The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-04-01
THE EXECUTION OF SAMUEL
BANKS.

$ BANKS. -
One of the largest--if not the
largest4 crowds that we have ever
seen in Abbeyille, variously estima-
ted from three to seven thousand,
assembled here on Friday last, to
witness the hanging of Samuel
BanEs, convicted of the murder OF
Thomas Shed. We were glad to
see, however, that few white men
were present and would have been
better pleased, # the freedmen
instead of leaving the p9ow idle IN:
the furrow, had remained at home
to till the soil, instead Of coming
here to crafty a morbid passion
for excitement. There is some
thing 50 brutalizing in these public
executions, that we believe that all
the good effects which result from
the stern enforcement Of the law,
are more than counterbalanced, by
the serious injury which they m
Hict upon the public taste and the
public morals. The natural. and
legitimate effect of these public
institutions, is to familiarlze' the
public mind with scenes OF blood,
and thus to break down the barrl-
ers, which exist in a refined taste
and cultivated moral sense, against
the commission of crime.
THE ONLY CASE IN TNIETY-EIGn1
YEARS.
The excitement which the antlc'
ipatcd hanging produced, and the
largeness of the crowd which il
brought together, were doubtless
owing to the rarity Of these oc'
currences-this being the first ex'
ecution of white man in Able,
Vile since that of Kindred Kitch:
en-, who suffered the extreme pen:
atty of the law in 1886, for the
murder of John Hinton, of the
neighborhood Of Diamond Hill
Col. Robert Gilmer the Sheriff
died before the time appointed:
and Kitchen was re-sentenced by
the Court of Appeals, and execu'
ted by Mr.. John Taggart, his sue
cessor. Hinton it seems was ali
officer of the law and levied on
Kitchens horse, from which be
had induced Kitchen to dismount
4&d&r promise not to make the
1eYvs and in the face Of threat
by the latter to kill him if he did
so. A number Of colored people
were. executed both before anG
during the war, but this was the
first case of white man in thirty
eight years. '.. '',''. -.
VISIT TO THE PRISONER IN Ills CELL
Our reporter accompanied by
Sheriff Guffin, visited Banks in hi
cell, on the night before his death
and obtained some interesting
facts relating to his past life,"h hi
own impressions as to the murder
and his conviction therefor, and hi
views as to his present aud fntur
state. He found him occupying
large cell, neatly whitewashed, AM
provided with necessary furniture
Adjoining were the cells of Jerr.
Coleman and : George Stroller
the former under sentence for mul
der, and the latter awaiting tsis
for similar ofence-and bot
like Banks brought to their uufo
tunate condition doubtless by tn
too frequent use Of whiske..
Banks WASH man of small stature
with rataer:an Intelligent, but in
passive H1aa 1eaBauhtenanee, and in tn
interview ii betrayed scarcely an
emotiopsw lie, seemed glad to Sc
our reporter, and, taking a Gig;
from his month which he was the
smoking, rose to his feet, and o
fered his hand through the bars
his cell. He appeared remarkabl
cheerful for one in his condition
and being asked if be realized hi
condition replied, "Ot course l do
isn't to-morroWthe 9th March ?
that's the time Judge Cooke aE
): 81