The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-15
coNDtsMN1sn 10 DIE.

II Is o notorious fact that although
many snprdors occurred during Republic
can ascend aney In South Carolina In
which white men killed colored people,
yet no white man Wis ever executed for
such crime under their administration
Of the government by them, and they
have repeatedly asserted that none would
ever occur under o Democratic admins.
tration. Since we obtained the govern
ment these killings have almost entirely
stopped, and the following report of q
case terminated at the late spartanburg
Court, taken from the CdroRna Spartan,
shows that the laws are, and will be, i'm,
partially administered by our Courts:
Thomas White, q white man, several
weeks ago, on the streets OF Spartanburg,
while intoxicated, by some atrange freak,
ahot and killed Pet Williams. negro.
without provocstion. The strange thing
Ia that he did this without knowing Haw.
kins, or without any pycvocation TO shoot
him. 1t may never be known VII 1t was
the'eecret spring in his mind that made
him do this deed.
Friday afternoon tho prieonef was
brought into Court and placed in the
dock. A dense crowd packed the court.
room. at tho time. Judge Wallace, feel
ing. the awful solemnity Of the occasion,
said:
Thomas, White, stapd up. Have you
anything TO say why tho sentence Of
death should not be pronounced on
you 2"
For the frat time during the whole
trial the prisoner showed some agitation
OF mind. His voice was little auiyer-
Ing, and he said: ~ can only say that /
am clear Of the charges against me.
am not guilty Of them. / am innocent
OF II. In my conscience before God /
don't feel that done this>deed. I don't
think 1t right before God to put me 70
death for What I did not DOB These
were about his words, uttered with not so
much connection as here expressed,
Judge Wallace then said about as fol.
love
Unfortunately for you, Thos. White,
jury Of your countrymen have declar d
You guilty, and it Is my painful duty to.
declare the Judgment Of the law. do
punish yop. The jury have found, after
careful Investigation, that you killed Pet
Hawkins. On that record the duty.
painful as it 10, devolves upon ne to pro.
nonnce the sentence Of the law. I can.
not find It In my heart to add one word
to the keen distress you feel. All men
must die; but when you, young man.
full of life, Just In the yigor Of manhood
come to die felon's death, ir must pen.
citrate yon with degree Of distress which
cannot be expressed in words. It must
occur to you, as It must to every man.
pocket" -.
Prisoner: "I did not have q pistol:
before God"
Here his attorney asked him to be
silent. Judge Wallace was patiently
waiting to hear what he had to say.
II yon had not had o pistol in your
pnckes and been on that fatal afternoon
drinking liquor TO excess, Pet Hawking
would not have been killed, aud you
would not be hero to receive the sentence
OF death. Pet Hawkins death and your
approaching death are traceable to tho
common practice of drinking .iquSr to
e5cess, which practice proved as fatal as
Il you hhd administered esrychnine to,
W A1oW ELLIS Huu tiitu JHken IL yOuIEelt, 1
Examples are Of such frequent occur,
renee 10 South Carolina, where the free
use Of whisky, joined with the practice Of
carrying. concealed weapons, brings many
men TO danger and death, that, It seems
TO me, all good men ought to endeavor to
concentrate public opinion 60 as to check
these two evil practices. Thomas White,
/ regret that 1t is my duty to give 1t as
my opinion that you will be obliged to
die; Il seems that yon have nothing to
do but to mako your peace with that God
whose laws : OH haye violated. Let me,
who woulS do everything in tenderness,
exhorE you to gave yourself from more
dreadful punishment than the law can
1naict.' l will not protract this fearful
scene. The sentenee of the law 10 that
you pc taken from the place where you
now, are back to the Jail, and there Kept
IN close confinement until Friday, the
2Srd day Of April next, and that, on that
day, you be taken from tho Jail to the
place Of private execution, and there be-
tween the hours OF 10 o. m. and g. o. m.
ba hanged by the neck until you are
dead /; and may God have mercy ON your