The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-05-20
ssWHrsKEY AND BAD COMPANY.v
A White Man Hanged for the Murder OF
q Colored Man at Spartanburg, S. G.
Special Dispatch to Ne,us and Courier.
SpARTANBuRG, S. c., May IA.

SpARTANBURG, S. G., May IA.
Thomas White, who was convicted of
the murder of Pet Hawkins, colored, at
the last term of the court, was hanged
to-day in an enclosure within the Jail
yard, no one being present but his rela.
tives, the sheriff, guard of ten men and
& clergyman. A strenuous effort had
been made to avert the sentence of the
doomed man by bis counsel, who visited
the Governor with sundry petitions on
Monday, and by Whites mother, who
met the Governor yesterday evening at
the train with supplications and tears.
A writ de lunatico inquire'ado was also is.
sued on Wednesday by the Probate
Judge, but all this proved fruitless, and
the condemned man has paid the penalty
of the law.
White has all along manifested a stolid
Indifference to his fate. He was calm
and collected to the last, mounting the
scaffold with firm tread. without betray.
ing the slightest fear. After prayer and
the administration of the sacrament by
the Rey.. Minor Jones, the rope was
placed around his neck, when he COM
planned of its being too tight. 1t was
adjusted, and he expressed himself as
being prepared to die. He asked once or
twice for an absent brother and sister.
He maintained to the last the profession
of q total ignorance Of the deed for
which he died, but alleged that Byrd, the
barkeeper. put pistol in his hand, re-
marking that he Byrd intended to kill
negro before morning. Whites last
,oords vere that he soanted everybody to
ks,ow to what end whiskey and bad COM
any soosld bring man. Had 1t not been
for these, he said, he aoouM not haze died
upon tie gs5bet. He dropped four feet
eight inches at eight minutes past ~
o'clock, made three slight struggles, and
all was over. The pulse ceased to beat
in eight minutes. The body was exam
ined at twenty-five minutes after IL
o'clock by DR.. Russell who discovered
slight beating of the heart. The body
was cut down soon after and placed in a
coffin and delivered to the relatives.
White was about % years old, and is
another sad victim of pistols and whiskey.
May his fate prove solemn warning to
the youth of our State.
The circumstances of the crime for
which White paid the extreme penalty
are somewhat peculiar, and illustrate
very forcibly the truth of the assertion
that whiskey is at the bottom of nine
tenths of the crime in South Carolina.
White was a resident of Spartanburg
County, and lived near Glenn Springs.
He had all his life borne the reputation
of being dissipated character, and was
a hard drinker. On the day of the muir.
| der White came to spartanburg Court
House from Cowpen's Station on the All
Line Railroad, and had been drinking all
| day with boon companions. During the
afternoon while White was in a barroom
with DIR. Lee Smith negro boy came to
tie door of the saloon and asked DR.
Smith to come out for a moment as he
desired to speak with him. DIR. Smith
did not 20, and White stepped to the
door and found two colored boys, one oi
whom was Pet Hawkins, the deceased
White asked Hawkins if he was the -
rascal who had called DR.. Smith out
Hawkins had bundle in his hand which
he put down and appeared as if he ex'
pected an attack. Without waiting fol
an answer White then drew his pisto
and shot Hawkins, killing him almost
Immediately.
Hawkins was a young colored boy
about Is or 20 years of age, and appears
to have given no provocatlon tor the as
sault upon him.
White vas tried at the last term OF the
court for Spartanburg County, before
Judge Wallace, and was found guilty Of
murder, and sentenced to be hanged on
! the 23d of April. Urgent appeals were
/ made to the Governor by the mother Of
the prisoner, and petition was forward
| ed signed by every member of the jury
who convicted him, asking the Executive