The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-16

EXECUTION or PRINCE ROBERTSON AND sAUL
CAMPBELL YESTERDAY.
-

srRNGrIELD, Eihngham County. CAL
May It, 1915.
The village has been to-day the OF just expa~
ton for series or most brutal murders Two colored
men, members OF desperate, bioodthirsty gang OF
coored men, have to-day paid the penalty OF their
crimes with their lives the railowsL About year
ago the county became the Of bold robberes ana
1t shortly became apparent that the county was in
habited by band Of mcrcilecs wretches who, when
pressed took refuge In q dense neghboring ssamp
On the 18th Of January Mr. James H. Cochran, quiet
well-to-do citizen living Eden, small station ON
tho Central road, left home early in tho morning
leaving his wife and daughter, . pretty. winsomc
little child, in charge OF the house. In III . held
by, about dozen negroes, hired farm labores,
we're NJ work. Mr. cochrans son. boy Of about thr-
teen years engaged the railroad
Although Mr.. Cochran's honsc had been robbed In
tho open daylight few days previous pundcrcd OF
great many vauablcs, besides about $500 In money,
he felt uncasiness IL impossible that any,
hing should occur nj the house without being known
TO the ncsrocsn tho field AZ young Cochran re-
turned the house for dinner and entering HIS moth
er's room, struck dumb with horror. The house
had been ransackcd from end 10 the other and In
= corner OF the eastern room lay th. corpscs
OF MS NoriKR AND SISTER WHITENING ~ THEIR HOOD
lie the alarm aud tho ne;hbors soon col
iccted in great force II found that Mrs. Cochran,
besides being badly mutilatcd had been shot twice.
evidently from nrcarm held close to her head. Tho
gri been shot thar shot evidently being
instantly fatal The county y arms and
determined 10 hunt tho Villains down Amos Incs,
powerful and adroit muatto, always accredited as me
leader OF the band. and Prince Robertson. Charles VIII
Hams Henry Green. Daniel Davis and Paul Campbell
suspected OF the crime
Many subsequent crimes followed, evidently the
work Of the Same band who we're hunted Tor weeks by
the entire white population OF the county. Blhes WAS
al length captured in savannah, and being taken back
to this county he shot and killed 10y some of the
gang. At cr 9Th Prince Robertson. Daniel DAVIS aud
Paul Campbell were put on trial Tor the i.ur-
testimony very direct against them, and tho Jury
promptly convicted them. They subsequently became
the subjects OF religious revival and confessed tho
murder. They were exceedingly lovcondltioncd fel-
lows, with not a single good feature They
Of the lowest class OF negroes and were doubt
less led all the enormes they committed by tho
superior address OF Amos Bires, who was man Of
some power
THIS the prisoners Paul Campbell and Prince
Robertson arrived charge Of the Sheriff and accom-
PANIED by a Catholic priest, Father Cullinanc, It
Springfield Court House from Chatham County Jail at
hafpast twelve The procession was formed and
marched TO the gaows. eight miles distant from tho
Court House. guarded 10y tho Eingham County llus-
sars. numbering thirty armed men, In the crowd Ut
the gallows Mr. Cochran husband Of the murdered
woman, who appeared deeply affected Robertson and
Campbell protested their innocence to the last Rober
laid his conviction to the fact that he WAS coloed
man. He said the dewitt had put him up to making
confession Cainpbes father, mother and sister, who
present, besought him to tell the truth. Laying
his hand on his heart he denied all knowledge Of
The crime, and expressed the belief that
he would be chung around Jesus neck"
and Ego straight TO Godn Campbcll's
mother was very much disturbed, but she remained
qnlei, but his SISTERS grief exceedingly violent
and she hung tenaciousIy to her brother In taking
his final leave she WAS weeping bitterly. On his way
20 the scafold Robertson sung.
'lm gwne home to Jesus"
and and anon asserted his innocence. Both men
manifested AN utter indifference on the galows APP
purcntly not realizing their fate.
Campbell had little to say in the final moment and
continued TO call on Jesus to have mercy his soul
Robertson after tho white cap put his
innocence and said tho guilty parties would yet BIO
found
Robertson died easy in about four minutes. Ho gave
his body ~ DR. Norton
Campbell died very hard. He struggled violently and
his legs and feet were convulsed fcariully
Three thousand persons who were present, after the
execution dispersed quietly
Daniel DAVIS has been granted new trial.
Thus closed the last scene vi drama that the
country has surpassed since the exploits OF
the famous Henry Berry Lowery gang in North Caro-
lina-a drama that could hardly have been played
elsewhere than at tho SOUTH with Its impchctrable
swxmps the scene, and It's rich-blooded, brute
passoned negro dcpcredocs rs tho actors.
Daniel Davis the third man convicted, has been
granted trial.