Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-16

Lp LeNlsi tne. enerlui toat ne ought 70
keep a nicer Jail" A moment aherward
his head dropped on his breast, and he
swayed to and fro. %mournfully ejsculat-
ing, 20 Lord thisis dreadful, dreadful
he said be had never killed any one be-
fore, though he had shot q white man By
the name Of Hsrbell, in Fayette county,
Tenn. A fearful scar across his back,
under the shoulder-blade, showed that
be had seen service somewhere.
Sheriff Lewis approached the prisoner
about IL m. and asked him if he would
walk to the gallOws, about two hundred
yards distant, or would he cut up aud
have to be hauled. he answered, 90,
l will walk; l have no cutting up to do"
Captain Lewis said that was right; that
it would do him no good, as he was
bound to hang him, though he hated it
almost as bad as the prisoner did. The
prisoner answered. Yes, l know that,
Sheriff Lewis, and all the officers have
been very good to me-"
At 1920 ?. m, Melton was taken from
the Jail, escorted by a very strong
guard, and walked to the scAffold. Here
about 1000 persons, mostly colored,
were present, aud the greatest interest
was manifested ia every minutie of the
proceedings. The scafold was such a
one as that upon which Frank Scott was
hung in Memphis, in 1876, except that
the trap was supported by a rope passing
under it and fastened to the large sup.
ports on each side. The prisoner was
clad in a black alpaca coat, dark cassi-
mere pants, neat shoes, aud white linen
bosom shirt, furnished by Captain Lew
is. Standing on the trap, with the rope
dangling at bis side, he was asked by
Captain Lewis il he had anything to sag,
and he said that he had not. Prayer was
then offered by the Rev. Dunlap, an
aged colored minister, who first asked all
present to pray for the prisoner. He re.
marked that =" this poor condemned, dy.
ing prisoner vas not prepared to 90 be
has no friend to support him through the
dark valley and shadow Of death" The
prayer that followed was earnest and sup,
plicatory, and hundreds of hearty
"amens" went up from the throng OIL
spectators. The prisoner continually
prayed for mercy on this his Judgment
day" The minister and the crowd then
sang, with wonderful solemnity and pa
thos, Come, guilty soul, and fee away
The knot was tied, aud just as the
black cap was being adjusted, the pris
oner asked for permission to talk. which
was granted. Speaking in a loud, firm
tone, be said:
am IN here TO be hung, but | an
bought. Whisky did the work for me;
expected the penitentiary, but not thu
g%allows, / was only contending for M
rights, and will not advise any one pres
ent to act differently. If any white mar
here to-day should kill another about biz
wife be would not be hung" Here hi
tone grew boisterOus, naughty and def.
ant. And if ! had koeeled to every
body, and suffered myself to be cufeC
} and kicked about like a dog, / woulC
|. have been roaming the woods o.day &
free man. No, sil ] am not going to tel
you all not to fight for your rights, like
have done. ! never was a coward, anC
always intended, when the time came, t
die like a man. | want to tell you al
, who is to blame for my trouble. 1t is ole
man Chase, the stsp-father Of the man
killed. God knows | will speak thu
truth now, for | have one foot in thu
grave. Old Chase and his wife karboreC
my lawful wife at their house and would
not let me see her, just on account o
their son and once when | went for be.
old Chase took q Shotgun and told me tC
90 away or he would give me wife | hop
, God will have mercy on him for it,
want all this put in the papers"
Here the prisoner paused, and Captain
Lewis, thinking him done, began 10 draw
down the black cap. The prisoner asked
for more time, but Captain Lewis, be
lieving from the prisoners manner tina
be had some faint hope Of melting
mob, aud thereby effecting an escape
told him that the time was up, and i'm
mediately pulled the cap over his face
There was an awful silence of a sec
ond, followed by grosnings from thc
multitude. Women turRed and run tb,
other way; some screamed and appa
rently tainted away, aud theu, just a
the prisoner began to say, II don't ad
wise others to"-a sharp instrument il
the hands OF Captain Lewis severed the
rope that held the trap, and at precisely
ffty.Seven minutes past twelve O'clock
the body wa dangling in the air. The
rope had been tied too long, and th'
body had a fall OF near six feet, his toes
Just resting on the ground. Severa'
present, who were neal enough to see
thought that he was actually standing OF
the ground, and would have to be taken
up aud hanged again. But there was nj
sign Of life, saw a Quiveriug Of thu
limbs, and be hung for a moment jus.
as be had fallen. Then two or three
deputies gently lifted the body from tbs
ground, and in an instant the rope wa
cut above aud shortened six inches By
Captain Lewis.
When it was discovered that the fest
=