The New York herald., 1878-12-15
TWO MEN HANGED.
A Horrible Murder Growing Out Of
Negro Superstition.
SCAE'FOLD ELOQUENCE.
The Cnlprits Assert Their Innocence, and
Hope for Future Bliss.
[ny TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. ]

BAsrRoP, McDade County Texas Dec Il, 1873.
This remote locality has been to-day the scene Of
intense popular excitement consequent upon the
public legal execution of Smith Jackson and Pryor
Jones. both colored, for the murder of John Black.
also colored December 20. 1876. The prisoners
indicted, with Thomas Robinson Sol Ridge.
Henry Owens William Peterson. Steve Robinson,
Burrill Jackson Sam Squirrelhunter and George
Veal, the latter of whom turned states evidence.
Their trials resulted in the conviction the
who to-day paid the penalty their crime, and
Burrill Jackson. The three sentenced to be
hanged to-day. On the lst of this month Governor
Hubbard commuted the sentence OF Burin Jackson
to Imprisonment for life, doubts having been thrown
upon the correctness of the verdict by which he
pronounced guilty.
THE EXECUTION.
A brief interview with the prisoners was held in
their cell yesterday Burrill Jackson rejoces at his
communication to life imprisonment and believes he
will be ultimately pardoncd. smith Jackson and
Pryor Jones gladly availed themselves of the
opportunity to talk. The gist of their
remarks was repetition of what they
said at the time the Judge passed sentence
on them. They insisted that Sam Squirrehunter
and Sol Ridge. the quasi preachers. to blame
for the murder. At twenty minutes past one this
afternoon the prisoners brought from the cell
where they had been holding religious services with
Parsons Friday Mathews and John winn. both col
orcd they having been chosen latterly in place of
the Episcopal minister, more fitting to shout and
pray according to negro custom. In the rotunda of
the jail the prisoners We're given an opportu nifty to
speak.
READY GLORY
They said to the HERALD reporter that they were
prepared to die. and believed they would go straight
to glory. They hoped their faith would be warming
g. re vhon
and asked them to let whiskey alone; it begat
trouble. When questioned to the Of their
lynching Black they both ayerred that the voudou
doctor and Sol Ridge instigaed it. Their remarks
voluminous and Pathological, all tending to
culpae themselves, though they protested they
willing to die. They insisted that BurrIll Jackson
was innocent.
PROCESSION TO DEATH
Sheriff Jenkins with posse of forty men, formed
line and marched the prisoners to the scaiYod loo
| yards from tho JAIL In the court house yard. They
assembled the scafod with steady tread. initiating
the notorious Bill Longley by having cigars in their
mouths. They made brief addresses to the crowd
from the scaroId. the gst of which was that
| they hoped their fate would be o warning
and expressing their certainty Of going to
| well, friendsl" The death warrant then
read. during which Smith Jackson. holding to
conclusion Of the reading of the warrant the minister
read chapter from the Bible and lined ont an old
hymn, the prisoners Joining tne Justify.
| They then bade the officers ''Goodby."
SWINGING DEAD.
The ropes and BLACK caps were adjusted. their
limbs pinioned and at twenty minutes past two the
spring touched. the drop fell. and Smith Jack
son and Pryor Jones were hanging beneath the gal
| lows Both necks broken. At the end of tve
minutes Jones. and of fifteen minutes Jackson. were
pronounced dead They hung thirty minutes. and
the bodies were turned to their relatives for in
termeut There was u visible effect the crowd
of darkes in attendance. many shouting and singing
as at camp meeting. squrredhnnter has escaped.
THE CRIsrE-A vOODOU.
| The murder to-day punished peculiar in
| some respects to negro character son Of Henry
Owens disappeared and his friends, in consultation
on the matter. induced to send for Sam
Squirrelhunter. a professor OF voodouism to
pra tce his incantations IN his behalf After
ciled that John Black Ind murdered the child
and had thrown the mangled corpse into well.
He could not definitely state where the well str-
ated. but said that could be easily ascertsined by
future operations For this purpose the whole party
Black. Calling the unsnspecting and innocent man
! from his house they put rope around
his neck. the other end of which was made
fast to the horn (pommeD of the saddle. ridden by
| one of them. Together with running and dragging
Black was conveyed about mile into the woods
| Reaching locality favorable for the hellsh deed
about TO be enacted. the party halted. Black being
| almost lifeess. The rope was disconnected from
was then told to tell where the lost child
cretcd He protested his innocence; said he knew
nothing about the boy and that they all knew it,
| The voodou chief. Sam Squirrelhunter. said Black
| 'lyin' bout dat Gaze he he'd perfec knowledge
whar de chile wuz. Gaze he tsam) had bin tole so by
| dc coffee grouns.'
TORTURED TO DEATH.
At the word of command oil hands took hold Of the
| suspended end Of the rope, and. with steady pull
raised Black some distance from the ground. He
hung thus for several seconds. when his execution
ers let him down. As soon as he was
rcsuscitated sufficiently to be able TO speak
| he again tolc to divulge the where
| abouts of the murdered negro boy. He
| family but persistently said that he inno-
cent, begging his torturers to give him a chance
| to prove HIS innocence. With dcmonaical yell
| the murderers once more grasped the rope.
| and pulling Black up some three four
| feet from the ground left him hanging.
| subsequently the missing boy came home saying
that he had been stolen by stockman. and that the
| murdered man. John Black. had nothing to do with
| his abduction.
squirrclhunter. the voodou chief. escaped from
| prison and Is fugitive.