The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-03

Samuel White, the negro man convicted at
the last term of the Court Of General Sessions
of the murder of w. B. Fidea, depot agent at
Oakley Station, on the Northeastern Railroad,
Yesterday paid the penalty Of his crime oy for
telling his life upon the gallows. The horrlole
| spectacle, as usual, seemed to have strange
fascination for the multitude, and the gates OF
the iail yard were besieged at an early hour
| by crowds of men and boys anxious to see
the execution. The hanging, however, was,
in measure, private, hardly more than a hum
dred persons besides the officials being pres
ent. Admittance could be obtained only by q
pass from the sheriff. The weather was dark,
damp and cold, and masses Of threatening
clouds shrtuded the face of the sun, throwing
gloom over the faces of the shiverlng spec
tators.
At the hour OF eleven the sheriff ascended
the tower, where the felons are confined, and
found Sam White in the corridor preparing
for his doom. His countenance was of an
ashy, sickening hue F.; but he listened with at
tention to the words of the Rev. D. j. Quigey,
of the Cathedral, who was his religious attend
ant In this terrible hour. Baden had not
been informed of the commutation of his sen.
tence by the Governor, and, under the impress
sion that he too was going out to be hanged,
was brought to Whites cell, where the two
prisoners confronted each other. Baden here
asseyerated his Innocence, and repeated that
he had nothing whatever to do with the muir
der. Upon being interrogated as TO Balden,
White confirmed this statement. AS to him
self. White declared that he had not killed Mr..
Fidea, but that the man who committed the
crime had escaped. Being asked who this
man was, he replied that he (White) was
going to die for the deed, and there was no use
in saying any more aboutit. He then asked to
be left alone with the priest during his last
moments.
The prisoners accordingly were left with
the priest, and tine sheriff and his officers de-
scendiug to the yard, proceeded with the final
preparations. Tuere was little to oe done.
The heavy weight was on the spring, and
strong oneinch rope was passed through the
top piece, and tied securely to The weight.
The other end hung down In the middle, be-
tween the posts. small hempen rope, about
third of an inch in diameter, was
quickly fashioned into a running moose,
and fastened to the longer rope. The
weight was then let down once to
ascertain whether 1t would draw the moose
to the required height, and having been again
replaced, everything awaited the coming of
The doomed man. In the meantime the neigh
boring piazzas and house tops had become
crowded with curious. gazers. Among the
spectators was the father-ln-law of The muir
dered Fidea, who had come down and wanted
$40 see the thing DONE" Those within the
enclosure were now marshaled to the right
and left OF the gallows, and soon subdned
murmur told that the prisoner was coming.
he was attended by the priest, aud was neatly
dressed In q white shirt and pair of brown
pants. He wore no hat or coat, and his shirt
collar was thrown back, revealing his muscular
neck. He walked with armness which belied
the palor of his face. On arriving at the
foot of the gallows he was confronted by
Sheriff Mackey, who read the sentence of the
court, ard telling him that he was about 10
ANYTHING to say. White, who had chew of
tobacco In his mouth, cleared his throat, and
With shake OF his head, said he had
nothing" The prisoner now knelt with the
priest upon the damp ground, and prayed long
and with much apparent fervor, the specta-
tors standing hushed and With uncovered
heads. At the end the wrctched man arose,
and taking another chew of tobacco, stood
eyeing with apparent defiance the prepara-
tons for his death. While doing this he con-
tinually spoke with the priest, and at length
broke forth into hymn. He was now
made TO stand directly under the fatal
moose, and while his hands and feet were
being secured he addressed himself to
various persons present, particularly one
of the turnkeya, whom he exhorted
to repent and meet him In heaven, and to
whom he also gave a chew of tobacco, and
asked him to pray for the giVer while using 1t.
He then prayed aloud with the priest, and this
being ended the sheriff stepped forward and
adjusted white stocklnet cap over the prls-
oner's head and face. AS 1t came over his
mouth, White asked them to stop until he
could spit out his chew Of tobacco, and having
done go The cap was fitted on. The moose was
then tightened gradually around the neck, and
the knot adjusted with care beneath the lett
ear. He stood thus for. moment when
the sheriff gave the signal. The Jack
Ketch gave quick pull to the rope
attached to the iren spring, and while the
weight came down with crash into the
deep hole, the.body OF White was jerked vio-
len,ly upward, within,a few inches of the
cross-plece of the galiows, and then came
down with heavy thud. The rope lghtened
and cut into the sneck as the body swayed
from side to side in muscular contortions.
For about three minutes, the strong life strug
gled within the body, and heavy sighs could
be heard Then the limbs grew still, and the
widely distended eyes cpa4 be seen beneath
the stockinet cap as they almost burst from
the sockets. Asmall trace of blood was visl-
ble upon the cap where the latest breath had
left the mouth, and the motionless body
swung slowly around and faced the vast as
semblage on o nelghboring piazza as ifln
stern rebuke Of their idle curiosity.
1t was Balden's turn next. and, all uncon-
scious offlis reprieve, he was brought out
upon the scene with the body of White dang.