The New York herald., 1877-03-17
Tragic Close of a Long Career Of Law
Iessness and Bloody Crimes.
7 H E ST sCEN f
Confession Of the Culpriis on the ScaffOld and
Their Words Of Warning.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
IpY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. ]

AIKEN, $. c., March 16 1871.
The four negrocs-Adam Johnson, Nelson Brown,
Lucus Thomas and John Henry Dcnns-who murdered
Rudolph Hausman and Fritz Portman near this place
in November last, hanged here to-day In the yard
to the Court House aud jail, in presence OF
crowd Of about four thousand people OF both races
both ana all ages The hlth criminal, Steve
Anderson was rcspited for thirty days by Governor
Hampton, upon made TO him that evil
dence existed which tended modify his crime. The
prisoners themselves entirely religious
their last attempt escape frustrated
and their last hours yesterday and to-day were spent
Ia communion with two faithful clcrgymen OF their
own race All having lately proiesscd conversion the
rtc of baptism administered in tho jail yesterday
under very peculiar conditions as TO Johnson and
Brown, both OF whom being fathers OF large families
born out OF wedock, required by the attendant
ministers solcmnize their marriage with tho moth
ers of their children prior to baptism which core
mony was duly performed yesterday in the
cells OF the condemned. Quite protracted relg-
ious services were held in the jail this morn
ing during which the Sheriff and his deputies
perfected tho details for the execution ourfod
galows Of novel and ingenious construction. to the
entertainment and instruction OF u somewhat impa-
tcnt crowd At eleven O'Clock the four prisoners ap-
pcarcd, clad Ia long white cotton garments. their
shrouds in effect unshod and proceeded by the officers
Of tho law, with the two minister's and escorted by
we'll armed miltamcn, part OF the battalion OF l25
drawn up in line to keep back tho throng and to
rcpel any attempt at rescue which was threatened
and feared.
MARCH.
The corcge advanced to the scalod. The prisoners
wcro chained two and two, and sang funeral
hymn as they marched, which dismally echoed by
tho hystercal cries Of many colored women in the
crowd Having ascended tho scafTold their manaces
ioosened, and each man was placed In position
the trap, and under the fatal loops which swayed
to and about thoir heads The huge engine OF death
twenty feet leng and sixteen feet high and
upon this grim platform tho CHASTITY figures OF tho
doomed mon and those Of the Sheriff. hts assistants
and tho two preachers stood in sharp relief against
the cloudlcss sky. Tho crowd hushed to silence
in the awful presence of death, and then was heard
again the trembling tones of the miserable men rs
they sang the hymn
Como ye that love the Lord
as lined out by one Of the preachers Following this
was the reading Of impressive religious SERVICE
Then the prisoners psrited to address the vast
throng. =, e
wHIsKEY. BAD COMPANY AND THE scAPFoLp.
Their remarks we're briet, of solemn import. All
| were to the same general purport, that whskcy and
bad company had brought them to their dreadful oDd.
| All protcssed the lrmest belief in their salvation
| through Jesus Christ
| johnson, the ringleader Of the gang betrayed no
| emotion.
Nelson Brown denied participation in tho church or
house burning, but confessed the murder OF tho
two Germans He did not he said dread death, but
| he hated to die as murderer.
Dennis said he present at the murder, but
claimed his hands clear OF blood. He pcr
suadcd by Johnson and must suffer this anguish with
him.
Thomas said he had been called to the gospel min
istry, and attributed his and shameful death
having neglected tho CALL He confessed, for the drst
time, that had dealt one OF the murdcrous blows
This most affected Of the four, and laughed
and played with the rope painful aIcctation ot in
difference.
THE SCENE.
At the conclusion of their remarks III cir arms and
feet pinioned, all preserving tho most remarkable
stolidy of demcanor Johnson then bade farewell to
different spectators whom he recognized, the black
caps wero adjusted the Sheriff shook hands
with them ALL and the attendants descended from tho
PLATFORM Tho sheriff followed and the last step
quickly and Unexpectedly touched the trigger with his
loot Precisely the thud OF falling tmbcrs fell
DULY the ear and the four CHASTITY figures dropped
sudden y and tho length OF their ropes
iOur feet or moreand death claimed ts prize at tho
hands 0f justified law
Brown and Tnomas died Instantly, their nccks
broken by the fali. johnson and Dennis struggled
slightly Tor IA few moments the knots having slipped
each instance, ana tnen all were Still leu
later the attending ply sIcan pronounced life exnct
Thirty minutes later the bodies were cut down and de-
livercd to their friends for burial
! McEvoy, the wnite murderer, was, at his own re-
quest unclaimed ana permitted 70 view the execution
| IRON the window OF his CELL
! QUEER THEoLoGy
Therc.is touch horrible humor in the fact that
OF the colored minister's seriously objected to An.
dcrson rereve on the ground that having been con-
verted IN hts extremity no was now surc OF heaven
and should be executed before he could possibly
cnange his mind
IA long list of capital crimes cxpiatcd by the
death OF these tour cuprs day ut the hands that
law they had icarlcssly dencd It's story, as de-
from their own confessions, shows with what re.
morseicss deliberation tho murdcrcrs planned
, their deeds Of horror, particularly that Tor
which they were al length convicted ana
executed OF that tragic occurrence the following
is record. On the morning of November OF last
year the community OF Aiken shocked ut the tid-
ings that triple crime had been committed tho pre-.
vious nipnt spot about live miles from town. Two
cstimabe German citizens had been murdered, their
money yuluablcs apd other property stolen and their
home with the bodies lett lying IN II, burned down for
the purpose OF conceaing the crime. The murdered
> men were wcll-,o-do Germans who came 10 the
country about seven years ago Tor the purpose oi
rccupcratinG their health. They purchased land, built
II mill and made other valuable improvements. The
elder Rudolph Hausmann about sixty years OF age,
Q and the Younger FrItz Pormann, about twenty nvo
Pormann conducted the business and acted as general
agent Tor Hausmann They were unmarried, and oc-
cupied small one story house together The nearest
person to them was a white man, also employed
at the mill. who lived about three hundred yards oil
When he went to his work the morning III question
he the house burned 10 the ground and the
II OOucs OF TWO men lylnR near thc uoor,
with an axe by their heads No shot mad been heard
and this man, VINO had been awake until late hour
had neither heard nor seen anything 10 alarm him
v during the night
Suspicious long entertained were fixed upon certain
). negroes living an irregular KIND OF Ie on the out
Il skirts OF the town. Vigorous search, promptly inst
tutod discovered some OF the property OF tho mur
; dcrcd men, including the schuctzen uniform of tht
Ii younger. together with his pistol, shotgun
Il and other articles, which had been hidden
0 away two VI the houses. In eacf
j. house IRON one to three army rifles, such al
wcro issued to tho colored militia OF tho state were
: also found secreted A coroner's Jury was soon im
, paucllcd and after investigation lasting hvc days
s and conducted In the most deliberate manner, yer
dict wns rendered finding that the two men had cone
n 10 their death by tho hands Of Adam johnson, ant
that Nelson Brown John Henry Dennis, Lucius Thomas
# and Solomon CAN'T present. aiding and abetng