The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-10-17
LAST OF LONGLEY.
Hanging Of the Notorious Bully
and Desperate.
A Brief Sketch Of Ills
Life,
And Particular of His Death.
And Particulars OrHis Death.
Especial to the srArrsMAx.l

And Particular of His Death.
Especial to the SrArEsMAxl
GIDDINGs, October IL.
William p. Longley, who was hum
at this place today, in the presence o
a vast concoulse of people, was per
hsps the most danBg and desperat
character that ever lived to disgrace
any country or died to
APPEAsE OUTRAGE.
In brief interview with the doomed
wretch, short while before his exc
cution, the following brief sketch o.
his life was obtained:
Bill Longley was born on Hill creek
near Travis, Austin county, Texas
October, 1851, and the fact that b,
passed his twenty seventh birthday
in felon's cell,
CONDEMNED TO DIE,
did not seem to cast any shadow ovel
his countenance, as he recited the
many crimes he has committed. In
1853, Bills father, Campbell Longley,
moved to Evergreen, then to Wash.
ington, but now in (thIs) Lee county.
At that place he remained with his
father until he was twelve years OF
age. He knew nothing save hon.
esty, his father and mother be-
ing Christians, who tried hard
To RAISE HIM RIGHT.
At that early age, under the truth
full teachings of his doting parents, he
made q profession of religion and
WAS BAPTIsED
into what is familiarly known as the
Campbellite church. He lived in the
happy state of mind of being firm
belieYer in Gods holy religion until
the breakup" of the late war, when,
as he said, his
MAYNARD COURSE BEGAN.
He was then fourteen years old. The
country was demoralized and broken
up; negroes free, were insulting and
bearing arms; hundreds of reckless
men from the army were at home, and
hundreds more, who never went into
the army, were here, pillaging and
plundering. Military government had
been established, and during that crit
ical period, the citizens stood back
and would not assist the military in
the suppression of crime, because, as
many asserted, the military were more
expert in
COMMITTING CRIME
than those they feigned to put down.
Longley said that many prophesied an
insurrection of the negroes, and the
old gray-headed men, whom he used
to look up to, seemed to wink at and
be overjoyed whenever ''moke got
his light put out" This condition of
affairs encouraged him, and he soon
began to go astray. He first noticed q
change in his old father, allowing him
to do pretty much as he pleased; then
he kept bad company and learned to
drink whisky. Soon after he got to
carrying pistol, and then all his re-
ligious thoughts had vanished-sll his
religious associates discarded.
- JUS FIRST CRIME
was taking pistol away from-a negro,
which finally became very common
1867. wLo. fs.rs he continued until
fo,nS :. n, uE~a ono aaao-:--I-
KILL A EEGKU,
whom he had attempted to disarm.
This occurred in the ''Yegua bottom"
section of country at that time not
very attractive to newcomers. In the
fall of that year, while at horse race,
Longley and his side partner, johnson
McKeown, got into fuss with some
negroes who were too strong for them,
and the two white boys backed out.
They, Longley and McKeown, went
into the town of Lexington that night,
where the darkies were having ''high
old time" in fact, they had taken the
town. Not a white man was to be
seen. Longley rode into the biggest
crowd he saw and commenced firing.
TWO NEGROES WERE KILLED
and another wounded. Having sue
ceeded so we'll in these acts of despe--
aioism, he became very bold in killing
negroes and taking pistols from others.
Just before Christmas, 1867, Longley
participated in the killing of one negro
and woundIng of another, in Burleson
county, after which he left the coun-
try, going ''out West" where he made
the acquaintance of the Taylor boys,
names familiar in the
ANNALS OF CRIME
in Western Texas. While at York
town, Bill learned that a squad of
Federal soldiers were after him, and
to eludc them he mounted horse and
cit out" A running fight soon fol-
lowed. Bill said one of the soldiers,
at whom he had fired five shots, got so
close to him that he could touch him.
Bill placed his pistol to the soldiers
breast,
PULLED THE TRIGGER,
the man rolled from his horse, dead,
and Bill made his way to Arkansas,
where he fell In with a young man,
whom he afterwards learned to be q
horse thief. He stopped one night
with his new found friend, when the
house was surrounded, and both of
them
TAKEN OUT AND HUNG
to limb of tree, and after shooting
at both of them, the mob ran of.
Longley happened to haYe some money
belted around his person, and the bull
let which was intended for his heart
struck $50 gold piece, which saved
his life. A younger brother of the
man, who had followed the mob, as
soon as they disappeared, came up and
cut the two young fellows down. ''The
other fellow was dead" and Longley
considerably strangled. he staid
around that country until he had
helped to
KILL SEVEN
Of the party who hung him. He then
returned to Burleson county, where he
'skilled several negroes" (his own
words), for which the military offered
reward of $1,000 fer his capture.
Hs also killed a negro near Austin and
two more on the Braz ls river. He,
with another man, next stole pair of
horses from q man named Evans, who
keeps ferry on the Brazos river. The
owner OF the horses raised q party of
twenty men and followed them; they
were overtaken, and in the scrimmsge
Longley
KILLED ONE OF THE POSSE
A wandering life, always eiudIng az
rest, followed, Longley participating
in the killing of three or four white
men, until the spring Of 1870, when
be again turns up at home. Owing to
the rewards on his head, and the de-
termipatIon to have him,
DEAD OR ALIVE,
be could not remsin at home, so he
'tstruck out" determined 70 leave the
State. Reaching point near Gaines
vile, in this State, he met up with 9
herd Of cattle, in charge of . man