The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-22
A oUADRUpLE EXECUTION.
Four Negroes Hung for the Murder Of
Two Germans.
Tragic Close of Long Career Of Law
lessness and Bloody Crimes.

Two Germans.
Tragic Close of Long Career Of Law.
lessness and Bloody Crimes.
t-. Correspondence Of The New York Herald.
AIKEN, S. c., March 16, 1877.
The four negroes-Adam johnson,
Nelson Brown, Lucius Thomas and John
Henry Dennis-who murdered Rudolph
Hausman and Fritz Portman near this
place in November last, were hanged
here to-day in the. yard common to the
Court House and Jail, in presence of
crowd of about four thousand people of
both races, both sexes and all ages. The
fifth criminal, Steve Anderson, was respi-
ted for thirty days by Governor Hamp-
ton, upon representations made to him
that evidence existed which tended to
modify his crime. The prisoners have
devoted themselves entirely to religious
affairs since their last attempt to escape
was frustrated, and their last hours yes
terday and to-day were spent in commun-
ion with two faithful clergymen of their
own race. All having lately professed
conversion the rite of baptism was ad'
ministered in tho Jail yesterday under
very peculiar conditions as to johnson
and Brown, both of whom being fathers
of large families born out of wedlock,
were required by the attendant ministers
to solemnize their marriage with the
mothers of their children prior to bap.
tism, which ceremony was duly performed
yesterday in the cells of the condemned.
Quiet protracted religious services were
held in the jail this morning, during
which the Sheriff and his deputies per-
fected the details for the execution upon
a fourfold gallows of novel and ingenious
construction, to the entertainment and
instruction of a somewhat impatient
crowd. At eleven o'clock the four pris-
oners appeared, clad in long white cotton
garments, their shrouds in effect, unshod,
and preceded by the officers of the Law,
with the two ministers, and escorted by
six we'll armed militiamen, part of the
battalion of 125 men drawn up in line to
keep back the throng and repel any at.
tempt at q rescue, which was threatened
and feared.
THE DEAD MARCH.
The cortege advanced to the scafold.
The prisoners were chained two and two,
and sang funeral hymn as they marched,
which was dismally echoed by the hys-
terical cries of many colored women in
the crowd. Having assembled the scaffold
their manacles were loosened, and each
maa was placed in position on the trap,
and under the fatal loops, which swayed
to and fro about their heads. The huge
engine of death was twenty-four feet long
and sixteen feet high, and upon this grim
platform the ghastly figures Of the doomed
men and those of the Sheriff, his assist
ants and the two preachers stood out in
sharp relief against the cloudless sky.
The crowd was hushed to silence in the
awful presence of death, and then was
heard again the trembling tones of the
miserable men as they sang the hymn,
"Come ye that love the Lord!'
as lined out by one of the preachers.
Following this was the reading of an
impressive religious services. Then the
prisoners were permitted to address the
vast throng.
wHIsKEY, BAD COMPANY AND THE sCAF-
= FOLD.
Their remarks were brief, but of solemn
import. All were to the same general
purport, that whiskey and bad company
had brought them to their dreadful end.
All professed the frmest belief in their
salvation through Jesus Christ.
johnson, the ringleader of the gang,
betrayed no emotion.
Nelson Brown denied participation in
the church or house burning, but con-
fessed as to the murder of the two Ger
mans. BE did not, he said, dread death,
but he hated to die as murderer.
Dennis said he was present at the muir
der, but claimed his hands were clear of
blood. He was persuaded by Johnson,
and must suffer this anguish with him.
Thomas said he had been called to the
gospel ministry, and attributed his crimes
and shameful death to having neglected
the call. He confessed, for the first time,
that he had dealt one of the murderous
blows. This man was most affected of
the. four, and laughed and played with
the rope in painful affectation of indiffer-
ence.
THE LAST SCENE.
At the conclusion of their remarks
their arms and feet were pinioned, all
preserving the most stolidity of demean-
or. johnson then bade farewell to diff
ferent spectators whom he recognized, the
black caps were adjusted, the Sheriff
shook hands with them all, and the at
tendants descended from the platform.
The Sheriff followed, and on the last step
quickly and unexpectedly touched the
trigger with his foot. Precisely at noon
the thud of falling timbers fell duly on
the ear, and the four ghastly figures
dropped suddenly and simultaneously the
length of their ropes-four feet or more
and death claimed its prize at the hands
ofjusti6ed law.
Brown and Thomas died instantly,
their necks broken by the fall, Johnson
and Dennis struggled slightly for few
moments, the knots having slipped in
each instance, and then all were still.
Ten minutes later the attending physi-
clan pronounced life extinct. Thirty
minutes later the bodies were cut down
and delivered to their friends for burial.
McEvoy, the white murderer, was, at
his own request, unclaimed and permitted
to view the execution from the. window
of his cell.
QUEER THEOLOGY.
There is touch of horrible humor in
the fact that one of the colored ministers
seriously objected to Anderson's reprieve,
on the ground that having been converted
in his extremity he was now sure Of
heaven and should be executed before he
could possibly change his mind.
THEIR CRIME.
A long list of capital crimes was ex-
plated by the death of these four culprits
to-day at the hands Of that law they had
so fearlessly defed. Its story, as derived
from their own confessions, shows with
what remorseless deliberation the MUIR