Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-12-13
s. Horrible Crime.

| Last Sunday Mr.. thomas keDDcdy, living
nsar Salim, S. g., intending to visit Charles
| ton, went over to his fathers house, shcrt
| distance f;on his owe. TO ask his mother to stay
| with bis vito duriog his abseaoH. Mr. kenne.
dy's VITA was form Wy Miss Ada Wright. Of
| Darlington, sud had ooly been married a5ou: q
year. She WAS yjuos lady Of onig 10 or 90
yesrs CT ego. intelligent, rodced and liShy re-
spcc,ed. Whom her husband let: soc shu! The
door and sat by sild,g 10 write letter to
her mother, little Dreaming Of the terrific fete
that awaited her. As she Sat there sac esW in
tho yard J oe Baroes. c3lorcd boy, about l6
years old, who had been employed By Mr.
Kennedy the previous week, AID she asked
| him to bti0g her "a armfal OF )od. This boy
had bscu iaduc,d By two negroes living Dear
| ty-Vance Brandt and his sister Jalla, aged
| respite lively IS and l5-!o hang around The
premises. and when Dir. Kapn'dy left the plaoo
give tho signal to FaIoo aud J1!ia. who kept
thens, Ives corc,alrd 10 thicSet. This couple
had hesrd Of Mr.. kenaedY's intention to visit
Chall ,stCD and, thinking lha. be would have
good deal CT money 10 the hcus', determined
to break in and get il. When Joe turned TO
70 for the wood be gave the signal aud soop
mat Vat c, coming iato the yard. Varc, asked
hin where Mrs. Kennedy was aud weutimne.
diatel7 10 The window npd three timts tried to
get 10. and each time no w;s showed on. by
MS Kennedy.
Finding that be was determined 10 got in she
opened the front door, rin through tho yard
and Was Just gcing through tho gate when
Vance snacaed up O boa lying 10 the yard,
overlook her Of tho cato and Knocked her
dowo. Sac implcred meIc7 and tod him she
would give him oil tho moeey she had if ho
would only spare her life. Ho cursed her. aud
said, Use been waiting to kill you long
time" aud at that struck Der two more blows.
10 atu m D.iog to avert which it is supposed her
hand was broken. Just then julia CINE up
With another hoe and severed her head. When
Mr. Kennedy returned, about three hours nf-
terWsrd. no found his wife lSinG outside the
front gate. m1tilated. c1ld sni stiff her head
almost severed 10 t1aio. Tho cuIfe Uranium
was out eff from ear to car. leaving tho brains
tc1ttered around on tho Ground. 4 jury OF in-
quest being had returned verdic:. murder
in tho highest degrees by unknown banda.
Several colored persons were arrested 90 Mon
day, but ID QUO to their guilt beiog o5taiped
they we're promptly released. Ga Tuesday the
coiored boy. ice BarCcs, Was arrested. He
showed so much Confusion on b,ipg questioned
as 10 his whereabouts On Sunday tia. OILY q
few questions served to br ny out his full cou-
fesaion. from which tie above aec,uat is taken.
Vatc, aud Julia denied having anything to
do with it. but the clothes which tboy wore Oh
Sunday w,ro very bloody With small partic'e s
of braiue upon them. Tho money and pistol
of Mr.. Keonedy, fouad 10 their possession. wero
bloody, ard 90 being q1estloned aboDt the
blood upon their clothes lho woman said she
had killed a chicken and the man said hs bad
killed some cartridges. On cross examination
the bloody Il :gar prints % the hoehe0die COR
responded precisely With thcss Oh the shaw!
worn by the woman 90 ito day Of tho murder,
which cilc lnstarcs had as great weight to %
vics her az tbs testimony ct the boy. The hor
rible character of the murder awakened intense
indpns,on in the neighborhood. and crowd
OF $50 white men aud so c1lorcd meu assem-
bled to punish the murderers A further exam.
instion established the truth of the confession OF
Barnss. The negroes begged the whites to per.
NIT them to take tho prisoners and burn than
s!ive. This WAS refused; but vote was taken
whether they ehould be jailed and await the
court or be lyrched. Only twsnty.th1ee voted
to await the law, and it was determined to hang |
Thorn to the tree nearest the scene Of the crl me-
Halters were obtained and fastened 10 o limb Of
the tree, cart was placed under the limb snd
the prisoners ordered to mount. Just then Joe
Barnes begged 10 be allowed 10 pray, snd m |
menced by saying ho had never prayed before, |
ard never expected to pray again. Nothing
was said by either of the others except grosn
and Lord, have mercy" from Vance. Hand |
WIS pushed away end the trio was coon dangling |
In the airs Their victim at the time o. Ia mut-
der WAS enciente With twins. and IVES near her
confinement.