Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-03-21
From tho Atlanta Daily Constitution.
THE DANCE OF DEATH.
Gus JouNsoN ExpIArEs THE ATROCITIES OF
Ills LIFE AT RoME YESTERDAY.

RoME,G March l5.-Thursday afternoon
johnson
CURSED HIS WIFE
and sister, who wore crying in his cell and
told them to leave IIe did not want thom
crying around him. If they wanted to cry
thoy oughtto
GO TO GOV. coLoUITr.
Then it might do some good. The same fter
noon Sheriff Perkerson and othor Atlanta
men oalled, and he entertained them for an
hour by
PUTTING ON A BEAVER
that Whit Anderson gave him, and mimicking
old Whit in q pleasant way, in his many pc
culnrites. Whom Sheriff Perkcrson left no
asked him to bring John Hawkins and u
bottle of whskcy down to the Jail that nigh,
and they would have good time. This
morning he spent with two Catholic priests,
ono from Atlanta and tho other from Dalton.
| When they wanted him to leaye tho jill for
| the gailows, he
REFUSED TO STIR,
saying thut thcy would have to carry him if
they did not give him some more morphine.
The doctor attending gaSo him qninine Instead
and he then consented to s., After m argn-
| mcnt Of some length and q good deal Of spirit
ho permitted the sheriff to place
TIE ROPE AB,uT HIS NECK.
| lie left tho Jail smoking cigar and convcrsed
| freely with The sheriff all tho way from The
Jail to the gibbct. After reaching tho gallows
hc asked for
SOMETHING T) DRINK,
nnd the priest that was officiating gave him n
bottle Of holy water. johnson uftor tastiug
! threw it
| UNDER *nE GALLONS
| with curse saying that he thought it was
gin. After some persuasion tho sheriff gave
him drink Of whiskcy. On refusing, him a
second drink hc sent for Judge Underwood
and asked as his last request that he would
GIVE HIN MORE wE1sKEY
The judge, after some hcsitancy, complied
with his request.
ITCHING FOR a SENSATION.
About this tia,o Mr.. Irwrcrec, q street
preaching evangelist, spoke to Gus about the
Importance Of thinking seriously on religious
matters. This raised the temper Of the Cntho.
lie priest, who told him to 60 about his busi-
ness, that Mr. johnson had made his selcc :
ton, aud had asked him to otIiciatc rs miuiS-
ter and that lie would not have any intcrler-
ence. The evangelist, pointing to the follow
ing words: The blood of Jesus Christ, Gods
Son, clcanscth from all SIM" printed in large
letters, and posted conspcnonsly above the
hcnds oc tho crowd, said: "Mr. johnson,
that is tho text" and retired. When
johnson was taken from tho wagon in
which he rode from the Jail, ho asccnded tho
| scaliold with
a DRUNKEN swAGGER,
and cigar between his lips. lie then asked
that the cover be lifted from the box that
contained his coffin so that he could see
| WHAT SORT OF COFFIN
he was going TO be buried in. This being
DONE he smiled aud said, "All right"
| IN HIS CONFESSION
he spoke in high terms of Pcrlcrson and Whit
Anderson, and tho sheriff and deputy, at
Rome. lie acknowledged killing four men,
said he was sorry for it; that he had friends
| in the crowd who hud
| COME TO RESCUE HIN,
but ho hoped that they would not attempt it;
that he wanted Sheriff Jenkins to hang him,
| il he was hung; that he had no hard feelings
towards him. lie acknowledged killing
Squire Foster. and said that he had paid the
snlicitor general twenty .tiyo dollars to not
pros. the case lie
STARTED TO TELL
| who WAS with him at the time, but one Of his
friends on tic scaiiold persuaded him not TO-
| Closing, lie said;
II hope everybody has heard me. People
arc as thick hero as
STRAINS IN A uAYsTACE:
l wish somebody would count them, if it
would not take too long"
Ell the time he was talking he had n cruc.
fix in his hand When his hands were tied
he asked for it again, and held it until the
trap fell. In adjusting the moose about his
neck he asked the sheriff to
LET HIN TIEI IT;
| that he had nerve enough.
Finding that he would only drop five feet
! he insisted that they should lengthen the
rope, stating that he did not want to be
| stranglcu to death Tho drop being made
seven feet, hc asked tho attending doctor il
that full was certain to break his neck Ur
to tho moment of his death ho thought Of
bodily comforts, taking
| FOUR FIVE DRINKS
smoking two cigars, and taking several chews
| Of tobacco between the time of leaving the
Jail and his execution. lie made
+ NO Profession OF RELIGION,
| and took no interest whatever in tho religious
services and the talk of tho priests. liz
begged them not to put the black cap over
his head. At one and thrcc-quartcrs O'Clock
THE TRAP FELL,
and he died in about seventeen minutes o
strangulation.
| HIS LAST WORDS
were to the sheriff. iust before the trap fell
"Jim, are you going to do it?"
"Yes."
can right"
Fifteen thousand people were present
| There was no disturbances.
! lie suffered death for the murder Of Daniel
] Afford,
A startling event that occurred on Wed,
nesdGy night laot, in tho Methodist Episcopal
Church. at Letters Ford, Indiana, is regarded
by many people in that State as dircc,
intcrposition of Divine Providence for the
punishment of the scoAcr. A revival had
been in progress in the church for two weeks
Elias Bidinger, married man. about twenty.
five years Of agc, and Robert King had beon
disturbing tho meetings by making sport Of
| .noso who lod tho services. On Wednesday
night about scventy-five persons were present
| 1In,;no, tlo ovoro;,o 1S;li,oor onl 1