The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-05-10
THE LOwNDEsvILLE MURDERgRs.
Three OF ihesn Executed, anu 40 etti.iaTa
Imprisoned for Life.
from lie -i66eri1ie iiediiium. L !

q
Imprisoned for Life. Z
s from Me .i66eriue ifediium.
On last Friday jenkins Whitner, John
Allen and Wightman Allen paid the
fearful forfeit Of their lives for the mur-
der of Clayton Allen at Lowndesyille ON
Monday night, fourth Of December last.
The public are already so familiar with
the story of this awful crime and tho
speedy punishment that has pursued aud
oyeItaken its brutal perpetrators that ne
need not 60 into any extended rehearsal
of the facts Of the case
In March, 1876, Osborne Rhodes,
copper-coiored negro, came to Lowndes-
vile from Georgia and after "knocking
about" in that community for some time,
ct length succeeded in hiring himself 10
Dr. Spee-, with whom he lived for eight
or nine months. He was q loud-mouthed.
turbulent, pcstilent fellow and soon ac-
qrired sort Of controlling influence over
the conduct and actions Of the Radical
negroes in that community. On the day
before the murder he had difficulty with
his employer about the payment of his
wages, and became so violent in beha-
vlour and made such serious threats that
DIR. Specr prayed the peace against him
in Trial Justice Beckham's court. A.
warrant was issued upon which he was
arrested, and in default of bail he was
confined in the caiaboose at Lowndes-
vile preparatory to his removal to the
Jail at this place on the following day.
During his confinement in the calaboose
he was visited by several prominent col
ored zen TO whom he expressed the fear
that the white people intended to take
him out and kill him that night. He
asked them to collect a croxd for his
rescue from such fate and said that he
would give the alarm by cry of murder.
Among those who were especially active
IN raising this crowd were Peter and viii.
liam Cozby and Wightman Allen. After
perfecting this arrangement Rhodes made
q proposition to Mfr. Pritchard, amember
Of the Lowndesville town council, that if
he was released from the calaboose and
conveyed across the river into Georgia he
would never come back to Lowndeeyille
again. To this Pritchard assented tell
ing him that he would come to the cals-
Goose that night with such an escort as
would insure his safe conduct across the
border. According to agreement Pritch-
ard, accompanied by Clayton Allen and
Theodore Baker, repaired to the calaboose
at about ten o'clock that night. On the
door being opened Rhodes set up q fear
full cry of murder, but upon being assured
by Pritchard that no harm was intended
he became quiet and agreed TO 20 with
Allen and Baker. AS the party an
preached the Presbyterian church, some
hundred yards distant from the calaboose.
they were halted by large band of ne
groes and fired into. Allen fell from his
horse with eight bullet holes through his
body, and Baker was seriously wounded
IN the neck but effected his escape. The
firing party instantly dispersed and the
community was thrown into the widest
state. OF excitement by the news of this
horrid crime. The most yigilant and
active measures were at once taken for
the discovery OF those engaged in the
murdef, ana seventeen negroes were ar
rested for completely in the crime. They
confessed their guilt and were commit
ted to Jail to await their trial for murder
In order to prevent threatened violence.
the prisoners were taken to Anderson and
confined in Jail at that place, and az n
further precaution were thence conveyed
to Walhalla and there kept until the Jan
: uary term of court for this county when
they were put upon trial for their lives.
A jury: composed of four white and eight
colored men WAS entrusted with the case.
and, after protracted trial continuing
J through two days, on Sunday morning,
January l4th, Judge Cooke sentenced the
prisoners to be hung on April 2Otb, Af-
ter the excitement of the late political
campaign had somewhat died away there
, was marked revulsion of public sen.i.
ment as to the execution of the whole
number of the condemned. Petitions.
ntmerously signed, were forwarded to
Governor Hampton and the most active
agencies were set to work in behalf of
the prisoners. Acting upon the sugges-
tions contained in these petitions, the
recommendations of Judge Cooke and t....
earnest solicitations of tho jury that tried
| the case, the Governor respited the SEN
tence of the whole number of the con-
demned until last Friday. A further ex-
animation of the case Influenced the Gov
ernor to commute the sentences of seven
{ OF the condemned to q life time impris.
onmenG In the State penitentiary. These
seven, William johnson, Hutson Cozby,
J Gilbert Barton, Edward Prince. Capers,
, Allen, Eli Hunter and Asbury Allan,
we're taken to Columbic on last fhursdav
, under guard and placed in the peniten-
, tiary--the death sentence as TO the re-
naming three was allowed to stand and
on Friday they suffered the extreme pen-
, atty OF the law.
The parting between these men on
Thursday morning was full of emotion.
, Tears streamed down the swarthy cheeks
, OF the confederates in crime as they bade
each other an eternal farewell Duripe
the day and on Thursday night the wiyeS
and children of two Of the doomed men.
(ehe other, John Allen was unmarried I
were allowed to remain with them in
their cells and the time was pissed in al
sef2Ats so;s;iIs Is and prayer. Far into the
night the voices of the unhappy captivea
hoased out upon the soft spring air, and
now and then spasmodic shout oi
GLORY, halleluiah I" would relieve the
monotonuus petitions for mercy and par.
, don. john Alien alone, of ali the three.
slept. He passed the night as if no crime
rested upon his head-sIept right under
the shadow Of the gallows as If his soul
was not stained with the blood of fellow
human being. Not so with jenkins
Whisner and Wightman Allen the gray
dawn found them on their knees sendinS
up the most pitiful petitions to theii
{ Master that If it were possible he wouId
let this cup pass from them.
On Friday morning there was the bus.
tie of preparation on every hand. The
condemned were attended in their cells
by Revs. Wightman and Pratt and
@axcy, colored, who prayed with the un.
fortunate wretches and administered the