The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-07-27
PUBLIC HANGINGS.

Dhi Dtauley, ueSro, was tried last May
year ago, for the murder of Hamp. Ran
kin, his brother.iu:l Jaw. he was found gull
ty, and sentenced to be hanged on the fourth
Friday in last July, with one Wesley
Brookes, who was convicted of murder at
the same Court and sentenced to be hanged
on the same day. On his way from the
Courthouse to the Jail he said: "When
they hang me, they will hang q ID
good man." A short time before the day
of execution he and Brookos broke Jail it
was strongly suspected at the timo that the
Jallor conveniently forgot to lock and bolt
the doors. Ga the day Of their escape, thoy
broke open and robbed a store on the Port
Royal Railroad,
Brookes was recaptured and hanged last
July. Bradley made his way to Georgia
and was caught in Augusta, short time
before last May court, and lodged in the
Aiken Jail. He was resentencei and expi-
atcd his crime yesterday, under as boiling
sun rs usually visits us in July.
1t is estimated by the Sheriff, the Clerk
OF the Court, and others we'll qualified to
judge, that between two and three thousand
persons were present. There were not more
than four OF five hundred white people,
Of tho negroes, more than one-h half were
women. The prisoner was brought down
from Aiken, Oh the night train Of Thursday.
Next morning he was brought in from Black
vile, anG arrived here about ten O'clock
On his arrival he was taken up to the town
Guardhouse. When the rope was adjusted
around his neck, he was perfectly cool,
walked with quick, firm step, held up his
neck to have the rope properly fixed, and
appeared to be perfectly ready to meet his
fate. AS he reappeared, he was dressed in
a. black pair Of pants and white shirt, no
other covering except white cloth on his
head. The wagon in which tho prisoner
rode, was guarded by the Barnvillc Greys,
aud escorted by the motley crowd of men,
women and children.
When Bradley arrived at the place of ex-
ecution, he assembled the scafold with firm
step, addressed tho crowd, saying he did
kill the man, but that it was in selfdcceuce;
that he had made his peace with God, and
would soon be with jesus. Aftcr he fuish-
CD his short speech, he turned to the Sheriff
and told him to proceed without delay, as
he was anxious to be in the arms Of his Jesus.
lie was knocked off, and after hanging some
twenty or thirty minutes, the doctors pro-
nounced him dead and he was cut down and
buried in the colored graveyard near by.
Now, Is 1t not time to cease these public
executions aud stop the education of this
vicious taste. The universal opinion among
the negroes is, that this murderer has gone
straight to glory. AS [ heard a negro wo-
men say in the presence of several other wo-
man, "thcrc is no doubt he is with God."-
Instead Of an execution being the just
punishment for the violated law, the pris-
oncr is almost an angel; he springs right
from the scaffold to Heaven, and nearly all
of the negroes so away rejoicing in the be-
lief, that soul is saved and good man
has reaped the reward of the just. The ex-
ccuton should be private, and let tho i'm
ag gination do its work.
But that is not all-at least fifteen hun
drcd laborcrs were drawn from the crops at
the most important part of the season, some
of them travelling from twenty to thirty
miles to be present. The cost of this pub
lie execution il! tho loss Of labor is at least
two thousand dollars, to say nothing of the
money spent for provisions and whiskey.-
Is not this of itself powerful argsmenl
against public executions I heard men,
Der of the Legislature say he intended to
Introduce bill to charge each spectator
twenty cents head to witness hanging,
which he thought would support the poor
house Of the county.
Crops are said TO be doing we'll, and one
or two more good rains will secure an abun-
dant yield. The fruit crop is very fine, but
melons are backward. l have not seen a
ripe watermelon in the market.-PErE, in
.Jour. Commcrce.