The New York herald., 1877-07-07
A Negro Boy, Fifteen Years Old, Hanged
for a Double Murder.
HIS VICTIMS TWO CHILDREN.
Confession Extorted Under the Excitement
Of a Superstitious Test
UNPARALLELED MALEVOLENCE.


u sh.s place today closed tragedy that for aeDd's
Aad prsesssoss sruelty eq1acd the famous Pomeroy
esse OF Boston, and that besides gave striking proof
Of he desp-ssated superstitlous feeling OF the
userp rscs. Oa The 18th OF last December the
two children .sgcd eight and two) Of Charies
and Amanda Miller were murdered under the moss
brutal and revolving circumstances The iather ana
mother, two honest hard working negroes, ieis the
house In The morning and went to their work. Al
about twove O'Clock they sent their eldest daughter
from the feid 10 the house to attend to some
iomcsiic duty. She returned from the direction oi
he house 10 lew moments In state Of ex'raoT-
Ainary Excitement and declared that sho ound both
VI the children dead The poor parents hurried toward
ths house, whore they were astounded at seeing
Rebsecs, the eldest carvuly proppsd up against the
wall OF the house. wnoe top oi her head torn od
and the blood and brains falling over her body. and
Mcvlns the baby, lying on the door. with her head
crushed and her throut literally cut from ear TO eur
WHO COMMITTED rHE cRIME9
There was absolutely clew TO tho perpetrators of
this terrible crime Mr. Hudson, the farmer for
whom the parents OF the murdered children were
working, was at dinner when Charles Miller, the
father running toward his house at full speed.
crying ''Ohl meet me, Mars John! Come meet me ~
n he and hurried out TO meet his servant
AS he approached the pcgro threw himself at bis
feet and sobbed s'On, Mars john bof my little chill
duns 10 dead! done seed EN- myself--deno Killed 20
Mr. Hudson went st once W Miller's house. where he
found vast crowd Of negroes already assembled.
After looking for some time for clsw he
look the parents of and asked them II
ihey had my enemies, either among their own race
br among the whites. They protested that they had
zone, except possibly young colorsd boy htcsn
years OF age half dssormed, l-lo0kng young fellow,
~.
with him, except that Amanda tho mother, had been
compelled account Of his bad behavior, 10 forbid
uIm coming to tho house As he lived only short
distance Off he had bssn heard to make spiteful
remarks about ths ordsr.' Taking even tnis slight
clew Mr.. Hudson looked up Jack Thomasson. He was
found IN the crowd that still hung about the CABIN
beng very much interested in all that going
Whrn accused by Mr.. Hudson OF having been about
the house that morning he denied II, saying that be
had been working that morning tor Mr. johnson, Il
gentleman living near by. Mr. johnson appearing
and denying this statement Jack was arrested, his
anxiety 10 set up An abb beng held to be
groonds OF suspicion against him. Upon the
preliminary examination the next morning II
Was proved that JACK had q decided mama
tna lett In his care, and tying cord about its
neck had hung it out Of the window, from which
rs lie Also that he had frequently without provoca-
tion excuse beaten cndren until he had nearly
killed them, aud that he had cut heavy stick the day
before the murder, and had said, "Sone damned
higgor wall sweat Win this stick ~
A sUPERsTITIous TRICK.
Gu the o5sonce o direct proof. however, he was
discharged. Mr. Hudson s,in suspected that Jack
.Dew OF the muracr than he had confessed. He
determined TO say nothing, however, but to await de-
velopmenis. On Friday morning tho bodies OF the
children to DO buried, and Mr. Hudson went
To attend the funeral AS he passed through the
OF negroes he discovered that they discuss
ing some proposition under extraordinary pressure
He Informed that the negroes proposed 10 try "a
trek as they called IT, WIN 'he dead bodies Of the
minds 10 the eject thai II number ot people
march by the corpse of a murdered person aud lay
their hands upon the wounds the bood would break
out airesh hand oi the undis murderer
touched them. Mr. Hudson vainy tried TO dis
su.ds tho nearoes from making the experiment
brought out, and the mutIlaled corpscs OF the
rhildrea placed in full view. The negroes
trick " ~ they called IL Mr. Hudson then looked
down the line 10 whether Juck was on hand
10 take bis trial with the rest He was gratihed at
seoing there hs sndsn young face. and apparently in
some perturbation The simple IDinded negroes
Touched the oospses one after the Other,
n up i %sS %ss discovered @ tia. 'Ain he 'a%a nns
tried to escape making the trial Tor a
org time, and had only yielded through ncccs
sity As IL was, he was horribly frightened WHOM he
approached tho cOrpscs and could hardly muster the
s0urage W lay his hands upon their wounda At length
however, amid breathlcss silence, he touched the
.ibe spots ono alter tho other " course blood
sowod at the touch, anu Jack moved on. Tho great
,ody o the negroes a. once cleared him OF oil suspicion
the 'trck having settled tile matter their mon.
AN AWAKENED ooSscEAcE
Jack himself, however. lid scom relieved, ana
Mr. HUDSON whose suspicious were now redouoled
called him " side and stated that he wanted 10
have talk with him. Almost before he could ask
him question the frightened young villain wsns up
TO mis- side and said 'Ob, Mars John, Ind kiii 'em,
sir did kill 'em" Astonished at the readiness OF
this confession, Mr. Hudsou askei him how he
,e.S Ssess ss0,s S0I sn s,,,n NOW sa % s ne oo naa
about IL now, Mars John, and viii tell you dc
trule" Mr. Huuson summoned few witnesses. aud
Jack then told them the story OF how he had dono the
terrible murder. II was In substance this --On the
inorning OF the killing he had gone 10 tho mler's
house for The purpose az PC says OF playing with The
come there, hc was too bad. Alter little
quarrel with her. Le picked up her lathers shotgun
lying by, and while her back crept III
10 aud shot hcr IN the head, tearing hor skull
literally OF. II Of course Killed her instantly He
Dow eus Se Hc then I Iapsa asrSs o. her uns
with an Odd case knife cut her throat from ear
to ear. lie then took Rebecca's body, and dragging
II to the wall sat II up In natural position.
He then ioafcd lcisufesy about the house, and was
there when he gIr came aud hrs discovered the
aers lie stayed there Until the ather ca,e and Until
the crowd nsscmblsd. The strain upon his super
siisous Tears, brought about by the queer test 90
which the negroes subhtted, forced him 10 mako tho
souession. he said In an easy and careless tone IL
Killed Acivna because she was big enough TO teil on
mel"
TRIAL AND CONVICTION.
Such eRueeess aud phenomenal murders were un-
Known In ,his section Of The country, aud tue alair
created intense excitement. The negroes in particu-
lar, absolutely beside themsalves with rage aud
!, was with .hs utmost difficulty that they were pre-
seuied from hanging The boy iicnd upon the spot
Brought 70 trial JACK Wa speedily convicted, the
Judge remarkng that tho whole course oi
MS practice showed no parallel this
Bcndisn crime. No appeal was made TO Il
higher aud NO attempt 10 secure guucrnaorial
Interference. A notable feature OF the case has been
he Wild and violent love tha Jacks mother has snown
or her wonderful offspring through Tho whole o. h,s
truubic Whrn no was arrested aiter his confession
se threw her arms around him cursing his cap
tors 10 the most violent manner, sworo she would
never leave him. They mad 10 bo torn apart sirce
then sho has been CONTINUOUS aud open In her
cursing vl the white people, and SAID on yesterday,
sMorc than white mans housc VIII barn he day
my poor boy " hang.' She declared hun innocent IN
yp,sc of his otrepcatei confession. The Judge al
rccted that the execution should bs strictly private
and thus disappointed vast crowd that had asscnl.
bIed 10 witness IL
TINE EXECUTION.
This morning at twelve O'Clock the Sheriff, accom- :
rsuIed BY the La Orange Lght Guards, led the con
ctnncd from tho Ja and conducted MIN 10 gaIlow
through an Immense crowd, who complained consid-
erubly because the execution was prvalc aDd they
werc cheated OF their dcnth sport. llo approached
ti,e qbbot roiuctapty, showing great deal oil
sgltas,on and fear During TIC religious services he
tccame more composed, aud the twtching o his face
sI,ov that he was suffering hell Internally aud was