Wilmington journal., 1875-09-03
rEsE WELDON BasDGE MURDER


GOD1cs<eS REis a-u,H.
Cornelius Williams, the ncgt" who
was convicted in the Superior Court OF
Northampton county, OF numbering
the old man William Presson, the
Weldon bridgekeeper, several months
ago, was hung at Jackson, the county
seat. on Friday, exactly st 1928, and
died i'll six minutes.
He made an open confession, ac-
knowledging his guilt, AID duplicating
three other Northampton negroes
Alfred Walker, Randall Whitaker and
Ora Alston-in the murder and rob
berry. Seven hundred people We're ou
the ground, and Williams spoke fully
half-hour to the crowd. He acknoW
lodged the verdict just, and concluded
with the hope that he would meet all
his friends in heaven.
The following details Of the execu-
ton we get from the Weldon Ne5cs,
which, after giving the facts connected
with the murder as heretofore publish
ed. says,
Three negroes, Aus tin Hill, Corne-
Illus Williams and Albert Walker were
arrested and jailed. They were tried
before Judge J. L. Henry at special
term held III Northampton county IN
January of this year. Walker was ac-
Quilted and Williams and Hill were
found guilty and sentenced to be hang
ed. The counsel for the accused APP
pealed to the Supreme Court which
sustained the dicision of the lower
Hor
to Judge Watts for a writ of "habeas
corpus" to allow Carnelius Williams to
be sent before the Grand Jury to testi-
fy against other parties whom he
charged with completely Ill the crime.
! The Judge refused the application and
the Solicitor appealtd d to the Supreme
Court and that Court reversed the
Judges ruling. Our readers Know the
examination which followed resulted
in discharge of the parties.
Yesterday was the day appointed for
the hanging of Williams. We went to
Jackson and saw the prisoner in his
cell. He stated that he, Ora Aston,
Elbert Warker and Randall Whitaker
murdered Mr.. Samuel PressOn and
that Austin Hill was not present and
knew nothing about it.
When questioned as to his prepara-
| ton for eterr.Ity he expressed himself
as being prepared to meet his God.
| He dressed and prepared him for the
execution and seemed either inditfer-
ent or confident of happy hereafter.
| Expressed no malice towards any one
said his sentence was Just one and
that he felt he deserved such fate.
At II O'Clock Sheriff NewsOm with
a guard of 80 men together with news
paper reporters, Williams late co1u-
sci, and Drs. Ramsay and McNider
| entered the enclosure surrounding the
| Jail The prisoner was brought forth
IN few mlnntes, dressed in a neat
| linen suit, and was assisted to ascend
| the scaffold which he did with alacri-
| ty aud without embarrassment.
| When asked if he had anything to
say he began by saying that he want
ed to leave the truth to the worlG and
went on to reiterate vii at he had pre-
viously said. He spoke for neariy.or
| quite thirty minutes and then knrlt,and
repeated a portion of the Lords
| Prayer. He exorted his friends to do
better than he had done and to try
| to meet him in Heaven where he said
! he expected to go He then thanked
Messrs. Bowen, Vinson and Matthews
for kindness to him, sent word to his
wife to meet him in Heaven and
closed with the following: 81 hope
to meet all that lcok upon me to-day.
My feet are plucked out of mi tey clay
and planted on solid ground. I'd
rather be with my God fea sting on
milk and honey and telling Him of
the trials and tribulation throug gh which
I've been than to be in this wicked,
sinful world. goodbye my friends,''
the rope and cap were then adjusted at
1:25 2. nj. and the trap sprung by
Deputy J. L. Magee three minutes
latter and Cornelius Wiliif ms, on, of
the murderers of the good old man
Samnel Presson, was So uspended in
mid air. There was only a slight
struggling of the shoulde RS and con-
traction of the muscles of the chest
for about three minutes and all mo-
ton ceased. Drs. Ran isey and Nc
Nider pronounced him de ad at the ex-
piratlon of seven mi nutes and the
body was cut down thr. 20 minutes lat
er and placed in the coffin. Thus
has passed away, by the avenging
hand of justice, a ma VINO was to be
feared of men, one W no was an enemy
to his fellow beings md disagree to
humanity. Austin Hill, the other
convicted Presson murderer, will be
hanged on the 10th of September.