Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-09-26
EVENING STAR.
eEDSEsDAr September 2s, rxzz.
Another BunwI,nw r,....,,.-
TWICE HANGED AND SLOWLY srRSSs1xp

TWICE HANGED AND SLOWLY srR.~..rxn
Anderson shinis1,p 80 i,',;.,
pr. was deprived OF his lie ~ HseS.s',i'-
ourg, Va, Tuesday. sccOrlfnv - So, ...
on ssN slllough The sheriff showed but Iiifie
khent OF XIII IN performing his parl -
ne work. In this instance n cotton nm. - ~
hlhsy texture was put around the crfnfr,ais@
heck, aud when his weigh. came upon n, the
strands snapped and the wretche-i man
cropped TO the ground. The scene was sum
clently painful before this. but when ShIrr-
~ nsd suflclently recovered from ne shock
20 Know inst he had not stepped into the aw-
W gun he began 10 beg So plteouSly for his
NE and 70 protest his Innocence with so
.l.u.n Nehemenoe that nothing but the im-
f Sts.lSS mshuate OF the law could have
compelled The officers TO make another at
tempt 20 carry out the sentence Rut shfn-
Se. 49,, a. ssSln lei up the fatal stairway, his
ltsH were securely tief. n stronger rome MAS
put around his neck. and after The black an
had been removed Ion An instant AZ his own
=! y quest, 70 permlt INN 20 take last look at
The second time, and the doomed man dIef
slowly OF strangulstion. lie protested mis-
innocence with his last breath. Morris VIM
was 10 have been hanged on the same 81
lows with Shiffiett, has been respited FOR a
month.
THE MURDER OF LAWSON.
The theory OF the attorney for the common
Neaith IN hts vigorous prosecution OF these
casts was this That Silas Morris In connec-
ton wtth his sister. Louisa Lawson. deter
mined 20 get rad OF lawson by murder, for
me purpose Of obtaining control OF what IT.
ne property he had and with a view OF graf
10 ing Mrs. Lawson's resentment aga insi her
husband, with whom she had FREQ uent iv iis-
ssIee1. ~ Was in proof thst Mrs. lawson
hal frequently expressed her wish % gei rid
ol ner htsoand. Uuwilling To do the deed
themselves. hey hired Anderson Snifi stf.
VINO was known 20 he a desperate m an and
20 possess Tie e4Sisite nerve 10 DO so horri-
Ole an act. These people were all Sup~rSft-
uous and believed In witrhcraf. Hence thew
concluded, after conferring together thsi
they would visit an old fortune teller,
named Lydia Nighting, 10 see n she could
roi put a spell on lawson. so that he
might be gotten Out of the wRy. TIE for
tune teller informed them that She could DO
this, but ~ would require SIX months before
they could get rid OF MIN. This did NOT sufl
them, and Anderson Shifliett declared his
Willingness 10 pat hun cut OF the way in a
s,l,1 Time Inan Una. suggestei by the for
tune teller. Their plan was fully arranged
ON Sunday, the lith OF March. and on the
next evening ShiElcit stationed himself in
The pines near the road where hp kngyr Law
son would pass with his team n aud fr,nn ire
min, and finding him alone shot him dead.
A STRANGE PRAYER.
A CORES pondent 81 the baltimore American
shyS One singular thing connected with this
murder Il worthy Of mention. At the funeral
ot lawson the officiating minister PRAYED
mat "GOd would bligh' The trees from the
SPOT where Lawson was assasSiUaf.,l Ia Inc
mCrdeaer's home, aid 10 ma - sound strange.
yet II is true, TIE trees from where ais body
Was found IN the direction Of Sniifi its housa
are all blightei aud dying, whllst all the
other trees around are perfectly healthy.
Ihls story has been In circulation here for
some time, believed bya few, but doubted
ana made fun Of by the many. Last Sunday
several gentlemen, representing city dailies,
WHO nau arrived 10 do the execution, Wis
lied LIe spot and found 10 1H uofliai 6.'c,.
SHlFFLETT's DYING STATEMENT,
especially after the breaking OF the rope
have caused many TO WAIVER ia their pre-
Elonsly formed opinions of his guilt The
chances for Morris aud Mis-. Lawson ara
considered much better for a reprieve of
communication.