Daily Republican., 1879-12-06
THE EXECUTION AT ELKTON.
Supplementary account 10 the Ms.
patches or Yesterday-A Graphi ic
Descriptfen-The Words Of the
BviDK Man. story Of the Crime
Other Executions nj ElktOu,

Descr1ptfon-The Words Of the
BviDK MAN. story Of the Crime
Other Executions nj Elkton.
Through the dispatches Of our special
correspondent yesterday, our readers
have been informed Of the hanging OF
the colored man, Medford Waters, at
Elkton but in order that general in
quiry may bs satisfied We give the fol-
lowing interesting letter, wherein he
recites more fully the incidents Of the
hanging, story Of the crime, and a
history Of previous executions:
ELKToS, Nd, Dec. s..
II has been nigh unto 30 years since
the execution Of the man Swift. With
in those decades the moral state of the
community has not improved one whit.
The generation that whooped and
howled then in the exuberance of their
youthful spirits are to-day stepping
the streets Of the town with a sover-
eign feeling of masculinity, some pa,
tronizing bars and booths, others wan
dering around listlessly, but all actua-
ted with one unanimous desire : to wit
ness the execution Of another fellow be.
ing. The generation of which they are
the prototypes, in its youthful mind
less fortunate, is imprisoned in school
houses and its desire to witness the
eventual scene which takes place to-day
on neighboring hill outside the town,
is at war with juvenile duty prescribed
by pedagogical rules and regulations.
Ekton quiet and sedate by nature, is
not Elkton when unnaturally excited.
Like full iledged bantam-cock it is
swelled and pufied, big with its own
importance. hangings don't come every
day, and such luxuries must be en-
! joyed to their fullest extent.
II the victim Is negro it doesn't
matter; he is given just as heavenly a
boast as though he were white; but gen.
orally that doesn't affect the business
in hand; the people in Elkton are not a
community to grumble, and such tri-
vial matters as color don't lay heavy
on their understandings.
This morning when Medford Waters
awoke and heard the confusion of vol
ces there may have been a feeling of
pride In his bosom. For him was all this
confusion and 1t was for his sake that
the country had turned from towns and
hamlets just for the sole purpose of
giving him respectable funeral. He
may have had such thoughts We say,
1t would have been rejecting upon the
proverbial good heartedness of the
Cecil people had he not. But he didn't
show 1t. He wasn't that kind of a
man. "a hardened creature!" says one
Puritanic individual. "Ays verify"
pipedl another. Hardened Hardened
just because he hadn't gumelastic
conscience, because he wouldn't be
dosed by this and that kind Of theolo-
gical physic; because he wanted pure
and simple answer to pure and sim
pie creed; and had his own ideas about
how he was to glide from a trap door
into eternity.
However he sat on the edge of his
cot with his elbow on his knee, and his
broad black palm balancing his heavy
aching head, and thus he pondered
upon his situation. Not wanting dig
nifed deacons, he instead took citi-
zen, one Perkins, big brawny Elkto-
nian, and through him received spirit
ual advice and consolation. He ate
his breakfast. He received several
ministers OF his own color, and with
them held religious services. The news
paper men in the corridor outside, and
The prisoners in the cells adjoiningwere
the sole audience.
At q few minutes Of ten o'clock the
turnkey significantly whispered times
up" The prisoner heard the whisper
and stared vacantly at the intruder.
A minute after the Sheriff entered with
a bundle. 1t contained new clothes,
from undershirt to overcoat, purchased
by the county. " Here's new suit"
says the Sheriff. The turkeys crowded
around but no emotion of thankfulness
crossing the dark countenance Of the
victim, they drew back with sigh, and
the prisoner passed silently out into
the corridor.
Going from one cell to another he
bade every prisoner goodbye and be-
fore leaving them made each promise to
meet him in heaven. "God bless you
says, one." "Hops to see you among
the angels" says another. "Make a
full Confession" advises third. Only
one was silent and that one was wo-
man. Crouched in the corner at her cell
loor, with her face buried in her hand,
she was the picture of despair. She
vas colored. Her attenuated frame
ihook with emotion, while big tears
rickled through her fingers and fell
lpon tatters that had not been wet for
many a long day. "Dear Annie. be
,ood," says he, "me an my God hab
,ot it fixed. tells you I'm happy
'se no noah feah dan if I wuz agoin
lome. My homes in Heben, hope to
ee yer dab; will yer cum. Say dat
er'll meet ME in Heaven Annie 70 A
81 will" came from the G
uivering figure. The Sheriff touched $
he victim on the shoulder. One fond
lingering look at the weeping girl and '
hen the prisoner turned his back up t
n her for the last time. d
As he was going out, the Sheriff hand b
him a cigar. He took the weed, and a
iting the end, put the cigar in bis
louth and lighted it by a burning n
latch held by the Sheriff. As he step u
ed on the steps in front of the jail In u
all view of the populace, he waved his d
at. A thrill ofadmiration ran through Il
he impatient crowd. He was grateful g
hen. Probably it was the sight o. the c
lilitia drawn up to receive him that '
pened the foodgates of his emotional a
ature. 1t may have been this or it Il
,ay have been the long rows of smil tt