The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-31

pearanco OF the Doomed Men-Thei
Demeanor and East Hymn-An Awe
Inspiring Scene.
= ESPECIAL TELKGRAM TO THE NEWS
COLUMBIA, August 80.
The lovers OF the horrible In and abou
Columbia were gratlhed to-day with tn
fearful spectacle of two mortals swung Int
swift eternity upon the hangmen's rope.
Two 'murderers, Bill Lucas and Ned Harris
have gone to: their long account. It was
sad and revolving sight, relievable only by th'
certain conviction which every sensible mai
In the community feels, that they richly de
served their fate, and that 1t was necessary II
order to check the ruthless disregard o
human life which has been so frequently ex
hiblted in Riehland County.
There have been eight or ten bloody and
atrocious murders committed In this commu'
nifty within the past eighteen months, and
until now, strange to say. not one of the
brutal criminals has paid the penalty OF
offended law. -.
:i.s:is y, 70 - 4 - A BRUTAL MURDER. =,
Bill Lucas was tried and convicted at the
Nay term OF the Court of Sessions of the nur-
der Of John. Simpson, white man, and an
employee OF the, Charlotte, Columbia and
Augusta Railread. The murder was commit
ted in the early part of q spring, on Sat.
urday night. Simpson, the poor victim. was
an inofsnsive man; but much addicted 10 hard
drink. he was very much intoxicated on the
nightin question, and first met with Bill Lu-
cas- at the grocery store and groggery of G.
Hamburg, which is located just BY the plat
form of the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta
Railroad. It appears that Simpson owed or
had promised Lucas some powder and shot,
which Lucas demanded should be paid him at
once. Simpson was either uuprapared or
unwilling to make the payment at that time,
and Lucas became furious, cursing Simpson
savagely, and threatening to take his life.
Simpson then left Hsmburg's,. and went to
another store about a hundred yards up the
street. he had not been there long until Bill
Lucas came In aud again commenced cursing,
abusing and threatening him. The proprletors
Of the store called In the police, and had
Shortly afterwards Simpson followed, and
just as he got well ont on the pavement
Lucas, who was lying In walt, sprung upon
him, and fierce struggle ensued. Lucas Is q
negro Of powerful build and brawny muscle,
and Simpson when sober even and In fair
fight would have been an unequal opponent to
him: Simpson cried for help: and some of his
frtandswho ho.were In the. .store rushed out to
his rescue, but too late to stay the fatal deed.
Just as his friends reached Simpson, Lucas
drew murderous knife and plunged 1t into
his groin. He was taken lDto the store, where,
IN q short, while, he biesi TO death. Lucas en-
deavored TO escape, but was soon arrested BY
the bystanders. He was brought into the
store where Simpson lay bleeding to death,
and gloated with demonlac exullatlon over
his dreadful. deed. On the trial he behaved
With great insolence; cursed Judge Melton
when his sentence was announced, and swore
he would as sooH die the next day as on the
sixteenth OF August, the day first fixed for the
execution.
THE COMPANION CRIMINAL.
Ned Harris was one Of the mu-derers oil
Pat Murphy, an old Irishman, who for some
time previous to his death In Decemberdast,
was ppmp-minder at Hampton Staticnsjust
six miles below Columbia, on the South Caro-
lima Railroad. more coid-blooded and
brutal murder was never perpelrated. The
evidence in the case, which Was mostly cir
cumstantial, but none the less strong on that
account, showed that Harris, with his TWO ac-
completes, Bill jenkins and Butler Johnson,
all negroes, had formed plot TO murder and
rob poor Murphy, who was somewhat OF
niiser, and generally believed to have snug
sum of money boarded away In his quiet little
cottage, where he lived. alone. There were
no actual witnesses to the deed. buS one Sun
day morning, just before Christmas last, some
of the hands of the South Carolina Railroad
passing by the pump and not seeing the old
man at his post 10 which his fidelity
was proverbial, they went 10 his cottage
to see If he was sick, or what was
the matter. As they opened the gate of
his enclosure q sickening sight - arrested
their gaze. There, a few PAGES from his door,
lay the bloody corpse Of the old man full length
upon the ground. His skull was mashed In,
and he was beaten and bruised all over his
body. There were appearances OF fierce
contest, and that the old msn had fought hard
for his life. The ground was broken and
tramped upon irom his door to where he lay,
as If by men struggling together; patches OF
his gray hair we're found lying around, one
piece upon the steps of the cottage, left there
doubtless as they dragged him out; his hatchet
lay near him, red with blood, and inside The
cottage there were
SIGNS OF A Desperate STRUGGLE.
Suspicion was at once directed 10 the
three negroes named, and the event proved
that 1t was well grounded jenkins and john
son, who were In the employ OF Mr. J. .. F.
Sims, hauling wood to the railroad, were seen
late in the evening, before the murder, by TWO
other negroes engaged ior Mr.. Sims in the
same work, in close consultation with Ned
Harris. whose home was In Columbia. Harris
came up about FIVE o'clock in the afternoon to
where jenkins and Johnson were at work,
and took them to one side In the woods and
they had quite long, low and earnest
conversation together. Harris then went on
on that night about ten or eleven O'Clock.
jenkins and johnson left the premises OF Mr.
Sims, where they lived, together. In Inc
morning, about half hour before daylight,
r.h,,on .ot,rnaa ond Nod Harris came with