Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-16
A Terrible Crime.
A YOUNG MOTHER AND HER BABES UNNER'
CiFuLLY BUTCHERED ny NEGROES.

NlflLit III NEhhOBSs
CHARLESTON, s. G., December l2.-De.
tails of the murder of Mrs. Kennedy in
Clarendon county and the subsequent
| lynching of the three murderers have
been received here. Last Sunday Mr..
Thomas Kennedy. living near Salem,
intending to visit Charleston, went over
to his fathers house, u short distance
from his own house, to ask his mother
to stay with his wife during his absence.
Mr.. Kennedy's wife was formerly NJ iss
Ada Wright, of Darlington, and had
only been married about year She
was young lady of only nineteen or
twenty years of age, intelligent, refined
and highly respected. When her hus-
| band left she shut the door and sat by
"A window to write letter to her moth
er, little dreaming of the terrific fate
that awaited her. AS she sat there she
saw in the yard Joe Barnes. colored
boy, about sixteen years old, who had
been employed by Mr.. Kennedy the
previous week, and she asked him to
bring her an armiul Of wood. This boy
had been induced by two negroes living
near by-Nance Brandt and his sister
Julia, aged respectfully eighteen and
| fifteen--to hang around the premises
and when Mr.. Kennedy left the place
give the signal to Vance and Julia, who
kept themselves concealed in a thlcket.
| This couple had heard of Mr.. kennedy's
| intention to visit Char lesion, and, think.
ing that he would have good deal OF
money in the house, determined to
break in and get it. When Joe turned
to go for the wood he gave the signal
and soon met Vance coming into the
yard. Vance asked him where Mrs
| Kennedy was, and went Immediately 70
the window and three times tried TO
get in, and each time he was showed out
by Mrs. Kennedy.
THE MURDER.
Finding that he was determined to
get in she opened the front door, ran
through the yard and was just going
through the gate, when Vance snatched
up hoe lying in the yard, overlook
her at the gate and Knocked her down.
She mplored mercy and told him she
would give him all the money she had
| if he would only spare her life. lie
cursed her and said, Use been waiting
to kill you a long time and at that
struck her two more blows, in attempt.
| ing TO avert which it Is supposed her
| hand was broken. Just then Julia came
up with another hoe and severed her
| head When Mr.. Kennedy returned,
about three hours afterward, he found
| his wife lying outside the front gate,
mutilated, cold and stiff, her head al.
most severed in twain. The entire
cranium was cut of from ear to ear.
| leaving the brains scattered around Oh
the ground. 4 jury of inquest being
called had rendered a verdict, murder
| in the first degree by unknown lands."
| Several colored persons were arrested
on Monday, but no clue to their guilt
being obtained they were promptly re.
| leased. ON Tuesday the colored boy.
| Joe Barnes. was arrested. He showed
so much confusion on being questioned
as to his whereabouts on Sunday that
only few questions served TO bring out
/ his full confession, from which the
above account is taken.
TERRIBLE PUNISHMENT NErgD oUT.
! Vance and Julia denied having any.
| thing to do with it, but the clothes
which they wore on Sunday were very
bloody with small particles of brains
upon them. The money and pistol of
Mr.. Kennedy, found in their possession,
were bloody, and on being questioned
about the blood upon their clothes the
woman said she had killed chicken
and the man said he had killed some
| partridges. On cross examination the
| bloody finger prints on the hoehandle
corresponded precisely with those on
| the shawl worn by the woman on the
| day of the murder, which circumstance
had as great weight to convict her as
the testimony of the boy. The horrible
character of the murder awak ened in.
tense Indignation in the neighborhood
and crowd Of 80 white men and fifty
colored men assembled to punish the
murderers. 4 further examination es.
| tablished the truth of the confession of
Barnes. The negroes begged the whites
TO permit them to take the prisoners
and burn them alive. This was refused;
| but vote was taken whether they
should be jailed and await the court or
| be lynched. Only twenty.three voted
to await the law, and it was. determined
| to hang them to the tree nearest the
scene of the crime. fIalters were OBJ.
tanned and fastened to limb of the
| tree, a cart was placed under the limb
and the prisoners ordered to mount.
Just then Joe Barnes begged to be al.
lowed to pray, and commenced by say.
ing he had never prayed before. and
never expected to pray again. Nothing
was said by either OF the others except
groan and "Lord, have mercy" from
Vance. Handkerehiefs being tied over
their faces, the cart was pushed away
and the trio was soon dangling in the
air. Their victim. at the time of the
murder, was enceinte with twins, and
was near her confinement.