Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-04-03
THE CALIOWS
Execution OF Sam Vincent and
Aaron Eurman. AT Sumter, for
the Murder of HIr. Henry Wild
GeAind-Last Moments OF
the Condemned Men
ikheY Refuse to Com.
feSS.

; the Condemned WCn-
fk'hey Refuse to C0n-
, fess.
, Sam Vincent and Aaron Furmal
, both colOred, were executed at Sun
ter, on Friday, for the murder of Nj
Henry Widdekind, at that place, o
Wednesday evening, February It'll
1t was but six weeks and two days frol
} the commission of the murder to thei
explation of the crime on the scaffold
There were three persons implicate
in this affair but the third man ha
managed, thus far, to escape from jus
tice.
This muder, it will be remembered
was one of the most horrible on record
even in South Carolina, stained as sh
has been with such things since th
days when she was first taken in han,
by the Radical Observation-Disclosures Mr.
Wlddekind was a salesman for Messrs
Ferriter & Kicker, owning, also,
small interest in the business. He ha,
made some engagement for spending
the evening out with his wife, aut
therefore hurried through will
the work Of closing up the store. Thi:
was about Z O'Clock in the evening
and Just before he closed up Vincent
and Eurman, the murderers, wero il
the store and saw him count out the
money from the drawer and place il
in his pocket. On the way to his house
he was attacked by the three men, two
| of whom held him while the other de-
| hberately y beat his brains out with q
| hatchet, which had been stolen from
his store that afternoon.
Within Il few days afterwards the
two men were 81 pretended and so in
dlgnant were the citizens, both white
and colOred, at the fearful outrage,
that it was with difficulty they could
be persuaded to allow the law to take
its course. The prisoners were carried
before the last term of Court in Sum-
ter county, and, after a fair and i'm
partial trial, were sentenced to be
hung on the last Friday in the month,
the 9th inst. This sentence was duly
executed. the prisoners persisting to
the last that they were innocent of
the crime, because, as was generally
thought, they firmly believed that they
would be pardoned by Gov. Moses.
But for once that generous official did
not interfere, and the law was allowed
to take its course
On Friday morning the Sheriff en-
tered the condemned cells at II O'Clock
and had them shrouded in white, in
Guiding ii pair of white cotton gloves
which were placed upon their hands,
after which they were led from THEN
dungeons, accompanied by their spir-
itual adviser, colored clergyman.
Immediately outside of the prison
yard WIS 4 horse and cart containing
two plain black painted coffins, which
was in waiting TO carry the prisoners
to the place of txecutiou. Directly
upon taking their seats on the coffins
in the cart, Samuel Vincent, one of the
doomed men commenced crying bitter
ly,whilc Aaron Furman, his companion
in crime, maintained stolid indiffer-
ence, SO far at least as regarded any
apparent concern for his approaching
end. Arrived at the place of execu-
ton, they were both taken out of the cart
when a most solemn prayer was offered
up to the Throne OF Grace for pardon
for their guilty souls. The guilty men
were then made to mount the galIows,
where, after pin:oning their arms, a
last opportunity was permitted by the
sheriff before, pulling the caps over
their eyes to make a confession of their
crime. This they declined to do, pro-
testing their innocence to the last. The
sheriff then pulled tie cap, the drop
fell and the poor guilty souls, with
falschood and murder both fastened
upon them, and without repentance too
were launched into eternity. Aaron
Furman died Instantly, but Samuel
Vinccnt's struggles We're fearful and
lasted fully II minutes. Owing to
some lnismanagement the moose was
not properly adjusted on the victims
neck and lie was conscious and was
able to utter 'IIord have mercy upon
my soul, as several who were stand
ing near p0sitivelyaver that they heard
hiln say for the space of several min
utes, and it WAS hot until after s. lad
der had been placed against the scat
fold and some humane man assembled
the ladder and slipped the moose down
until 1t checked him TO death, that the
poor wreteh's snftrrings were ended.
The crowd in attendance was vari-
ousiy estimated Il ftom 5, 900 to 10, 600
persons, most y coiorei, many of whom
seemed to have such an earnest desire
to Wi ness the execution. that they
came as far as 20 miles and were heard
coming into town as early as daylight.
The execution took pleca at precisely
- minutes past II o'clock.