Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1880-11-02


for reprieve, Communication or PARDON
lie was returned to his cell, where he
spent his time between his sentence and
lhis death in reading his Bible and pray
ing for the great change. Williams was
a comparative stranger in this county,
having come here but few months ago.
lie was some twenty-three years of age,
was of a copper color, and was general
ly,regarded with distrust. He had some
thing of n character for turbulence and
was held to be reckless and dangerous
There was an impression in the commu-
ty that he was an escaped convict, and
this was deepened by the fact that on
one occasion when man rode near to q
crowd in which he was standing he ran
away, having been told, in reply to a
question, that the man was the Sheriff
of the county. 1t may be doubted if he
really Intended to kill his victim in this
instance outright, because the morning
after the cutting he called at the house
where Kinder boarded, asked how he
was, said he had not intended to cut him
so deep, and told the proprietor that he
would pay his (kinder's) board until he
was able to be ont. But, be this as it
may, he certainly held human life very
lightly; for, on one occasion before this
occurrence, meeting small colored boy
on the railroad track in Hickory, he
placked knife to his throat, and then,
seeming, to repent, said, "No, you are
so little | believe won't kill you.''--
And after his arrest he remarked that he
would have killed the officer who went
afte him except she looked 80 damned
cowardly." Jealousy must have been
the mainspring of the act for which he
died to-day, or else it must be supposed
that he was moved by pure deyilishness.
AN OLD JAILBIRD.
Much has been learned of his previous
life since he has been in prison. He
confessed that he had been passing un-
der an assumed name, and in proof of
this showed the name "Charles Pear.
SOM tattooed upon his arm. lie says
he was raised In Alexandria, Va, and
that he has served terms in the Albany
Penitentiary and in jail at Baltimore. =
lie had served two years Of four year
term in the Virginia Penitenry, whence
he escaped n few months since and came
to North Carolina lie was stoutly
built man, weighing about one hundred
and fifty pounds, had an intelligent
countenance and read and wrote quite
well.
AvULGAR CROWD.
Catawba county is populated almost
exclusively by the Dutch, but though
generally accounted n stolid race the
Dutch are no more imperyious than
other men to the influence which draw
people to n hanging, and men, women
and children turned out to this to-day.
Vehicles Of every conceivable kind
brought them into town in stream all
the morning, and by the hour appointed
for the execution the streets were crowd
ed with people and the town wore hol-
iday appearance.
THE EXECUTION.
At half-past II O'Clock the sheriff led
the prisoner from the Jail. lie had pro-
fcssed religion and till now had borne
himself well, but rs he appeared at the
Jail door he betrayed much emotion.
Seated upon his coffin, the wagon sur
rounded by picked up guard, armed
with sticks and shot guns, tho prisoner
was driven to n scallold half u mile from
the Jail. Fully five thousand people
were gathered around ii. With the rope
around his neck the condemned man
bounded up the steps, He was again
calm and self-possed, and taking of his
hat, scratched his head as he turned and
ran his eye deliberately over the assem-
blagc and be gan to speak, lie charged
whlskcy with his undoiDg, begged his
hearers to be warned by his fate, and
declared that he had made hisp peace with
God and was confident of home In
heaven After speaking five minutes
he sang In u clear and perfectly modtl-
lated voice two stanzas ofuhymn, after
which prayer was offered by Rev. z. f.
W. Stamey, of the Methodist church
South. 1hc-prisoner's-limbs were PIN
ioned and the cap adjusted. The DOOM
ed man sang and prayed alternately
while these preparations were being
made, and the fall of n hatchet upon the
rope which held the trap caught him
with Il prayer upon his lips. The drop
was net exceeding two feet, The con-
tortions were irightful to behold; death
from strangulNtlon, and II was
only at the end of Sixteen minutes that
Dr,ga u. Campbell pronunced life cX-
tinct.
10. .L-1-4. ....-s .sss A-----4-----