The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-08-14
HENRY WARRINGTON.
The Negro who IN to Swing on the
2nd of September

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reporter of the COMET visited the
jail on Wednesday morning, and being adj
mitted to the cell of the condemned man,
who is to suffer the extreme penalty of the
law, on September I'd, asked him for a true
statement of the circumstances connected
with the murder, in which he was one of
the principal actors. The unfortunate boy
for he is but boy in ycars-secmed to
be duly sensible of the terrible fate which
awaits him, and stated to the reporter that
he had united with the church, and was
making preparations to meet his doom.
The following is his statement of the
atlair--in his own words
"My name is Henry Washington, | will
be II years old in September; was born
near Demopols, Ala, and came to Kinds
county the first of the present year.
ana secured work with Mr.. John Smith
near Mississippi Springs. The following
Is my statement of the killing of Mr. II.
Hill, which occurred on the 18th of July
last.
81 went from the field to the house to get
some water. Mr.. John Smith was at the
house. Mr.. HIPS little daughter came out
OF the watermelon patch. asked her for
watermelon, and she gave me one.
l then went down in the field and
went to blowing, and plowed until
night. When | went to the house, Mr..
Hill asked me how the watermelon
ate; L told him it ate tolerably well, only it
was green. He told me had to pay for it.
told him that / couldn't pay for what his
daughter had given me. He said that if /
did not pay for il he would give me good
beating said that he had Il notion to give
me beating anyway. He commenced to
curse me, and said he was going to give me
beating Saturday night anyhow. | then
went to the well and drew some water for
the mule. Mr.. Hill was on the gallery, and
came out to the well and began to curse
me again, saying that if | did not stop
talking back to him he would take a brick
and knock me in the head. l then went
to the stable to feed the mule. | came to
the house to get the dishes in which Mr..
Smith brought my breakfast that morning;
when he again cursed me and said if | did
mot pay for that watermelon by Saturday
night, he was going to kill me- | picked
up gun muske0 that was sitting in the
shed-room by the window, and took it out
to the well and set it down behind the well,
and then went about Il half Il mile to Fay
cite Thomas and asked him if he would
give me some powder and shot; he did not
want to give it to me at first, but | con-
tinued to ask him for it, and he gave it to
me. After getting the powder and shot, |
sat there about ten minutes, and then went
back to Mr.. Hills, and went in the room,
where Mr.. John Smith and | stayed, to get
some paper to load the gun. l then COM
loading the gun--near the well.
All the time was loading it, l could hear
Mr.. and Mrs. Hill-who were in their room
about my stealing their water
melons.
az said to Mrs. Hill Mrs. Hill, you
ought not to say that stole the water
melons, for have not been in the patch
''NIr. Hill said was id liar, that he
had seen my tracks,
81 told him no he hadn't, that the nearest
that had been to the patch, was walking
along the path between Mr.. Smiths corn
and his patch.
Gle told me If I did not hush, he would |
come out and beat me all over the yard
with stick
81 told him could mot help it,
"He jumped up from the table and came |
running out, and told me that if | didn't |
lush he would kill me with one of those
rocks lying out in the yard
she started towards me, and before he
got off the gallery fired the shot and Mr..
Hill fell. do not know whether Mr.. Hill
lad anything in his hands or not. After
iring the shot ran down in the field and
stayed there few minutes, and then came
pack by the horseback of the orchard
and stayed outside of the yard until
morning, when left and went to Terry"
Henry stated to the reporter that he did
lot know that he had killed Mr.. Hill until
he was being brought to this city on the
rain. Also that he did not intend to kill
lin, but wanted to keep from being hurt
himself.