New-York tribune., 1877-05-05
THE DEATH PENALTY.
A TRIPLE EXECUTION.


AT ABBEvILLE SOUTH cAROLINA-rHE CRIME
AND THE TRGAIo-THE SENTENCES or SEVEN
CoNsPIRAToRs CoMMUIED TO IMPRISONMENT
FOR LIFE.
FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE lkIBUNt'l
ABpEyILLE CoURT-HoUsE, s. G., May 4.-Tbis
morning three of the ten IOwndesvile murderers-Wgh
man Allen John Allen, and jenkins Whitner-ehpmtoo
their crime on the gaOws The sentences OF inc other
seven were commuted 90 Imprisonment for life
During the days the early part OF last Decen
ber rumors of the bloody work at LowndcsVule came
from the upcountry and spread Ike wildlre
through the State told that the negro popu-
lation An the Iowndesvlo Township Of Abbeyc County
had risen I'm armed insurrecon under desperate leaders
thnt thoy had rendczyoused In the outskirts OF the village
OF Iowndeave with the horrible purpose OF burning the
town and massacring tho inhabitants; Tint two young
white men, peacefully going 10 their homes IN the oven
ing had chanced ride into gang OF the desperadoos
and had fired at by them that Of tho two Clay
ton Aen had been Killed instantly, end the other named
Baker severely wounded; that Baker rode back to the
village and ;gave the alarm and that but for this op
perfume but dearybought intelligence, the plot OF the
negroes would carried that night Scarcely
had men time 10 express their horror and Indignation ut
the design and ts bloody consequence, when tho tee-
graph brought information OF the second act In the
tragody-how that the nfuriaied whites had captured
10 Of the murdcrcrs and had forthwith lynched
them The first news was bad enough, men thought. al
though the guilty negroes would De doal, with by pro
OF law; but the second news was considered death
blow to tho prospects Of Gov. Hampton and the De
nOcraoy At last the truth ont that the - negroes
were safely lodged in the Wahalla JAIL there 10 await
their trial for murder the January term OF the Abbe
vile Court t WIS learned that the prisoners had been
taken first 90 Anderson Abbeyle jail having been con
sdered an unsafe place tor them and that subsequently
they had been removed to still safer distance, To wal
halla. preliminary examination had been hed before
the local trial Justice he had romandcd them to the
higher Court Of Sessions.
The excitement in Abbeville County seems to have
been wild and intense, especially in tho village OF
Lowndosyle II s said that hundred. Of armed white
men were in the village horseback the forenoon OF
the day after the murder The celanty with Whih the
guilty c0nspraors arrested was wonderful ana the
success was nearly complete Only two of tho party es
capped those two being rngeaGers OF those arrested
one sam Burton took audanum on the way to iail,
and thereby attained the unique celebrity of bong the
only negro ever heard Of who committed suicide The
remaining fourteen were brought To trial In January at
the Abbeyille Court, before Judge Cooke They came
into court without having engaged counsel ana the
Judge appointed four members OF the Abhcyie bar To
take charge OF their ana defend them The jury Sc
lcctcd consisted OF four white and eight c3ored jurors
The trial lasted thrco days, and the COURTROOM WAS
throngcd during the whole tim0 with an eager crown O
white and col0rcd citizens.
The line OF defense taken By their counsel was that the
accused were not guilty OF conspiracy; that they had
killed Allen while ne and Baker were engaged IN com
mitng forcblc and atr0cons crime that In this thcy
were stable; that II tho white men hr'd rst the act
Of tho negroes was homicide dcfeHdcndo; that even
if tie negroes fired frst, and the killing OF Allen
amounted to murder, tho one more who fire
the shots were alone guilty and it behOOyed the
state to fix the guilt the proper parties
The solicitor argued that tho prisoners were
guilty OF conspiracy; that thoy had coniodeFatel
to tako Rhodes from the custody OF the law that III
carrying out this Illegal intent murder had been com
mted and the act and guilt Of one were tho act ana
guilt OF all the members Of the confederation.
After the judges charge. the jury retired at o'clock
D. IN. They stayed in the jury-ro0m until the loho"-
ing morning ut dayhreak. They found two not guilty
ten guilty Of murder virtual part OF the verdict
was a recommendation 10 mercy IN behalf OF SIX ol Ihe
murgcrcs The sentence Of death was passed. ANA the
execution was appointed to take place ON Friday, the
10th OF hril Since that time the cony.cs have lain In
Abl.yiIr County JHii awaiting dcath Oh thc k'HoNs
Ih,y have spent their nc chiefly ih earnest prayers iho
TIE 4iu.iu- Of hymns, ihe praying and SINGING beng
Ht'i W ,i,i,sn ,,' W h o, Gr as Vel as wine
pri itt the ia To sl.r them his lrryi,cs, Du they
would have none OF him Ine Whoc.a.r laaHnF oi ten
iurn yns SEQ ropugUlut to an fccn-. NJ humanity mat
rfcIt Efforts we're made by the I,ome OF AbacvIuo
urury no. behalf OBJ di oi hciV! al "i ii' "''i'N
negroes. IS 70 first consequence, Hampton granted .
respite of two weeks chat hc mghs nnys tas 'o cNnin"
The evidence. His ultimate decision was madc known
y.,.rliy u the communication of seven lD imprisonment
for NE ir the State Prison The decision gave grucu
satisfaction 20 the prup. %. the county ana stne.
TlcrHcCUfiui OF thc uuiorLn9ir th.te tJ,. place 10
I..:O n 3d. to-day T.ey a,crud-ltlc s'liJ'du ll:lp,
url Wishiman Al"n aud JrLkns Wmm'r dr' 'ftI
t.pir iaocenc' for ' criur for which 'hcy were about
30 suffer: there w.s 30 blood on thrF hands. john
Nutu aiuIttgd that hC had tr,d upon iia iu.r who
wore H he'd: Do. WIS 100 tIo hands of Gpi HHd would ~.
tip truth lie declared thar hc did uDi Know Whnt"rtO
f,.i -lil.y or u1t llo utH.,d 7AurI Jones Jog tnc
hururH shown b." BIN dui"5 a.. mn ,"r" " H. H.
urr br.llh.d 'ur I'D Wuurs oi'rr iAr dl"p i'Ij tie
other. di,u -tInt IS. te.r nee having been brohtn ~
tc Ia 30 ts ulu l,JJ' persons Wc.t present, tnrcr-
fluI ih- Of whom ".It white. IU' order Ni. poe .tb
and the crowd dispersed imW'diIriy aHor the bodies
were rIlt down. IHr srNrn VITO 800 narrowly escaped
.L-LLn M-Ln .lA.M Lu Lu- L.m...uL---l lu.--lAl..