Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-12

afterwards his feet, during which operation
Bryant called out in steady voice, s.Fare
well folkses-farewell everybody. I'm nov
going home. Take me blessed Father il
Thy own care"
The sentence of death which had beer
pronounced upon the prisoner by the Su
preme Court was read by the Sheriff, Bry
ant meanwhile praying continually in {;
loud voice.
The black cap was then drawn over tn,
head of the doomed man, the moose was adj
justed about his neck. '1GOOd bye
Progue," said Sheriff Mitchell, as he
finished his trying task, and grasped the
prisoners hand.
"GOoD BYE-FAREwELLf'
was the response. They were the last
words he uttered upon earth, for they had
but fairly escaped his lips before Mitchell
had sprung to the ground and cut the rope.
Quick as flash the trap fell, and the body
of Progue Bryant, the condemned muir
derer swung between heaven and earth,
his feet three feet from the ground. For
an instant deathlike silence prevailed and
then the piercing shrieks of a colOred
woman who stood within twenty feet Of
the scaffold, filed the air as she hid the
CHASTITY sight from view with lier hands
and pressed her way back into the crowd,
screaming at the top of her voice.
The cry was taken up by two Thousand
| colOred people, who swayed back and forth
as they sat on the grassy slope in full view
Of the gallOws, many of whom began pray
| ing in fervent manner. For five min
utes the body swung gently to and fro,
then the lower limbs were drawn up in a
violent manner, the shoulders were thrown
| forward, and the piniOned hands endeavOr-
ed to free themselves. This fearful sight
brought forth fresh outbreak ON the part
of the colored people, but soon the limbs,
relaxed, and beyond slight twitching of
the muscles, no sign of life was apparent
Twelve minutes after the rope had been cut,
which was at fourteen minutes after two
O'Clock, DIR. Grant made an examination Of
the body, and
DECLARED LIFE EXTINCT.
The body was allowed to remain sus-
pended, however, thi.ty-four minutes Ion
ger. 1t was then cut down, plIced in a
plain black box and removed to Linnville,
twelve miles north of Pulaski, where Bry-
ant formerly resided, and where his family
still reside. Here funeral services were
held that evening, the funeral sermon be-
ing preached by Rev. Nelson Merry, of this
city.
1t is a curious fact that Bryant was in
the service of Sheriff Mitchell when the lat
ter was merchandising at Linnville, and
that, during the war, he was waiting on a
brother of Mitchell. When Bryant was
first confined in Jail at Pulaski, he was very
obstreperous and unruly, so much so, in
fact, that the sheriff was compelled to pun
ish him by claiming him to the floor of his
cell. From this time to the day of his
execution he was remarkably well-behaved
and quiet, giving his jailOr no trouble
whatever and had become quite a IA
vOrite with Mitchell, who was
visably affected as he bade Bryant good bye
and wrung his hand for the last stime on
earth. As he Gu. the rope which held the
trap, Mitchell threw the axe under the
scaffOld with a spasmodic gesture, turned
his back to the gallows and walked rapidly
to the confines of the cleared space about
the scafforld and from which the crowd was
pressed back by the guards. The manner
Of the sheriff at this moment indicated
desire to shut off from his view the terrible
struggles of the man whom he had so sud-
denly deprived of life, at the stern behest
of the law and in pursuance Of his sworn
duty.
And truly it was a dreadful sight. The
gallows had been erected at the foot of a
sharp declivity, and on this slope were
gathered thousands of
MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN,
about One-third Of whom were of the same
color as the criminal. The clouds with
which the sky had been overcast for week
past had cleared away in the morning, and
all nature seemed to be rejoicing at the ap-
preach Of spring. A solemn stiffness fell
upon the crowd, broken only by the chirp-
ing of birds nestled in the neiShbOring
trees. At the fOOr Of the slope stood the
framework erected by man for the purpose
Of taking from a fellOw-creature that which
only God can give. The sharp blow ofthe
axe is heard, the platform upon which the
wretched man is standing drops with a
clang, the human being that, but an instant
previous was praying aloud to the merciful
God who made him, shot through the air
like bullet, and was then seen dangling
at the end ola rope, his hands tied behind
him. his feet securely bound, and the con-
tOrtiOns of his face in his death struggle
hidden from view BY the black cap which
had been drawn over his head. Then
A VAIL OF ANGUISH
went up from the eolored people in the
crowd, which portion of the assemblage
swayed back and forth with emotion. Men
threw mp their hands and prayed aloud;
women and children screamed with piercing
voices, and many tainted away. 1t was a
scene calculated TO try the nerves Cf the
bravest, but Sheriff Mitchell performed his
terrible duty in the most creditable man
ner.
Just here we would correct an error in
our telegraphic report of the execution,
published in yesterdays issue. The dis
patch was written: "By the time set for the
hanging, the white people were largely in
excess of the black" etc. As published, the
dispatch read 'sBy the time set for the
hanging, while the people were largely in
excess black" etc. The fact is the white
people present OUtnumbered the blacks
three to one, and no fears of an attempted
rescue of the prisoner by the cOlOred people
were entertained for a moment by the Of
ficerS of the law, sensational reports to the
contrary notwithstanding. The precautiOn
of having an armed force in attendance,
was in accordance with the universal Gus
tom at executions, and was not taken in
this case through fear of an outbreak.
Jailor Patterson, Ofthis city, was present
at the earnest request of Bryant, who had
written for Patterson and Deputy Jailor
b antley TO be sure and attend his eXecu-
tiOn, sending a telegram Thursday night,
urging their attendance.