Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-29
THE HANGMAN AT WORK.
Knox Martin Dropped into Glory from
the GallOws of Davidson County
He was Anxious to be an An
gel and with the Angels
Stand, and
Therefore Refused to Apply for a New
Trial-Stampede OccasiOned by the
Explosion OF PistOl-Grand
GalIOWs Ball at Richmond
The Dance of Death.
special to the Appeal

Special to the Appeal
NASHVILLE, March 2S-Knox Martin,
colored, arose early this morning, after re-
freshing nights sleep, and donned his burial
clothes given to him by the physicians, con-
sisting of a black coat and navy blue panta-
looms, white shirt and silk hat, i'll which he
desired to have his photograph taken. His
requ, st was granted. He made Il confession,
saying that he and George Berry, who had
him arrested, had made up their minds to
kill Wttemeyer. They met in a woodland
near his house on the night OF the murder,
and at to the house together, Berry going
in hssl Berry struck him with a stone, and
then ne struck. Berry knocked him sense
less the first blow. When he had struck
MIS- Wittemeyer the first time, Berry
told him to hit her again, which
he did, killing her. Ben robbed drawer of
money in big bills, of which ne only got fifty
cents Shortly before leaving the jail be
asked for a glass of wine. He shed tears for
the first time when his brother left him. He
grew exceedingly restless after eleven o'clock,
wishing that the sheriff might take him to
the scaffold at once; that he had nothing to
fear and wanted to die. His departure from
the Jail was witnessed by three thousand
people, packed in a solid mass along the
street. He smoked cigar and seemed in
different to his surroundings. On the way
out a plank in the bottom of the wagon gave
way, and he fell through, hang
ing by his arms. He was brought
up smiling, saying, mot yet. The
scaffold was erected a mile from the city,
in a valley surrounded by three high hills,
upon which there were at least fifteen thou
sand people, two-thiIds of whom were ne
groes, and three fourths of the latter women.
John Foster and wife, father and mother of
Mrs. Wittemeyer, and the entire family, in
Guiding the infant left asleep on il dead
mothers breast, were present near the scat
fold. They were disappointed, as was the
vast assemblage, at his not speaking. As
Martin assembled the scaffold he showed
weakness and trembed. He babe Fathers
Veaie and Ryan and Sheriff Price goodbye,
the rope was cut, and the negroes gave
long, mournful groaa, while others shouted.
Just at that moment Joseph Richards, a
| spectator, sat down on his pistol, which ex-
ploded, wounding a little girl named Lilhe
Myers in the feshy part of the leg, and pro-
1 ducing a general stampede. Martin S neck was
| broken in the fall of four and a-half feet, and
| he gave only three convulslve muscular con-
/ fractions. He was cut down in nineteen
minutes and given over to the physicians,
l who carried the body to tent. They
| stripped IL, cat the rope from the neck,
| rubbed the body and applied batteries. The
| muscles of his face twitched convulsiyely,
/ and he gave three gasDs. Finding he was
| beyond resuscltation, his body was removed
/ to the medical college for dissection, he hav-
/ ing previously given his remains to the doc
tors. The crowd was so densely packed
around the physicians while attempting to re-
suscitate Martin that they were almost suffo-
Gated, the tent having been torn away by the
| incorrigible and persistent crowd. Berry IS
l reported to have He'd to parts unknown.
PARTICULARS OF THE CRIME.
The execution of Knox Martin is the
/ irst that has occurred In Nashville
since the hanging of the negro, Bill
/ Kelly, in 1874. The confession of the pris-
oner, the brutality of the crime, in which
there was not one, but two victims, the short
1 Imprisonment and the stocial indifference Of
the prisoner, both in regard to the two per-
sons whom he murdered in cold blood, and
Il his own fate, made the case of Knox Martin
l an unusual one in the annals of crime. Mar
l tin was a heavy, thickset negro, with i'm
mense big feet, and evidences of genuine
/ African blood in his whole physique. His
head was shaped exactly like the apes, with
receding forehead, thick lips, hanging under
Jaws, kDky wool and ebony complexion. AT
| one time he was employed by Wlttemeyer,
one of his victims, to do farm work, and In
/ settlement, disagreement arose, but the
employer acceded to Martins demands and
| considered the matter settled. In his confess
sion Martin stated that an old colored
| woman, and reputed witch and voudouis,
/ named Aunt Mary, told him that Wittemeyer
| sand he intended to kill Martin the first time
he came upon his place. On the night of the
j murder Wittemeyer and his wife retired, tax
j ing in the bed with them two infant children
/ one about year old and the other about two
l years of age. One of the children was PLACED
between its parents and the other at the foot
/ of the bed. An older child had been per
suaded by young sister of the mother to
spend the night with her at the house of it,
grandparents, living only three or four hun
dred wards distant The nsXt morning thes
II 10 IU1fknVoox,arfS on1 hloacuoro,
that both Wittemeyer and his wife had be o.
| murdered. Their screams brought John Eos
l ter, father of the murdered woman, to tn
/ scene, where many other persons soon arrived
The quilt had been drawn up over both dea
| forms. The children were sleeping peace
. fully and only awoke when disturbed. Tn
| babs was upon its mothers breast. She va
lying on her back. The right side of tn
e / face was battered, one arm was broken, an
her neck broken. The man was upon hi
| side. The right side Of his face was crushed
Blood-stains were upon the bed-clothing an
on the walls. Two rocks and piece of iro
/ were in a chair at the bedside. A basin {
bloody water showed where the murdere
had washed his hands after the deed. SIEVE
| raj garments were missing, together wit
some pieces of jewelry. Suspicion was
C / once fastened upon Knox Martin, who ha
4 been seen in the neighborhood the day be
a fore, and had crossed the river at the ferry
II LdIe IN lle Qhy dlleI Inc q QeRr
. named George Berry gave information tia
= Knox Martin was the perpetrator of the dee
# and could be then secured at the house
| his brother, Peter Martin. Officers hasten
ing there found Martin about to eat his SUI
per- He was taken, and on the way to la
- made full confession of the deed. he sal
e he went to WIttemeyers house for the pul
pose of killing him, but did not intend to XII
. his wife. When he reached the door at aboI
q Ell hit o'clock Tuesday evening. which W;
l. January 14th, all the family were abed an
asleep. AS he opened the door Wittemeyt
raised up In bed. As he did so, Martin, VII
had carried long wagon-spoke with hin
10 rushed upon him, hit him a heavy blow upc
is his head and killed him instantly The Ion
IN end of the wagon-spoke extended over an
struck Mrs. WIttemeyer In the face, awaken
20 ing her. Fearful then that she would tell {
ly him he finished the bloody work by murde
70 ing her also. Then the murderer calm
drew the covering up over his victims, washt
&c his hands. put the wagon-spoke on the fir
D. and then proceeded to ransack the premise
10 II a bureau drawer he found fifty c nj
N which he took, then helping himself to Goa
a hat and pair of pantaloons, went out in
VI the yard, and went to sleep upon a pile
re hay. He slept till daylight, then came
e. town, and saw George Berry, whom he h
mr. known a long time, and worked with hi
b frequently. He showed Berry the rings
had, when the latter accused him OF havii
ed stolen them from Wittemeyer, but Martin
of sisted he had bought them. When the mt
b. der became widely known, and Knox Mart
=, was spoken Of as the murderer, Berry hea
Al of it, and told Martin he was suspected, as
ne ing him If he had done 1t. Martin confess
We that he had, whereupon Berry informed
he him. The house IN which Wittemeyer liv
sd was little log cabin, with two doors and
Id window, none of which were securely fastene
er He resided in Bells Bend in the TWENTIETH
IS district of this county. The trial of the pr
n oner came ON Immediately, verdict was re
ny dered against him, and to-day appointed
ed his execution. Although given an onnori
nifty, the criminal declined appealing to