Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-09-27
The History of the Murder.
HIS CRIME.
90 .h sh4on,c,e,

MoRRIsT0wN, TENN, Sept. 26.
Your reporter to-day Witnessed the
execution Of Anthony Blair, colored,
for the murder of bis stepdaughter,
Maggie Blair. girl Of l6 years. ON the
Both day of July lat The crime for
which he suffered was looked upon In
this c"mmunity as q most atrocio
murder. There was no seeming cause.
prOvocation or excuse for IL.
His execution is pronounced by
all IS just. Blair was perhaps
thirty years Of age, African in eve,y
lineament, brutal aud sensuous IN
appearance and looked to be capable
Of any crime. @ .#
AT twelve O'Clock. Sheriff Loop,
with twenty eight guards, proceeded
to the Jail and, with your reporter.
entetel Blair's cell. Blair seemed
cal!ous and without feeling. He SUBJ
mitted Gu ely to the manacles and
walked with firm step to the wsgon
on which he rode to the gsliows.
Aft'r religious services by Rev. Geo.
Branner, colored, the prisoner doing
the singing, he was allowed half
an hour to talk. His harangue was
such as would be expected from such O
men. He owned his guilt, but de-
veloped state of facts leading to the
crime not proper for your column
AT 1:30 the rope was lid and the black
cap arranged, and at l:35 the wagon
moved from under him. In nit Q
minutes no pulse could be distinguish .
ia ten minutes his heart had cease d 10
act, in fifteen minutes he was pro-
nOunced dead. and just twenty two
minutes after he swung he was low
ertd into his coffin. This was the
first execution in Hamblen county.
The people present were estimated at
eight or ten thousand, and repre-
senting at least eleven counties.
The crime for which the iIl-fated
man of-red up bis life on the gslIows.
as an expiatiOn, was Committed on the
n gut of July 80, near Russellvil q.
The victiou was Maggie Blair, his
ep-daughter, who Was about eighteen
years of age. For some reason or
o her she left his house near Jones'
boro', about the lst of May, and was,
when killed, in the employ of VIM.
Donaldson, who r4pressn ed her as q
omar i ,duat SinuS a N a In tolt;ra,k c,.I
Blair. having become acquainted with
her whereabouts. came down 10 Ru. .
selIv'lle on the 29th of July. He re-
paired Immediately to the residence OF
Mr.. Donaldson, aud entering the
kitchen where's she and Mrs. Donald.
son were preparing dinner, told her in
very vindictive voice to Come out OF
The hou rs he wished to sp ak with
h-r. The girl, who, it appeared. was
very much afraid of him. refused to de-
70, aud Mr.. D coming up at this
juncture. he left. and nothing more was
seen of him until the night which Wit
messed the awful deed. Thal
night Maggie, with q few friends
went up To near RusseIlviile,
TO attend prayer meeting.
The party was met while return.
ing by Blair, who, pressing Henry
Ia, lor, Maggie's escort. away from
her, grabbed her by the wrist and
dragged her along the road HUNDRED
y rds or 80, saying, You must com.
h, me with me on the train tonight t.
your grandpapa." She struggled al
the lime, stating that she would rather
die than go back with him. Thii
seems to have enraged him beyone
description. and drawing his revolver
he fred two shots in rapid succession
both Of which took effect. The unfor
tunate girl only lived until Saturday
morning. Blair was arrested or
Thursday. tried before justice and
committed to j all.
% Monday, August 4th, the Crane
jury of the Circuit Court of HANDLER
'uuty found an Indictment for muir
der. On Thursday of the same weeh
he was tried and found guilty, and or
the next day was sentenced-only
eight days having elapsed between tn.
murder and the sentence. He refused
t. take an appeal, saying that the yer
dict was just, and that be was only
sorry he was not TO hang sooner
Here we have the unwonted SIGHT o.
only two months dividing the death.
day of the murdered and the mar-
derer, the victim and the victor. The
like he's never before happened In this
part of The country.
For Sale