Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-11-24

And Dies Brave and PiucEy. with
Scarcely - Struggle.
Yet Fuu of HOpe Touching His
Spiritual Condition.
At 8 O'Clock Friday last, one mile
from Newport, Cooke county, Stephen
Griffey was hanged for the rape OF
Eveline Clark, girl Zine years old,
thus expiating one of the most
atrocious aud brutal crimes in the
criminal annals of this country.
HISTORY OF ms CRIME.
According To the evidence adduced
before the court which tIied the case,
the following is brief detail OF the
horrible aud Inhuman crime for which
Gdffey has paid the penalty of his
life:
On the morning of February -,
1877, Evtliue CLARK, little girl, 9 years
of age, daughter of VIM. Clark, of
Cooke county, started out with her
little brother, about S years old to go
on an eTTaud 20 a MT. cars store,
being sent by their mother.
They stopped at Mark Bibles', and
there met with Stephen Grizzly, or
Gus" Griffry, as he was commonly
known. He went Of with them and
having a bottle Of whisky gave the
HiTI as many as three drinks, and also
the boy, threatening to cut their
threats unless they drank as he
ordered. After reaching the woods
Griffzy induced the chIIiIen to leave
the road aud 60 to big log under the
preteBse that tie had q rabbit freed
there. Upon arriving there he drove
the boy back to the road, under threat
az his life, and then lt was be &C
cJmplished
HIS HELLIsH DESIGNS.
And, liEes fisUd in human shape, as
The evidence cie4Ily shows him 10 be,
he a.. ua!iy ed hIs knife in horrible
manner TO assist h m in carrying cut
his inhum4n and brutal passions and
purposes. The details az the horrible
crime beg gars desc iplIOu aud are too
revolving and CIss I-tIuS 10 be put IN
print.
$50 Il wss, the screams aud cries of
the girl at acted her brother, but he
was driven back by G.iffey at the peril
of his life. They All went then
about half mile, when
the girl fell with exhaustion
aud could not get up. GIiffey left
them, but came bsck after a while,
said II they told on him be would kill
them, aud again went off Ia IA run,
saying be va gOirg after L va's father,
but that was tie lat seen Of him. He
made her promise, under u threat of
her life, however, 10 ssy that she fell
and sutEged herself.
! tier IS ing
HELPLESS AND ALMOST DEAD
For several hours her brother with
her, Eva Wa found by VI. P,nIsnd in
a !rigntful condition, was taken 20 a
uefghOOT's mouse, medical assistance
was rendered, and after lingering for
weeks -he recovered.
q. tf-y was see u soon alter com NIT
ting the crime by Anderson Warner,
tC y sm he stated that he had COM
miCgei a FeuIteHri4Ty Oteuse-had
broken down the unOr Of a man
named II all, and would have To leave
the country. SuitiUg his actions to
his words he took To- the woods,
but iJ vas not great " hils ill be was
captured near the NOTib Carolina line,
and jailed. He az erEsIds escaped,
but was recapIurei. AT the March
term 1877 Of the Circuit Court for
Cocke county, he was arraigned, q
true bji, found for rape and ne put
upon trial. The case was continued,
however, and at the November term
OF tue curt on the 29-h of Nov, a
verdict Of guilty was rendered and be
sentenced TO
HANG BY THE NECK
Jan. b, 1878. Judge Jas. @. Rose
tried ths case having been but short
time on the bench, and it was his
fret death sentence. Mr.. ]. &. J.
Williams, Of this city, was PTOsecut-
ing attorney by Interchange and the
prisoner was represented by Hon. J.
VI. Meek, OF New Market.
a new trial was refused in the case,
but an appeal to the %upreme Court
was granted, aud Griffey removed to
the Knoxville Jail, where he has re-
manned ever since. HIS case came up
In the Supreme Court Sept. p. 1878,
when the action of the court below
contained, and Friday, Nov. -. fixed
as the day OF his execution.
THE CONDEMNED CULPRIT.
Stephen Griffey, according to his
own statement was, at the time Of his
execution, about q years OF age, and
consequently was about IS when the
crime was committed; was never mar
=
and his lived in This State all his life.
His father, John Griffey, now lives at
Me- Market. Steve was in appear
auce about the average, or perhaps
under tne average of gretn
strappiUg mountain youth. He was
of All awkward, Ra~k ish appearance;
possessed uf rather mediocre and
bore very little evidence of anything
like culture or refinement, mentally /
or physically. HIS store of intelli- /
gence or education was very limited 4
indeed, and although he could barely /
read aud write, sJIlI he could not carry /
on an Intelligent conversation on any 4
subject, anu m st all his communic3-
lions were carried on in mouOsy Liable /
utteTances'
AS 10 his morals, he appears 10 have /
been during his life about the COM
mon run Of lads raised up in a rugged |
mountainous cOudtry. He had never /
made any pretensiODs in the way OF /
religion and was something OF a wild, /
reck less character, though not special /
" outbreakiug, although he had I,
b en- in some difficulties be- /
fore this last crime. Still /
during the whole time he was con.
fined in the Knox county Jail, about
twelve months, he was never heard to
omar n N oath and WAS q very Daepaa-