The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-04-03
NO.. a..

/ of Robinson, and that Mrs. William
is was accessory to the crime. This b
u ing the first death in the town of Sun
y NIT, there was inaugurated the fir
Il funeral, and it the first tragedy in I'll
# future city. Robinson and Mrs. Wi
$ llams We're confined in Jail, and {
: the September term, 1856, of the Cil
a cult Court, were indicted, one for mul
' der, the other as accessory. The tria
came on, and nearly all of the citizen
OF Summit were called as witnesses
Upon the trial a witness was produce
on the part Of the State, in the perso
of young girl in her teens, and c
rather prepossessing appearance, VIII
was an unwilling spectator of one O
the most brutal murders in the calen
dar of crime.
Calico had been to Natchez, and re
turned with barrel of whiskey, anC
to celebrate the arrival of so distin
guished an event, it was determined
among the inmates of the shanty tc
make night of it. From the testi
mony, it appeared that there had been
an undue intimacy between Robinson
and Mrs Williams, and they had Sc
lected this time to settle the affair
with Colico. While Calico was sitting
at table, his wife was entertaining
him, and drew his attention to some
trivial matter. While in this position,
Robinson came in at the back door,
and behind him, struck him with a
large hand stick on the back of the
head, telling him to the floor, repeat
ing the blows until he was satisfied
that he had ''tiXed him. AS he re-
markedly With the assistance of
Mrs. Williams, they dragged the body
out to the back yard of the premises,
and left it to return and continue their
orgies in the house. Having spent
some time inside, Robinson went out
to examine his victim, and upon ex-
animation found that life was not eX-
tinct-picked up an axe, and with it
finished the deadly work. A short
time before day he went out behind
the garden, and to the place where
the body was found, dug a shallow
hole, placed Calico in it, covered it up,
placed some brush over it and left it
in that condition.
The young girl who had witnessed
the whole transaction, was about to
be the next victim, as Robinson be-
lieved in the old saying: dead men
tell no tales,n but by some mysterious
power, he released her, alter taking
an oath and promise to never reveal,
and forever conceal. And well did
she keep her promise, until relieved
from the fear Of this desperate. All |
this testimony and other circum-
stances corroborating her statements
BY many witnesses, was given to the
ury, and they retired to consider on
heir verdict.
The prisoner was brought int to the
to receive the verdict; it
vas just after dark the old courthouse
peing dlmly lighted, it presented a
omber and sad appearance. The jury
vas polled, and each one responded
guilty. in clear and firm tone.
'he accused listened to the verdict un-
moved no sign or trace Of emotion
Ould be seen on his countenance. He
vas remanded to Jail to await his SEN
ence. On the last day of the Court
udge McNair handed the written SEN
ence to the Clerk, S. a. Matthews,
7ho read the same to him, sente cling
i'm to be hung by the neck until he {
-as dead, the sentence to be executed
n Friday, the 25th Of October 1856. {
Before the sentence of the Court was t
Fad to him he was asked why the sen |
,nce should not be propOunced upon t
i'm? He persisted that he was inno- i
ent that he did not have q fair trial, 7
nd that his life had been sworn away. f
lis accomplice, Mrs. Williams, was
$50 tried, convicted, and sentenced to
le penitcntiary for ten years.
The day of execution drew near. He
fused all spiritual consolation or adj h
ice; no signs of remorse could be b
zen, nor any expression of regret ever :
capcd his lips; no preparation for Fl
le final ordeal was made by him.
ill protesting his innocence, and be- b
wing that eventually he would be
ac. The day, the fatal 25th Of Octo- II
r camc-a bright and sunshiny day
the hour was approaching. He was II
that he had seen the sun ~
&c through the grated bars OF his 7
Ison-house for the last time; yet his II
nfidence in being set free had not q
-saken him. Dressed in the habil- "
lents of death, the gallows upon W
lich he was to eXpiate his crime was OF
the Jail door, the fatal rope was /
ngling at the cross-beam of the gal in
vs., the trap door was in signt, the
lin was near, yet his faith in being SC
free had not deserted him.
The large throng of people were
the courtyard green-the old, the d.
ung, the halt, the lame, and even g
2 bind-all anxious and curious to y ie
felow-being launched into eter- n,
v. The tragedy was soon to have al
end. The Sheriff reads to him and W
? assembled multitude the death al d,
rrant he announces II him that 10
is ready the prisoner has a hur- 81
d conversation with the Sheriff, oN
liking a piteous appeal TO him, and ~
en- a vehement demand to be set \
G. In the mean time, and during RI
is pause, the crowd swayed to and
!. A death-like stiffness pervaded
e assemblage, except an occasional 10
7 from some little waif that had ~
IN borne TO the scene upon it, faith fir
mothers arms. tr
m, md Ior,,voI man tg,o,, t,,,l, NJ, "