The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-02-28
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This Deaut1ul spring Qay III all proUaolilL.
suggested to many a one thoughts of drive,
hunt, picnic, or, doubtless, to you. on the sea
shore, sail on your lovely bay. 1t brought int
our little town over thousand visitors, but no.
for any of these enjoyments. The sensation was
the execution OF Andrew Brown, freedman, fol
the murder Of Jacob Barton, another freedman
| on the Upper Runs In this county, in November
last.
The circumstances of the homicide were, that
on the 18th of November Brown and the wife Of
Barton were sitting In the passage.way OF Bar
| TOMS house. Brown said to the woman, lyon do
not treat me right; you pass me all day, while we
are at work In the fields, and you do not speak to
me,n and made some threats Of having her
brought up In the church about 1t. Barton, who
was in the "rront room,n overhearing the con.
versation, and deeming It too famllIar-or, from
some other reason-came up to Brown and
knocked him Of the bench, kicked him, and
ssrerey beat him with leg of the bench which
had got broken OF in the scufae, and told him
he would serve him worse than that the next
time he caught him talking in tina: way to his
wife.
Brown then left the house, and went to
that OF the employer, Mr.. Green, where he was
put to some work about the house, which he
finished In the afternoon, and left. After he had
gone Mr.. Green's double.barrelled shotgun was
missing On the Tuesday following, about day
light .ths report Of agun was heard IN the horse
lot and the exclamatiohs OF a 'wohnded man,
crying "Lord have mercy on my soul." The
other hands In the field, aud the proprie-
tor, Mr. Green, appeared Quickly there,
and found Jacob Barton lying upon the groind,
mortaly wounded and in state Of insensibiity.
He was shot in the left side OF the back with bull
let's buckshot and small bird shot, and died 10 o
few hours afterwards. Andrew Brown, in half
hour after the discharge OF the gum gave 1t TO q
little colored boy and directed him to carry it 10
Mrs Green, and he then left the place, and went
to the plantation OF Mr.. Bush, eight miles dis
tant and concealed himself under the bed OF one
of the negroes. He vas pursued by the negroes
on Green's place, arrested and brought back. He
confessed the deed, but said he did no: intend 10
kill Barton.
An Inquest was held. and the jury returned
verdict that deceased came to his death from
wounds received from gun Ia the hands OF An
drew Brown. He was imprisoned, and. at
special term Of the court for Barnwell Coanty,
held at Backvllle on the ed Monday In January
ast, he was tried and convicted Of murder before
the Hon. Judge Platt, presiding judge, who
SENTENCED HIN TO BE HUNG
on the last Friday 10 February.
This being the day, crowds came pouring in by
daylight and at 12 O'Clock the jail yard, which
was designated as the place for his execution,
Vas filed with anxious spectators. At this hour
Andrew Brown made his appearance upon the
back steps Of the Jail, and made "his confession"
He admitted that he did shoot Barton, but that he
did not intend to kill him, and that Barton assault
ed and beat him 'verg thoroughly" that morning;
thai he could look upon that .scano.d with
pleasure; that others In Ills situation had
petitions for pardon addressed to the Cover
nor, and that he had none, nor did he de
sire tt; that he and his friends had addressed
petition to Governor Jesus Christ, and he felt
that 1t was granted and he wanted all present to
meet him In Heaven; said that one OF the wit.
nesses swore falsely against him, but he forgaye
him, anu hoped God would bless him. he was
dressed in black shroud, with white gloves,
and, after his remarks were concluded, hundreds
OF the colored people went up and bid him fare.
we'll He shook hands with them, and made
pleasant remarks to many, his manner was calm,
and he could not have acted with more conf
posure and saltpossesson II he had been about to
part from his friends on some agreeable Journey
At O'Clock he was led to the gallows, around
which the two militia companies had formed
hollow square; there he took sent, and religious
services were conducted BY colored preacher,
named Mathews. This being concluded, there
was nothing to prevent an immediate ENFORCE
meut OF the penalty Of the law, but the Sheriff
concluded that, as the mail was due at O'Clock,
he would wait and see If any communication
would come from the Governor, although none
was expected The prisoner was Informed Of
this, and said he did not want any respite,
that
he WAS PREPARED TO DIE,
and that in few moments, he would mot be
dead, as they supposed, but asleep in the arms OF
Jesusr The mail arriving, and nothing onicial
being received, at ten minutes before 3.o'clocS
he was conducted up the scanold, his hands being
frs, bound behind his back, his feet were then
bound, and he grasped the hand of the sheriff,
and bid him farewell and thanked him for his
kindness to him while In prison. The colored
deputy, who assisted in the execution, and who
vas the best friend OF the convict, then kissed
him, and put the black cap upon his head and
over his face. The sheriff and deputy then de.
scended, and the drop was drawn, and Andrew
Brown expated the murder he had committed.
He DIED WITHOUT srRUGGLE
few spasmodlc shrugs OF the shoulders and
nervous swltchlng OF the fingers and feet were
the only indications OF his not having been Killed
dead by the jerk. After the lapse Of fifteen
minutes, Drs. Duncan and Morrall made an eS-
animation and pronounced him q corpse. He
was then cut down, and his body delivered TO his
friends This is the first public execution N this
section since the war, and has evidently produc.
cd profound impression upon the minds Of those
who have heretofore held that "the bottom raj: Is
on top." Your correspondent heard, on his way
home, after the execution several negroes In
conversation, one. OF whom exclaimed: There
has been too much carrying OF guns and top
much light made OF shooting, but 1t Is all put
stop to now" With a virtuous Judge, and etti-
cIent executive officers, the civil law Is all the
rule we need and If it could be once tried In this
manner up the country, there would be no need
OF the military to preserve peace there. A. D. c.
The ACADEMY OF MUsIc.-Othello was play
ed last night at the Academy, with Mr.. Mexican
Buchanan as the jealous Moor, and Mr.. E. W.
Watson as Iago. The audience was not at oil
large. The great sensational and pathetic domes-
tic drama Of "East Lynne, or the Elopement,n y
with Mr.. Buchanan as Archibald Carlyle, Is an.