The sun., 1879-02-22
AFTER A TERRIBLE RACE.
THE CAPTURE or GEORGE W1SHTNG TON,
VINO WAS HANGED YESTERDAY.
A Crime that Mnddened n Whole Neighborhood
Chasing the Wretch Through wood. and
Fields, and Tracking Him by his Blood.

people. IL was the punishment Tor n base crime
committed by him and companion four
months ago. Kentucky law allows the jury to
determine whether the penalty for this crime
shall be death or imprisonment for life. and the
jury that convicted Washington added to its
verdict the decree OF death by hanging"
Washington met little German girl one Satur-
day afternoon in late October last MS she wns
driving her fathers cows home from pasture.
Tho child was singing as the negro nccosted
her. lie had begged food OF her mother
that morning. and. though tho place wns
lonely and II was growing dark. she recog
nized him pleasantly and would have passed
on. Suddenly this negro was Joined 10y
another. and half an hour later the hapless
child dragged herself slowly along the road
toward home. The cows had reached their
paddock before her and the good housewife.
alarmed, had started toward the pasture in
search OF her daughter. A doctor wns sum
moned. but he gave little hopes Of saving the
chllds life. The father and elder brother
reached home from work y little later; the
neiRhbors had angry gathered. aud before
nghtfall twenty five armed men were securing
the country for miles about. the father and
brother at their head. A lieutenant OF police.
with twelve officers. Joined In the search. and
Gordon was formed that swept slowly toward
successive centres. covering almost every foot
Of ground meanwhile.
II seemed impossible that the negroes should
escape. but daylight the next morning found
the pursuers. their numbers swollad TO fifty or
more. still deirauded Of their prey. 1t was
rumored toward morning that the two men had
taken refuge in adark cave In one corner Of the
beautiful Cave Hill Cemetery. and an armed
watch was kept at its mouth until the sun. pcne-
tratng its recesses, showed that II was empty.
At about half past in the afternoon two Of the
policemen caught sight Of the negroes resting
under trees near the Lying-in Hospital. The
officers cooked their guns and crept toward the
spot. but the negroes were on the alert WASH
ingtou rpranc Ia his feet and dashed on through
the underground. pistol shot increased his
| speed. Tho officers as they ran. emptied their
reyolvers after him. but the man .seemed to
bear charmed life. He reached the bottom
| Of the hill unharmsd. and there me; tho
brother OF the outraged girl. with three friends,
| The negro hesitated moment then turned
and ran almost into the arms Of another party.
Every gun X the three parties was emptied to-
though not, as before. without wounds. He was
| tracked by his blood TO the river hut there the
trail was lost; Several times during the day he
| was seen, but when confronted by only ono or
| two men he stopped and hurled large stones at
them with prodigious strength and accuracy Of
aim, Once. when pressed by crowd, he pulled
| on his coat and shoes. ard after thnt he out
| stripped bis pursuers with ease. The coat was
found riddlsd with bullets and saturated with
So with the next day. The crowd still kept close
| on his track. caught sight OF him at intervals.
bred at him without avail and then lost sight
no difficulty in outrunning the neetest OF the
hunters. One negro. who bore some resem-
blance TO the man. escaped instant lynching
only BY the interysntion OF white neighbor
| who knew him. That night. with singular
bodness, Washington made his way into the
| city. doubtless with the hope oi escaping across
pSds SsaPS 9S he hs, S Y any s
| house by the levee. and made u descent upon II.
But the vigilant wretch saw them coming; ran
| into a house near by followed by pistol shots.
and again escaped. The same night he sue
| ceaded in crossing into Indiana
The excitement in Louisyille had spread 10
the neighborng cities. and tue authorities Of
| Jeffersonyille were on the watch for the fug-
outskirts OF the town and chased until lost sight
| OF in the woods. Toward noon he appeared at
the house OF farmer some hye miles from The
| dust. He asked for something to eat. and the
| farmers two daughters prepared IA meal for
| him. But the scOundrel's Instincts seemed in
| no wise subdued by the death that for five days
| had stared him In the face. and onythe screams
OF the two girls frightened him away from
second brutal attempt. The officers were close
| upon him. and he had hardly len the house be-
fore they reached 1t. Two hours afterward they
came upon him. but he WIS already running
toward the river As they opened fire. on him A
| quarter Of mile further n shot struck him in
| the shoulder. but he only threw up his hands.
| plunged forward Il moment and then seemed
to run the faster Two miles thus the chase
escqped had not another negrQ working in u
field along his course heard the officers
shouts and PVT himsSi All ie Washinst9ns way.
| him. aud, after n desperate resistance. threw
him on ,hse ground and handcufIed him He
send me 70 the peni!entiary for ten years.
That's all III get. and then III see you again"
| ono over the left eye. Que on the back OF his
head. one In the left hip. in the left leg. and
| the one in the shoulder.
| spread through the city with unexAmpled
rapidity. Within an hour half n thousand per-
wns clear that there WIS danger ahead. and the
| Chief of Police telegraphed 10 all the stations.
| instructiug the entire force 10 hold themselves
| IN readiness 10 move NJ a moments call. The
Sheriff despatched to the Governor for instru'-
tons, and two eompnh''s oi militia were or;
dered under arms AZ the hours pass"d aud
| the III rong increased the 20 10" male u charge
aud forced il back. All ey.CaplaIn of the
hang that IL nag-r." he said bur an H|, IN sT =.
seized him. and he WAS hurried IN toward the
| Jail Tho crowd moved toward the firm linz nf
blue costs. hut n Reimbursement. armed with
guns. marched in from II side street, aud again
| forced the mon back. Another charge separated
| II into two divisions. and after Hn nour's sirug-
gle the danger was over The MHyor. Charles
d. Jacob, was present. and by p"rsonal courage
aud OH 'ihl commands r-sIru ned tho mott from
Viol-pce. Il was threatening hour, ind IN.
city happily escaped stain upon It's good
THIS trial OF WashinGton was short. and he
was convicted upon the clrurest evid' nee.
Since his conviction many persons. including
| Il number OF ladies'. have rArd NJ the Iail 10 see
| him, hut the negro persisted IN his apparent
| ind Inference to his fAtr. A faw weeks ngO he
sent a letter TO Gov. hrCreary begSiux Tor de-
| lay. The Governor answered that h" saw no
reason for interfering with the verdict und sen
tencs. Then Washington sent for Father BnX,
who has attended him every day since. The
man had belisf that the physicians could re-
store hs life after the execution. He WIS taken
from the jail 10 the scaffold shortly before noon
| and displayed no emotion even before thu inn
mense crowd. including hundreds OF women.
| tint surrounded the gallOws.
The black cap was put over his face at
II 80 A. NJ and this rope around his. neck
at ll:40. Then Washington. who had Just
| promised his body to priests Of the Catholic
| Church. who were his spiritual advisers. an
nounoed TO ths Sheriff his desire that It br
given to certain physicians. He then asked for
his father and mother, but they failed To respond
| to the call Of their names. At IL AS the drop
| fell and the rope broke short Off ut the top.
Many In the great crowd yelled aud hooted,
| Washington was again picked up, and
the rope being quickly adjusted. another
| moose WAS made around his mock, Al
| IL :54 the trap WAS again sprung. Washing
| ton being unconscious from h first tHil.
AT II :55 his pulse beat only Six. and al IL 57 IL
| had stopped entirely. The body was cut down
at " 100 aud given TO the physicians.
This was the second hanging in this city
| since 1870
NASHVILLE, Feb, 2l.-Knox Martin the negro
| who murdered John WhIitemar aud his wife
| on the 18th Of last month. wns sentenced to-day