The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-03-19
nj IS g eLIane Gus.
THE TAYLOR MURDER.
EXECUTION OF JOSHUA GRIFFIN.

EXECUTION OF JOSHUA GRIFFIN.
On Friday last, near Bel Air, TIN
colored man, Joshua Griffin, suffer
ed the extreme penalty of the law, dealt
by hanging. His crime was the murder
in broad daylight, of Miss Susan Taylor
a lady As years of age, by whom he hat
been reared, and with whom he had LIVED
until he grew to mans estate. The muir
der was committed in the stable yard or
Miss Taylor's farm, near Aberdeen, Har
ford county, on the 18th of October, 1874
exactly five months ago. The weapon USED
was o thick club, wrenched from cat
tie rack. Armed with this weapon the
murderer laid in wait for his victim, and
when she came into the yard sprang from
his hiding place, and before she was aware
of his presence struck her twice or oftenel
over the head, telling her to the ground
He then completed his work of murder by
choking the lady until she died. At the
| November term of court, 1874, after tri.
| al which lasted bat one day, he was con.
victed, the evidence against him being
very clear. He was defended by G. w
Richardson, ESQ; the interests of The
State being represented by its Attorney, ]
7. G. Hopkins, Esq. The following is the
jury b. fore whom the case was tried, and
who pronounced him guilty:
Louis w. Bryant, Abel d. Wilson, VIM
r. Wallace, James Irwin, VIM. Swift, Rog-
er Street,, Frank Macatce, James A. Spi,
Ger, James A. Waters, Thomas Beaumont
DR.. Robert Dickcy and Samuel Street,
THE MORNING OF THE EXECUTION.
Griffin having slept soundly the night
before, rose at six A. NJ, on Friday
Shortly afterwards his breakfast was taken
to him by Archer Jarrett, son of the
Sheriff. II consisted Of hot rolls, coffee
sausage and glass of Wine lie ate it
with apparent relish, and upon being ask
ed il he wanted anything more, said
Eyes, give me my liberty, and l will be
fixed" His spiritual adviser, Rev. David
S. Baker, colored, then came into the cell,
and prayed and sang with him, Griffin's
voice sounding out full and strong with
that of the preacher.
FULL CONFESSION.
Griffin has all along from the day of his
conviction, last November, until Thursday
protested his entire innocence. lie even
denied most positively having been in
Miss Taylor's house at all. The day be-
fore his execution, when asked by re-
porter how he explained the fact, sworn to
so positively by witnesses, that lie was
seen to leave the house after the murder,
he replied that he had nothing to say upon
that subject. Later in the day, however,
lie gave the following letter to Jacob
Brown, colored friend who had visited
him, with the charge that it was net to be
made public until after his death. The
following is 4 copy
"February 18th, 1875.
"Kr. Jacob BiOcH:
81 have seated myself to day for to write
you few lines to let you know what you
asked me to tell you, and l will tell you
that Joshua Griffin did kill the lady; but
remember, / say that they did not see me
jump out of the window. There is not one
seen me. No man seen me come out of
the house. will tell you that did not
kill the lady for money. 1t is because she
came very near being the cause of my
death when l was little boy. Well, |
will close by saying, have no more to say,
Mr.. Brown"
On the other side OF the paper We're writ
ten the following sentences from the BIZ
BILE:
"Let not your heart be troubled yc be-
lieyc in God, believe also in Me-
SIN my Fathers house are many man
sions. If it were not so | would have told
you. | go to prepare place for you. If
go and prepare place for you, | will
come again and receive you unto myself,
that where am there ye may be also"
hn 1nf al f,,rn
handwriting and spelling were better than
might be expected from a person in his
condition in life.
Griffin has been visited constantly and
regularly by Rev. David S. Baker, colored
Presbyterian preacher and also, at inter-
walls, by the clergymen Of various other
denominations
When Sheriff w. b. Jarrett and his
deputy, Geo. r. Cairnes, with the jailor,
Mr.. Isaac C. Pyle, went in to prepare him
for execution, the Sheriff said Joshua,
this is dreadful thing for you to die with
lie on your lips. If you killed Miss
Taylor you ought to confess it." Griffin
said: II amt goin' to die with a lie on my
lirs. killed her-but did not kill her
for money. Miss Susan had a quarrel with
me and she got her brother, Mr.. Henry
Taylor. to whip me, and he jumped on me
and with knife in his hand threatened to
kill me-and I swore would kin her."
The Sheriff called in Rev. David S. Baker,
the colorcd Presbyterian preacher, who had
been Grifiin's spiritual adviser, to hear the
admission Of guilt which the condemned
man had never yet made to any white per.
son. Griffin repeated his confession, re.
ha I'm II
not for money. Miss Taylor had been
beaten with club over the head. and fin
ger marks were found on her throat as
though she had been stranglcd. Medical
experts on the trial thought she had been
strangled to death. Griffin said neither
the first nor second blows of the club kill
ed her, but knocked her down. The whip
ping given him by Mr.. Henry Taylor, he
sqiu, occurred a short while before the MUIR
der.
THE PROCESSION TO THE GALLONS.
At about quarter before nine o'clock
in the morning the prisoner was taken from
his cell, and lifted into covered express
wagon. His hands were manacled, but
the irons were concealed by n long black
muslin gown, which, partly covered his per-
son.
His appearance, as he was placed in the
wagon, was perfectly cool and self.possess-
ed, showing not the slightest emotion. He
was accompanied in the wagon by Rev.
David s. Baker and Deputy Sheriff Pyle.
Two mounted deputies, VIM. L. Cooley
and John G. Hanna, led the van. Next
followed Sheriff Jarrett, with DIR. E. Hall
Richardson, in n buggy. Then came
Deputy Sheriff Carines, with one Of the
newspaper reporters. A detachment Of
special deputies followed them, the wagon
containing the prisoner coming next
| 1t was succeeded Ivy another detachment