Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-05-05
HER CONFESSION

did in connection with the murder was
written yesterday and will be published
In it she says she did nothing except
| being present and handing Spann a
! handkerchief when he called for Il to I'll
his wife's mouth. She states that she
arose from bed and accompanied him,
being held by the hand, at his command
and cOmpulsiOn, and through fear, and
that sue begged him not to kill his wife.
He said he would if be We're
hanged five minutes after, and he forced
her to do what she did. He also forced
her to go off with him. She begged him
with tears to leave her, but he said: "If
you don't go, win pick you up and tote
you of" And all the journey she begged
him to let her go back home. She says
she made no such confessions as her
captors swear to; and she believes that
if only the actual truth had been given
in the testimony, whatever might have
been her punishment, she would not be
hanged. But, considering her condition,
she thought it was best for her to die
now. She was perfectly willing; she
DID NOT FEAR DEATH.
She believed that she would be better
of, and that it would be better for her
kindred. When she was first brought to
jail, she determined to seek earnestly
Gods forgiveness and salvation. Some
six months ago she found peace: now re-
garded death as a deliverance to be de-
sired rather than dreaded.
This morning the pastor of the Baptist
church visited the Jail, at eight O'Clock,
and prayed with and cOnveTsed with her.
He found her composed, cheerful, conf
dent and perfectly willing to die.
GOING TO THE GALLONS.
At eleven the guard met at the Jail
and formed a hollow square, inside
which the sheriff and prisoner rode in a
buggy. The ministers walked, and thus
they marched to the gallOws, located a |
quarter OF a mile distant, in grove Of
tall pines. She told the sheriff as she
went that she was not the least shocked, |
and was no doubt less troubled than any
other present.
HOW SHE WAS DRESSED.
She had ON a white, small figured, |
cambric-finished dress, neatly arranged |
and trimmed at the expense Of the |
sheriff. Her hair was plainly eombed |
in two long braids, one on each side, the
ends tied together at the back. She |
wore calico sun-bOnnet.
THE LEAvE-TAKING.
At the gallows the sheriff assisted her
to alight, and she took seat on the /
steps. The minister read the eighty
eighth and one hundred and thirtieth I
psalms, and spoke a few words Of en-
He said he had great
in the genuineness of her
profession of conversion and faith.
Then followed an earnest prayer, after
which she took leave of her friends. She
spoke compOsedly, and said in a firm
voice that she had freely forgiven all |
and loved them, and was ready to die.
Then the sheriff said ''Susan are you
-eady?n
She said ''Yes, Pm ready, ,Dand walked
irmly up the steps, taking stand on
he platform. The sheriff placed the
)lack-eap on her head and adjusted the
'ope. She said,
''AIR. MATTHEW'S, THAT'S TOO TIGHT,
don't want to be choked to death.n
The sheriff slackened the rope a little
md asked, 'Is that about right?"
She said, ''Yes.D
The sheriff said, "Susan, place your
lands behind yOu.n
She aid so, and he tied them. Then
lie said again,
"ARE YOU READY?''
She replied, ''Yes-ready-Willing." {
Then the platform dropped, at precisely
eleven. She fell five feet, and
truggled but slightly. She was pro-
bounced dead in eleven minutes, cut
iown in nineteen minutes, placed in a
Offin and carried for the night to her
athaFiS hOuso 10 ha bflriad from, tho
hurch at Preston tomorrow. She was
Hanged on the same galloWs and with
he same rope that Spann was three :
weeks ago. About seven hundred per
ons were present, half negroes. There
we're a dozen white women.
HORRIBLE EXPERIMENT. $
Ter neck was not broken. The doctors
With an electric battery tried to resusei-
ate her, but failed to produce a single
ymptom of life. None of her kindred
7ere present. She was the second wo-
nan ever hung in Georgia.
! =.