseph il. Wilson. Colonel John T.. Brown and |
Captain Arasroad Bunnell. all distinguished MEM
OF the defence Young was found guilty ana sentenced
to be executed to-day.
THE CONDEMNED MAN
is On ordinary specimen of the genuine black Congo
negro. with features In which Tue animal passions
height stout build wegb about one sapar raes ann ~,
sixty pounds, with sharp features, recedng fore
head d., and ,ncS pGm,ng lips Among his neghbors
sustained 10y the villanous expression of counte-
nance that seems to have been chisclled for q muir
derer.
ADMINISTERING SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION.
:, Yesterday evening q coored clergyman Of the
Hurd-sheIl Baptist denomination was admitted to
administer TO Youngs spiritual wants. Like most
OF ms class this divine, instead OF comforting and
pictures OF The scaffOld and terrified MN with
CHASTITY visions OF the future beyond the grave. The
nerves and muscles OF the condemned mans face
twitched, his limbs shook, and he wore an expires.
sion Of agony painful to witness. As n IN duty
bound he nad made his peace with Cod was pre-
pared to die, and he anticipated life OF bliss In the
other world but even with these assurances on his
hps he was very much agitated and nervous. After
the exhOrtafion Of the sable preacher IN this copd
ton he passed a sleepless and terrible night In
VAN he courtcd natures sweet resrorer, while
around nim in the adjoining cells, the nasal sounds
testified to The peaceful suInbers Of his fellow pf
soners. AT length
DAWN OF HIS LAST DAY
broke through the grating OF the lail windows and
the criminal arose and paced his narrow cell until
the hour Tor breakfast arrived. He appeared more
composed than on the preceding evening, hui re- |