The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-05-09
The Press and Banner.
Wednesday. May 9, 1877.
A Sufficiency Of Blood.
THE SCENES IN THE LAST ACT OF
TIE JUDICIAL TRAGEDY.

THE SCENES In The LAST AGT Gf
TIE JUDICIAL TRAGEDY.
ONE THOUSAND WHITE sMEN
ON THE GROUND.
The Majesty of the Law INDICATED
The case of the ten prisoners condemn.
ed to be hung for the killing of Mr.. Clay
ton Allen, on the public highway near
the Presbyterian church, III the village OF
Lowndesville, on the night of the 4th OF
December last has excited more or less
interest and occasioned more or less com
ment in every quarter OF the Union
Many eyes have been watching the result
of this most wonderful and interesting
case. Never in the history of Abbevillc
has a case of like interest occurred reflect
ing so many shades Of opinion. The
Lowndesville section with a few notable
exceptions have signed petitions to the
Executive praying him not to intcrpoSC
any objection to the execution of the
whole number. \ petition of this kind
is deemed most extraordinary and is per-
haps the first of the kind that ever went
to the Executive of South Carolina.
From Abbeville q petition numerouSly
signed, asking a communication Of the death
sentence of the whole, to imprisonment
in the penltentiary for life, went to the
Governor few days before the execution
was to take place, while letters giving
every conceivable shade of expression,
poured into the office of the Executive.
The Governor manifested the great
est anxiety in reference to the matter and
every letter and petition II all the evil
dence was read by him until he was per-
fectly familiar with the contents of all
the letters and all the facts brought out
in the trial. He requested tho Attorney
General to read the evidence carefully
and make q recommendation. The petit
ton from Abbcville for the communication
of the sentence of the whole was highly
appreciated by the Chief Executive.
The action Of the Governor and his Cx-
treme anxiety in reference to the matter
cannot fail to receive the appreciation and
c~ommendation of the whole people. He
certainly was disposed to be mcrciful,
and would himself have felt that the
majesty of the law would have been
vindicated by the hanging of John Allen,
the man who confessed to having fired,
but from the evidence of the guilt of the
OtlSIS anu III ItlCTSutC " lIlS oplIllollS vi
others, he committed the sentence of on
ly seven.
F FOR THE PENITENTIARY.
On Thursday morning last the Sheriff
under guard, sent Asbury Allen, Capers
Allen, HutSon Cozby, Gilbert Burton,
William Johnson, Eli Hunter, and Ed
win Prince to the Penitentiary i'll obcdi-
ence to the order of the Governor, who
Inl pr,y,ntal THAR 1a0th Sprrtn,ra TN
Imprisonment for life. 1t was not gen.
orally known that the sentence of any
had been committed, and the prisoners
themselves had no intimation of the ac-
ton of the Governor until W. hours
before the departure of the train that
morning. Fol- this reason but few of the
friends of the prisoners were present to
bid them adieu, before taking their final
departure from the scenes and friends
who shall know them here nc more. The
wives of William johnson and Edwin
Prince were here and saw them of. The
wives Of Asbury Allen and Gilbert Bur-
ton were not here. Asbury's father came
running to the Depot, but the cars moved
off before he arrived. The old man being
in sight,, ASburr shouted, Farewell IA
thcr; don't gricve for me- Gilbert Bur
tons mother came to the village WedncS-
day and was with him Thursday until
eleven o'clock at night, INC when she
took her departure knew nothing OF the
communication of her sons sentence.
Next morning when she came back there
was n conlnOti0n among the prisoners
and their friends as the announcement
had Eeen made that some of them were
to be taken TO Columbia. Jenk Whit
ner's wife screamed and fell upon the
floor when she learned that her husband
was not going.
PICTURE OF SADNESS.
The separation III Jail, the departure OF
the seven to DO immured for life n the
lonely dcsolation Of the three who re-
manned to be executed, made a picture OF
sadness; and sorrow which touched the
stoutcSt hearts. Many, unused to the
10 their sources, and all were sottencd,
and we believe at that moment re-
GREETED that it was necessary to execute
any OF them.
CREDlTABLE TO HIS HEART.
When the brothers Allen separated in
Jail, they embraced, and Asbury who
was heard said he would prefer to remain
and share the fate of his brothers. 1t
seems to us as %creditablc, as it is touch
ing, that the Aliens, the former masters
of these people, refused all opportunities
to sign petitions for their execution, al.
though they had killed their kinsman,
That shows what a tie there is between
the colored people and their old masters.
There were few colored people at the
depot, but he platform was well filled
with curious white men, who had assem-
bled to see the last of the sevel more for.
tunate of the prisoners.
KINDLY FEELING y GRATITUDE.
Before his emancipation Wightman
Allen was the slave Of Mr.. James Allen,
Il highly respectable citizen of the vi
entity of the town Of Lowndesrillc, and
was named for Bishop Wightman. the
father Of Rev. Mr.. W%ightnlar Of oui
village. He was \ bright mulatto, aged
% years. He leaves q wife, Mary Jane
and three children, who shared his eel
the night before the execution. He rep
resented that he suffered greatly from the
wounds which he received at the time OF
his capture. He had an arm and Il ril
broken, but always said that he suffered
most from injuries in the bowels the
result OF blows or kicks. He said il
made little difference to him if he was
hung, as he thought he would not live
long any how. But as far as We were
able to see on Thursday morning, he
showed more feeling than any Of the ten.
At N time, just before the departure OF
those whose sentences had been colnmu-
ted, he threw his face on his arms on the
cross bar of the door Of his cell and wcpt
like a child. He always remembered in
the most grateful manner the kindness
received from his former young master,
Mr.. Preston Allen, to whom he was great
ly indebted for substantial fayors, and
who at the time Of his arrest, he thought,
saved his life by throwing his arms
around his neck.
JOHN ALLEN CONSIDERED DULL.
John Allen was a brother of Wightman
Allen, aged about twenty-one years and
n single man. He was of u ginger cake