The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-05-30
GEORGIA HANGING
execution of n egro Fiend for
OutraEing and SIurderinS
a white Woman
Her Brute ola Husband.


Cor. Philadelphia Times
AMERICUs, GA, Nav IS.
On Monday, the 18th of April, the
wife Of John Caraway, a respectable
farmer of Sumter county, was found in
her bed room murdered. To day, lust
one month since the crime was committed,
the murderer was executed. The story
Of the crime, the slight circumstances
that led to his arrest and the swiftness
with which justice moved to MS punish
ment Is a curious one. Mr.. Clraway
left the house at 8 o'clock, his wife 90
ing with him TO the gate. At II o'clock
the country parson called to see the fam
lily, and, upon entering an apparently
deserted house, was astonished to hear
IA horrible, stihed moaning. The moan
ing came from the next room, towards
which a stream of blood led. Upon Ell
tering that room he found Mrs Garaway
lying face downward upon the hearth
stone, her head, crushed into a shapeless
mass, resting in pool of blood. After
some searching large footprint was
found some distance from the back door
in a strip of moist earth. This footprint
started suggestion toward the real crimi-
nal. 1t was such a large track that some
one suggested that it must have been
made by negro named Charles Tom
mey, who was famous throughout the
neighborhood for his immense size. Upon
hearing this suggestion the minister re-
marked that he had seen a very large
negro in the road above the house, who
had plunged into the woods as he APP
preached him. Upon hearing this Mr.
c4,t.l flat FH,,, hoI ham
in his service some four or five years ago,
and that he and TOmmey had had a
quarrel about yearling calf, which had
never been settled. L pom these pieces
Of suggestion two or three of the citizens
determined to ride over and interview
Tommey upon the subject. He lived
about five miles distant. They found
him at home, and, entering, arrested him
without any trouble. He at first denied
bitterly knowing anything OF the muir
der, and the citizens were about to re-
tire, feeling that they had been mlsled
by Il false scent, when one of them sped
a little tin box under the bed that looked
like n cash box. Upon inspection it
proved to be the box that was missing
from Caravans house. The negro be
ing asked to explain how it came into his
D possession, at once made full and pos
tive confession. He said he was drawn
into the killing of Mrs Caraway through
circumstances He was passing by the
house, and noticing that everything was
quiet about the premises thought the
family was absent. The thought at
once struck him that it would be a good
idea to 90 into the house and take
enough money or valuabes to make up
what he believed Mr.. Caraway had swim
died him out of in the trade of the year
ling. When he had gone into the house
he found Mrs Caraway there. 1t was
then, he says, too late to retreat, and
catching Mrs. Caraway with her bacr;
| turned to him, he struck her stunning
blow with the bludgeon he had in his
/ hand. She dropped on her hands, and
! he struck her another blow, completely
| telling her He then hurriedly searched
the house for cash and valuabIes. Just
as he was leaving he heard Mrs. Cara
way groaning, and found that she had
crawled out of the room in which he had
attacked her. lie says he thought 1t
was his duty to put her out of pain, and,
approaching her, struck her five or six
tremendous blows on the skull. The
grooming
She was dead. He says he always liked
her and hated to treat her so badly, but
he was determined to get even with her
husband. He then took his captors into
the woods and showed them where he
had secreted several valuables and the
stick with which he had killed Mrs. Car
away. He was perfectly unconcerned
about his fate, and said he supposed
= they would hang him at once ami that
f he was ready to die. The prisoner was
carried to Americas. Court being in
session at that time, he was arraigned,
tried, convicted and sentenced to be
, hung en- the thirtieth day after the COM
: mission of the crime. In pursuance OF
this sentence he was this day executed.
This morning he confessed to the
| sheriff and others that he had committed
another crime after he had inflicted the
death wound and that he had sold his
/ body to the physicians for three dollars.
The husband of Mrs. Caraway, who was
1 present at the execution, bought to-day
a license for second marriage. Much
. indignation is expressed thereat.