American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-07
HANGING AT COLUMBUS.


In March, 1874, SAYS the indic.-
ment, Green Henry murdered S!egg
Wilson, in this county, near Gale
dOnia. Both were negroes, the for
mer a mu!attO about nineteen years
old. The evidence adducrd showed
that Henry and Wilson had quar-
relied in regard to the curing of a
disease which Henry hal; and
soon afterward Henry followed
Wilson down a road some distance,
and when within fifteen feet of him
shot him through the back of the
head. Wilson eXpil ed without a
word.
On last Friday large crowds of
negroes from the surrounding coun-
tIy began to collect IN town. H.
deed, some came in the night be-
fore and at sunrise on Friday there
were small groups in the icinity of
the jail, awaiting the doom of Green
Henry. By eleven o'clock the open
spaces to the south of the jail, the
doors and windows of the adjacent
stores on the south and east III
Gliding those of the Giiller Hotel,
we're crowded with aH eX.fHs',4t.5
rnallitnde tuul TWO thpvis l5ti
pea had their eyes fixed on ile
gallOws, which was erected within
ten feet of the back door of the jail.
Shortly after IL o'clock Sheriff
Lewis, accompanied by members of
the city papers, of the bar aud th.'
pulpit, proceeded to the Jail to
carry out the sentence of the law.
The rope, IN which John i. Moss
had tied the knot, was hanging from
Ire horizontal beam of the gallOws.
Rev. w. j.. Bouldon, cOlored. and
w. s. Harrison, of the Methodist
Church, accompanied Green Henry
to the scaffold. The former gave
out the hymn, "Show pity Lord, o
Lord forgive" and it was sung by
tue immense throng of negroes
present. AT the conclusion of the
hymn he prayed long and eloquent
~ in behalf of the condemned man.
The prisoner was evidently excited,
but upon permission of the Sheriff,
he addressed the multitude in
loud, clear voice. He expressed his
pl, assure at seeing SO many present.
and said that he was ready TO die.
At this point negro woman in
the Jail yard became wild, shrieked
and fell in fainting tit, and was
carried off.
Henry proceeded to confess his
guilt said he committed the crime
through ignorance, and not because
he had a bad heart hes never had
any parents TO teaci, him right from
wrong; he had lived honestly his
trouble came from his having fallen
Into ii rowdy crowd.
Here he paused to say something
to the Sheriff, and then continued.
tie reiterated his belief that he
would be saved.
Then he shook hands with all Oh
the platform, bidding them good
bye. "Tell 'em,1 were his last
words, "to take my body to my
nOtner."
The muscles of his face quivered,
but the gaze of his eyes was steady.
He wore white pantaloons, and he
was enveloped in IA horrid black
robe that trailed to his feet.
He was clearly aeitated, and his
lips kept moving ia prayer: He
looked around as they were pinning
his hands and feet, and being asked
what he wanted, mentioned the
name of Col. sIeek. Col. Meek
came forward, and Green Henry
babe him adieu.
The cape of the black robe was
drawn fol war.i over the doomed
mans head at twenty minutes past
II o'clock. Quickly the Sheriff and
his attendants stepped from the
platform, deputy jerk ed the lever
that supported the scaffold from
its fasteniugs, and gave the floor OF
the scaffold II kick.
An unearthIy grOan arose from
the thousands of negroes who
ihronged the adjacent walls and
vacant places.
The scaffoid fell with an awful
sound; Green Henry dangI'd ;iu
instant in the air, and then fell full
length on the ground bene9tA 5la-
balcony of riie jail. Us Iybodr
,sas horfihAd ire Sheriff nouiti
sc rce'y move. A surgeon feit RE
pa,lSe IF the fallen man and said i.t- !
was alive. The colored deputy anu
an assistant raised Henry. carr led