The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-09

Him who has promised us, "though GU
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow and though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool" At ten
minutes past eleven Sheriff Jones pre-
coded them
ASCENDING THE STEPS OF THE sCAF-
OLD
Wightman Allen, John Allen and Jcnk
Whitncr followed in the order in which
they are named. Wightman taking posi-
ton by the side of the first rope which
hung dangling from the beam above,
John Allen halted beside the next, and
Jenk Whitner stood near the third
and last cord. AS Jenk assembled the
scatfold he spoke quite audibly: THANK
God; Jesus is my Saviour \ second OF
DEATH-L1KE STIFFNESS
followed, all eyes looking intently at
the Sheriff and the three doomed men,
who who stood like statuary. Cast
ing a look at the prisoners and then turn
ner which could not have failed to send Il
thrill through the heart of every nearer
THE SHERIFF SAID:
"My friends I do not think it nccessa-
rv under the present circumstances, 10
ask YOU to give these unfortunate men 4
respectful hearing. Wightman Allen
will speak first.
wIGHTMAN ALLEN,
is the man at whose house these negroes
assembled. He in Il clear n distinct
voice spoke, as follows:
Jesus Christ says that whoever COM
eth unto him shall not De cast away.
You all should take warning by my
l-.I +L,t ,n,t !, hn rnnIy IN moot
Christ. You should pray that he may
keep Your feet in the right path, and you
should think more of your Saviour than
of YOUR friends. My friends are the oc-
casion of my being here to-day. 1t is my
friends and associates that have caused
my disgrace and death. I am cruciticd
rs my Saviour was crucitied. / don't
know what I am here for. / was not
there when the crime was committed and
this thing is going to stare you i'll the
face. God knows the heart, and 1 call
upon him to witness what | say, when l
tell YOU that, l did nothing. May God
save you for the Redecmer's sake.
Amen
JENk wHITNER
who was a Lieutenant in the militia COM
pany, and prominent in the organization
of the conspiracy spoke next, as follows:
""Thank God, l am able to stand before
you to warn you to flee from the wrath to
come. l pray God to meet you around
the throne of God. You have all got to
come to this sooner or later. Here l am.
1 wish all who are now standing around
this last solemn scene to look upon me:
Remember the words Of this poor dying
man. am accused of many things, but
1 am gong before God with no mans
blood on my hands. Jesus have mercy
on us this day. Bless my friends. May
they realize the condition of their situa-
ton. MAY God bless you all. Remem-
Der my friends to let this be q warning
to you all.
-"thls clay must be your bed,
In spite of all your towers
The tall, the wise, the reverend head.
Must lie as low as ours"
I have beer imploring Jesus to wash
are forgiven. can smile at my coffin. l
am not afraid to look at it. Meet me on
Canaan's happy shore. May God save
you and me. .
81 give my respects to MI. Jones and
his family They have been kind to us.
l do not blame him, and l know my Re-
dcemer will not charge him with what he
is going to do. l am innocent, thank
God. May God bless and save you ALL"
JOHN ALLEN,
who ii was proved, had fired his gun on
that fatal night, and who also acknowl-
edged the fact, now said.
my friends: / am here in the hands
of God. l was led into this. l did not
know what l was going to do. will tell
the truth before my Saviour, and l call
upon him to witness what l say. I fired
and run, but I do not know what ! did,
/ but l know that l run 1 don't know
whether to feel that l am clear Of that or
not. You must pray for me. l want to
meet you III heaven.' Blessed be God. is
the prayer OF his poor and unworthy SER
want"
II LAST CEN
These remarks finished, the Sheriff
placed the ropes around the necks of the
doomed men during which perfect 81
lence was observed by the spectators and
principals i'll the last scene, in the last act
of this judicial tragedy. When the ropes
were adjusted, the Sheriff in turn let fall
the black cap over the face of each,
which shut out forever from their vision
the sunlight of heaven. AS he turned to
descend the steps, Jenk alone broke the
painful silence saying: "When / fall l
want to fall in the arms but before
he had finished speaking the Sheriff
touched the trigger of the platform and
they fell with Il heavy thud, having paid
the penalty of the crime Of which they
had been charged.
THE DEATH STRUGGLE.
The two Aliens died instantly, but
Jcnk struggled ard breathed for several
about twentya& Minutes after the drop fell.
At twelve o'clock, after the bodies had
been hanging for thirty minutes Drs.
T.. Parker, .. =. Hawthorn and JIG. John
son pronounced them dead. The ropes
were cut and the corpScs lowered into
their collins. Sheriff Jones announced
that the friends might have the bodies if
they desired, and if they were not claim
cd before ten o'clock tomorrow that he
would proceed to bury them ut that hour.
THE PRISONERS DRESS.
They were clothed in new suits of
North Carolina Jeans and white gloves,
which the Sheriff had furnished them.
They came to the scatfold in their new
socks without the shoes which had also
been furnished. They said that they
preferred for
THEIR WIVES TO HAVE THEIR SHOES.
And requested the Sheriff to be allow
cd to give them to the compani ,ns OF
their bosom. They said ''thc shoes
would do them no good and they knew
their wives would not take them III after
they were dead"
WHAT BECAME OF THEIR BODIES.
Jenk Whitner's friends requested the
Sheriff to send his body to Anderson,
which he did, but the friends Of the two
Aliens made no request for their remains.
The colored citizens of the village refused
to allow the bodies of these poor creatures
a resting place in their cemetery, and OF
course, the Sheriff had to look elsewhere
for a more friendly piece Of clay in which
he might lay them. He put them under
the sod Of the Jail yard, where they will
sleep as soundly beneath the blazing
MONDAY sun, as they would under the
shade of the signing pines, and where
they will be as ready, in their unmarked
graves, to respond, on that great day, to
the sound of the trumpet as if they had
slept beneath s%culptured marble.
Hypeneal.
On Thursday last W. c. Benet, Esq,