Orangeburg news and times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1875-1877, 1877-05-19
TIE HANGING IN ABBEVILLE.
A Moro Detailed Account of
the Solemn Scene.
The Last Speeches of the Doomed Men.

day whereon such of the Lowndesyille
prisoners rs had not had their scnten-
ces commuted were to suffer the den tn
penalty, was ushercd III calm and
peaceful as "gentle Spring" herself.
The lcadcn colorcd sky seemed to be
i'll sympathy with the sombrc feelings
Of the unfortunate prisoners, and the
general stiffness seemed the precursor
Of TINT awful silence which fell upon
the crowd rs the drop fell and the
three bodies swaycd to and fro in the
death struggle. On yesterday seven
of the condemned were transported
to the Penitentiary, by order ofthe
Governor, leaving three, Wightman
Allen, John Allen and Jenk Whit
ncr, still mail.
The gallows which had been pre-
pared after the III otlcl ofthat upon
which tile Hausmann murderers had
hanged at Aiken, stood in the jai!
yard, solemn, mournful, awful. From
their windows the condemned men
had full view ofthc frightful object,
and no doubt many times during the
day rs their eyes fell upon it they tur.
ned away with q sickeniny shud,ier Of
apprehension. Their wi .el we're ah-
mittcd to see them, an in the alter
noon was seen n touching spectacle
Whiteman Allen lay on the floor Of
his cell wrapped i'll his l,lankct. At
his side Sut his wife, apparently crush
cd hy the near approach Of her hus.
bands death, while about the floor
their little child, all unconscious of
the impending horror, played its
infant games. III the next cell lay
Jenk Whitner, attended by his wife,
whose excitement h------l :.--,c:..
frequent religious Mysteries and cries
Of glory halleluiah."
Night drew OIL apace, and soon the
miserable creatures bct0nk themselves
to their pallets and addressed them
selves TO sleep sleep that knits up
the ruvel'd sleeve Of care One only
found rcpose. John Allen slept as if
no crime rested upon his SO III, but
the others, w. Allen and Whitncr,
spent the night i'll alternate tossings
and prayers. Early in the day, the
Rev. Messrs. Pratt (Baptist,) Whit
man (Methodist,) and Muxcy ca NJ.
Ed were admitted to the Jail, and
administered to the condemned men
the communion. After some time
spent with them, the sheriff notified
them that the hour was come, where
upon they accompanied them to the
foot Of The gallows, shook their han Is
and bade them farewell. Meanwhile
the crowd had collected in and about
the Jail enclosure, numb .ring from
1000 TO 1000 u large majority being
white men. The lower part Of the
scahold had been covered with bag
ging so that after the drop fell the
men could not be seen. In from. Of
the scaffold was the reporters desk,
and er it were seated representatives
Of the press. On the scafto.d were
three chairs, which the condemned
men occupied MS they ascended it.
They were all dressed in black, with
white gloves, and they came out of
the Jail i'll their stocking feet, with the
caps for their faces upon their heads
They were neatly shaved yesterday.
AS they asccnded tho steps, Jenk
Whitner, exclaimed aloud that he
had made his peace with God; that
all had to die, and that Jesus was in
his soul. He then cried GLORY" He
seemed excited but not unplensantly
SO, while the others were quiet and
undcmonstrative.
A line Of armed sentincls surround
ed the scaiiold, from the Abbeville
Rifle Club, and just i'll front, i'll full
view OF the condemned, we're placed
three pine cotfins stained black. All
being ready, tho sheriff, Mr.. Joshua
Y. Jones, got up and addressing tho
crowd, said he did not think it ncccss.
nry to ask for the prisoners Il respect