The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-31
CONDEMNED TO DIE.
The Results Of Drinking Whisky and
Carrying Pistols.

InG hcSultS vi UtlIAiNS NhAoAJ "A
Carrying Pistols.
Thomas White, a white man. several
weeks ago, on the streets of Spartanburg,
while intoxicated, 5ysome strange freak,
shot and killed Pet Williams, a negro,
without pr~ovocation. The Spartan In no.
ticing the Court proceedings reports the
following melancholy facts. One cannot
but feel sorry for the execution OF a MUIR
derer, but something must be done to
stop the reckless taking of life. IN the
case of White the jury did their duty, and
the sentence is just:
There were three murder cases tried at
this court, a very unusual thing for Spar
tanburg. Bobo & Carlisle defended
Thomas White and John G. Paris, and
Duncan & Cleveland and Bomar d Simp-
SON. defended Aaron Massey.
White shot down Pet Hawkins, col
orcd, OH the streets of ~Spartanburg. The
strange thing is that he did this without
knowing Hawkins, or without having
any provocation to shoot him: 1t may
never be known what was the secret
spring in his mind that caused him to 90
this deed. 1t was a terrible deed, and the
penalty is also terrible. Paris in an an
rry scufilc killed Jack Williams, Will
liams making All attack with a gun. Par
is in the scuffie jerked the gun from Will
lia,ns, and struck him across the head
while he was rising, which blow caused
his death. Aaron Massey killed. by
shooting, his half brother Tom. They
were out hunting, both having guns, and
/ n talking over a settlement they became
a little excited, and the gun of Aaron
went off and killed Tom. 1t seemed to
be a clear case OF accidental killing. When
the verdict was announced Aaron felt in
finitely more happy than he did when
Lees army surrendered, n freedom
was bestowed on him.
THE SENTENCE OF WHITE.
Friday afternoon the prisoner was
brought into Court and placed in thedock.
A dense crowd packed the courtroom at
the time. Judge Wallace, feeling the aw-
full solemnity Of the occasion, said:
"Thomas White, stand up. Have you
anything to soy why sentence OF death
should not be pronounced on your"
For the first time during the whole tri-
al the prisoner showed some agitation OF
mind. His voice was a little quivering
and he said: Il can only say that | am
clear of the charges against me. / am
not guilty of them. I am innocent of it:
In my conscience before God I don't feel
that 1 done this deed. don't think 1t
right Sefore God to put me death tor what
I did not do" These were about his
words, uttered with not so much connec-
ton as here expressed.
Judge Wallace then said about as fol-
lows:
Unfortunately for you, Thomas
White, a jury of your countrymen have
declared you guilty, and it is my painful
duty to declare the judgment of the law.
I do not punish you, and the jury does
not punish you. The jury have found,
after careful investigation, that you killed
Pet Hawkins. On that record the duty,
painful as it is, devolves upon me to pro-
nounce the sentence of the law. cannot
find it in my heart to add n word to the
keen distress you feel. All men must
die; but when you, a young man, full of
life, Just in the vigor Of manhood, come
to die a felon's death, it must penetrate
YOU with a degree of distress which can
not be re- sed in words. 1t must &C.
cur to you,a as it must to every man, that
if you had not had a pistol in your pock-
ct"
Prisoner: "I did not have a pistol be-
fore God"
Here his attorney asked him to be 81
lent. Judge Wallace was patiently wait
ing to hear what he had to say.
IL If you had not had a pistol in your
rocket, and been on that fatal afternoon
drinking liquor to excess, Pet Hawkins
would not have heen killed, and you
would not be here to receive the sentence
of death. Pet Hawkins death and your
approaching death are traceable to the
common practice of drinking liquor to
excess, which practice proved az fatal as
if YOU had administered strychnine to Pet
Hawkins and then taken it yourself. Ex-
amples are of such frequent occurrence
in South Carolina, where the free use of
whisky, joined with the practite of carry
ing concealed weapons, brings many men
to danger and death, that, it seems to me,
all good men ought to endeavOr to con-
centrate public opinion so as to check
these two evil practices. Thomas White,
I regret that il is my duty to give 1t as my
opinion that you will be obliged to die.
II seems that you have nothing to 90
but to make your peace with that God
whose laws you have violated. Let ME,
who would do everything in tenderness,
exhort you to ave yourself from a more
dreadful punishment than the law can
infict. Twill not protract this fearful
scene. The sentence of the law is that
you be taken from the place where you
now are back to the Jail, and there kept
in close confinement until Friday, the 23d
day of April next, and that, on that day,
You be taken from the Jail to the place OF
private execution, and there between the
hours of 10 A. NJ. and 3 P. NJ. hanged by
the neck until you are dead and may
God have mercy on your SOUL"