The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-10-31
BILL L9NGLEY OF TEXAS.
The End or the Most Atrocious Criminal
I'm tho Country.

The telegraph has already announced
the execution at Giddings, Texas, on
Friday last, of the notorious William
Longley, for the murder of William An
ders0n, field hand, in March, 1875.
Upon reaching the gallcws and after the
completion of all the preliminary ar
rangements, during which Longley sur.
veycd the scaffold and gave directions
how to tie the rope, hatchet was sked
for. Longley wanted to know if they
were going TO cut his head off. He
walked up the stairs with light, mimic
military tread, n smile upon his face and
lighted cigar in his mouth. Fearing
the steps might give way, when about
half way up he stopped and laughingly
said he didn't want ITO be cripplcd.h
After the sheriff read the death warrant
i4ongley took his cigar from his mouth
and addressed the crowd, saying:
"Well, l haven't got much to say. l
see n good many enemies around me, and
mighty few friends. Hope to God YOU
will forgive me. l will you. l hate to
die, of course; any man hates to die.
But have earned this by taking lives of
men who love life rs well rs 1 do. If L
have any friends here hope they will
do nothing to avenge my death if they
want to help me let them pray for me.
hear my brother is in the crowd. /
hope he amt, but if he is / hope he will
not take anybody's life to avenge mine.
have done enough of that. / deserve
this fate. 1t is n debt owe for my wild,
reckless life. When it is paid it will be
all over with. hope you will all for
give me. l will forgive you whether you
do so or not. May God forgive me-"
His arms and limbs were then pinion-
ed. He kissed the priests, shook hands
with the officers and said, Goodbye
everybody" The black cap was then
put on and the drop fell. The body
hung for eleven minutes, when the doc
tor declared life extinct, and it was cut
down and given to friends for interment.
LONGLEY's CAREER.
Longley was perhaps the worst crimi-
nal in the confines of Texas. He hated
labor, whilst murder was his delight.
lie was born in Texas twenty-siH years
ago. AT an early nge he Wis ali expert
with firearms. When the negroes were
disarmed, shortly after tlfe Confederate
war, he practiced on one of the coIored
militiamcn, near Evergreen, hitting
him in the centre of the head at one
hundred yards. He was not arrested for
this crime, and the failure Of justice made
him desperate, for he thought lie could
defy the law. -Four months later he en-
gagged 4: g quarrel with another negro
and killed him. This time the sheriff
made move, but Longley was too quick
Tor him and fled the country, becoming
n regular bandit.
Tn 1890 an Iatoob,,o.t
cavalry pursued Longlcy in Gonzales,
thinking he was one Taylor, wanted for
outlawry. One of the soldiers, who was
admirably mounted, overlook him and
was right by his side, so close that when
Longley was about to discharge his last
shot the hammer of the pistol caught in
the lapel of the soldiers overcoa.; in
pulling it back the hammer was released,
and, striking the cap, sent the bali
through the soldiers body. This ended
this affair and Longley escaped. He
then went to Arkansas and fell in with
Tom Johnson, noted horse-thie and
despcrado. Being caught with Johnson
by regulators, Longley and Johnson
we're both taken out, manacled, and hung
- the slme tree. He was destined MT
to die ut this time. The rope around
Longley's neck did not slip, and the knot
catching under the ear, he was in a fair
way to die of straDgulation, when one of
the party suggested that he had better
shoot the rascals before some one should
come along and cut them down. His
first shot struck the belt containing gold
which Longley had bclted around his
body, and the second shot cut two strands
of the rope by which he was hanging,
and the ball, passing through his jaw,
broke out one of his teeth. A little
brother of Tom johnson followed the
party, and came upon the scene Just as
tho Tope by which Longley was hanging
broke. The little fellow, aged about Is
years, cut the rope from Longley's hands
and his neck and revived him. johnson
was little less fortunate. He was dead.
Longley then Joined Cullen Bakers nd
torious gang, who plundered and robbed
indiscriminately throughout Arkansas.
His fourth trouble consisted in his hang
ing to the same tree from which he had
miraculously escaped the man who had
shot him on the fatal night Of the cap.
tire of himself and young johnson. The
mans name was Jones. While he was
hanging Longlcy fired four or five shots
into his body. He remained with the
Baker party about six months, during
which time he assisted in killing seven
men. Returning to Texas, Iongley
Joined his brothcr-in-iaw, john u ison.
afterwards killed,) and while roumine
over the country they killed seven col.
ored men, Of which number Longley
killed four alone. He then went to the
Indian Territory, where he killed Hec.
Tor, his employer, whc was herder. He
then left with friend named Davis. In
Us2h they killed mun in recovering
t6o stolen horses, for which 800 was
offered. Longley then left Davis and
went to LcavenwOrth, Kansas. Here, in
a gambling house, Federal soldier said
to him, There's not virtuous woman
in Texas" Longley loaded the speak.
er's brain with lead and left. He was
captured at st. Joseph, Mo. He bribed
n guard and escaped. He went to
Omana anu as far MS Cheyenne, Wryom-
ing Territory. From here he went to
Camp Brown, where he was employed by
IN army quartermaster to take charge of
corral of government. mules. The
quartermaster was con the make" and
instructed Longley in the science of
making money out of his employment,
with the understanding that the profits
OF his transactions were to be divided.
Out of this agreement his seventh trou-
6le came. Longley got to beating even
the commissary, and ending by shooting
MIN. de then escaped to Salt Lake.
He was next heard of at Parkersburg.
Arkansas, where he killed young man
named Charles Stuart during a game of
whist. Again he appeared as a dealer
in counterfeit money. He was captured
near Fort Smith, Arkansas, with an ac-
complice; but $4,000 in good greenbacks
and c0nciIarabln