The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-04-29
THE GALLONS IN LEXINGTON.
Alexander Williams Pays with His Lie
f5h TINT Of Smith Fields, Whom he Killed
in February, 1875.

AicxaMder Williams Pays with His Lie
f5t tint Of Smith Fields, Whom hc Killed
in February. 1875.
EhS1SoroN, April g. 1920:
Alexander Williams, &ho Mas hanged
here to-day for the murder of Smith
Fields on the 25th of February, 1876,
was of the pure African type of negro,
and was of an aggressive and dangerous
disposition. His low reeeding forNlend,
flat nose and protruding lips indicated
his animal pfopensities. Jte was twenty
three years old, md would weigh about
one hundred and sixty pounds. Upon
interrogatiug him as to the crime which
he had committed, he stated that it was
done in selE-lefence, Fields having sent
him word that he would take his life.
He did not carry. bayonct in e$pecta-
ton of meeting Fields. bit had Sorh it
while hunting. Had no idea of killing
Fields, but was endeavoring to save him
self. He stated that he hoped all his
friends would take warning from his fate.
For week past be has been under the
ley, Lutheran. aad ke3. !. Fl. Wallace,
Baptist minister, but persistently refused
to receive any spiritual comfort or evince
any degree of repentance, declaring that
he had not received fair trial, and that
all the witnesses in the case except Ger
hard Muller, jr., had testified wrongfully.
He seemed perfectly unconcerned, and
said he was ready to go to glory. Du,
ring the forenoon he smoked a cigar and
ate freely of peanuts given him;
The gallows was erected Immediately
in rear of the Jail, and consisted of two
upright posts with q cross beam, the fatal
platform being slippofted by a key and
pill, and the whole enclosed by dark blue
cloth. After a final prayer by the Rev.
Mr.. Bailey the doomed man was led
forth, bound and then blindfolded. The
rope was adjusted, and at quarter to 2
o'clock Sheriff Drafts with hammer
struck the trigger. In the fall Of four
feet the knot Slipped from Under the ear
to the back Of the head. After twelve
minutes pulsation had ceased, and at five
minutes past o'clock the body was cut
down and the neck pronounced broken
by Drs. Leaphart and Seay. There was
no excitement over the execution, less
than a hundred persons of both colors
being present.
THE HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Alexander vii.
liams was hung was committed on the
25th Of February, 1878, and consisted in
the killing of Smith Fields. Both the
murderer and his victim wefe eoloFed
men, and both worked in the same neigh
borhood. On the day named, according
to the evidence submitted at the coroner's
inquest, Fields and Sye Williams, Maxcy
Graham and H. Muller were lying down
in the field of DR.. Gerhard Muller, near
Lexington Court House, taking their
moon rest" Alexander Williams came
up to them in company with two other
colored men, and evidently came with
the intention of doing violence to Fields,
for as he came up he at once commenced
to curse him. 1t was proven on the trial
that he accused Fields of having talked
about" him and his wife, and that, after
cursing and abusing him rouudly, he in
vited him to come out for fight. None
of the other witnesses Of the ARRAY no.
ticed any. deadly weapon on the person
of the murderer at this time. Fields
obeyed the invitation to fight, and the
two men, accompanied by several wit
nesses, started off some distance to have
it out. On the way another war of words
ensued, during which Fields denied hav-
ing said anything about Williams and his
wife. Williams, however, continued his
abuse of Fields, which induced the latter
to say that he didn't come to the ground
for all "this FUSS" he had come to let
Williams whip him if he could or dc
whatever he intended doing to him. At
this point Williams struck his victim
with his left hand, and at the same time
drew an old bayonet which he had con:
cealed about his person and. stabbed
Fields in the left breast. 1t was not III
evidence that Fields struck his assailant
either at that or any other time. Upon
being stabbed, Fields, who had received
his death wound, fell back. Ma1cy Ora
ham, one of witnesses, attempted to in
terfere, but Williams attacked him with
the bayonet, and he was forced to run eff
After receiving the wound Fields stepped
back and pointed to the 6 hastily wound
in his breast; he was speechless and was
splitting blood freely. He walked few
steps and then fell, dying in the roadway
DR.. w. G.. Muller was sent for, and
found the dying man suffering from 8
hemorrhage. The wound in the chest
had penetrated the lungs, entering just
below the second rib. The man died
while the surgeon was probing the
wound. On the following day the cor.
oner held an inquest, and q verdict Of
wilful murder was rendered against Viii.
liams, who had fled as soon as he hao
atabbed Fields. He was arrested, how
ever, and committed to the Lexington
Jail on the 9th of February, and re.
maiued there until November rs, 1875
when he succeeded in making his escape
The Governor offered reward for his
arrest, and although it was known thai
he frequented various points between
Sunday Run in Lexington County and
St. Matthews in Orangeburg, the Sheriff
could not definitely locate him until the
lst of January, 1880, when bench war
rant was issued and he was arrested on
the 2Oth of the same month nine miles
east of St. Matthews. He was tried fol
murder at the February term of court
and convicted and sentenced by Judge
Kershaw to be hanged on the 29d O.
April, between the hours of 10 o. m. anc
2 p. m. This is the first execution thai
has taken place in Lexington since the
war.-Special Dispatch TO the Ne,cs and