, 1881-06-04
HANGED.
The Sentence of Death Exe-
cuted upon Ben James,
q Negro.
Scenes During Ills last Nour-In
tho Coll an,l Mt tho
Gibbct.
The Widow OF His Victim Thanks
God for the Villains
Death.
History Of the Crime Of the Three
Brothers-Another to Be
Hanged.
Specimen Of n Charge to n jury,
Delivered by q Southern
Judge.
Elbert Williams, Oolored, Also Punished
| with Death at Livingaton,
Ala,


BEN JAMES.
Spesid. Dspateh TO Ths Chicago Tribune.
htAMoS, S. c., Jnuc :.-Om tho OH of last
August, between Bund0wil nnd dark, In Il |
p,tbtic street Iii n populouS ,eighb0rllool OF
t)is town, Afr. David A[crrfwetller 1lnrrel',
worthy aml respected cltizcn, WINS most
brutalIy ass..sinntcd. Willie le was quietly
walking nloug the streut llo was suddenly
struck down to TIC eartf, with n cruel gasl
III tho bath of lis head, matlo by solno sharp
and heavy instrument. There OIL tho pavement
| llo lay In n pool OF blood, In Il dying condi-
| ton, mid wllcn discovered WIS not nble 10
speak or make any sigt which might loatl to
tho detection o[ his murderer. Excited
| crowds soon surrounded tho proseratu botiy,
mud un every coulltcllance wns depicted MI
expression Of horror. Hurried Inquiries
were exchanged. and parties set out IN
every direction to scour tic town III
| search Of tho nssrsin. A few hours
later one Of these PARTIES returned. bring
| I'M. three negro brotl,crs,-1lirhnrf james,
benjamin James md Louis james, who were
strongly suspected uf completely III tue crIlnc.
Notwithstanding tley nssevcrntel tllelr III
l noccnce, they were thrown inio prison. Tho
jail wns Instantly surrounded by m excitcd
po,n,lace, who were with difficulty restrained
from lynchlng tho terrified brothers. Cool
heads a1nl wtso connscts prevailed, md tho
crowd dispersed, leaving tho prisoners In tile
hands Of tho jailcr, who promised to use cx-
traorllnary precaution to prevent their es-
cape.
THE TRIAL.
On tho first Monday in Novcmbr last the
Court Of General Sessions met here anil tie
case Of the James brothers was culled and
they were urraiRned for trial, but slicl. was
the excitement and so bitter was The prejudice
hxainst them ulnt an unbiased Jury could not
bo obtained at the time, md tue Judge coii-
seuted to continuance OF tho case, but re-
fused tito motion, for c1'aslge Of ven,te
The Court Rgain Il1et lcre enrly IN
lust March, the 1cnrned Judge u. c. l'ressly
presiding. It WIS found that the excitement
over tic case had not Mbatetl much, antl when
the prisoners were nrraignctl for trial tho
lnrge courtroom wns fitted with whites md
blacks. Frnnl nearly one hundred persons
summoned as Jurors, the prisoners SELECTED
TIC following wo aftsr being gEi;e P!nfsa q
Re?aleS. HUT XXX feEsns,i jols +; DSvs, Wiiiiaai s
Frank MeKonzIc, Z. y: 1lcrri,, Bentaa',lll'
aa ly ySafat wHt 5 Gspist Ssa ceer eoersd 0a seetot %
represented. tho State, alld G.; \. Woods,
Es HH w M9ntEomafry e EMS Mhfdn ,ae ae
|
= were appointed by tho Court TO defend tug
!: !. prisoners. These advocntcS without an1
]. pecunary reward aud III The tnce Of mntlA
%nkind 1sFks 21 sslzes n,Sch WI non ti Si
lnbors with ,Manltness and determination (
do tileir wllOlu duty under Il SOLEMN oail
Il that was worthy Ut tholr pr"fesssoh'
III. DIXON EVANS,
the first witness fOr tic prosecution, swor'
that le kIluw tho deceNseu well; that on I'll
- hight Of tho murder tlc learned thnt no lIAt
been severely cut On tho heal; TINT he h llus
tened to te woGn lna m aa ioea noarad @ nn II
on 4 mattress, and lived only ten minute
. aiter rcacllinE tilere. On oXnln!natl1t IS Is
yero cut was found or the Daek r., q ilarretr ,eho
nely gash in tho fnco Just under the rlEl,
cyu. These wounds, were doubtless rnad Y!
. BY a sharp hatclnt. Either o'le ~, OF 7vl n
MSuHI soa aad rce, iss Via Vic %ero also attei;ae
pfnced on tic stand ai'd corroborAted ID
by Evans. testimony. .,,
sworn ] nsxt, MD testified is foll%s: Live !
towT, below tha jail. Came up tho street 9
!. TIC night Of tho killing. It wns lienr tsarl
wus passins Nr.; llnrrrull's same ono cam
ont Of the '!0.ls!S on thu plaza. Dnn't Kno'
ny J s,e psiSps aSpss f s to ts sss
IL d''a'e": ti'ns you% Hs' 1leaHl ss q @ elS|, ~
" thon some one crlea ont 70 lord!f a, SaW
I! I!o vas wliitu or blacis, fof It was nearly dur
,s sa ssaae a cEE Eohs "s fe SGs soaSoay s s5SRSs
r,o kI!ed sito lis fcnco." saw u, wagon Il,
H. toll tho driver. Charles Eynns, tllAt SONIC u
~. was kilie.! oi, t,a a!lo Of tilo fenee, a!!!
~ lnsteiieu to tho pnce, dlt llot seo aiiyt'l
Or do not know Ben Jatnos, tho prisoner at t!
ity har. | heard u struggle, then k!e
Tho lloarl sor,o voices Ilurn,lrlilE }lst Dclo
sPrd n vEv SST 3 Tue con t sSsxS sy Whetss sssa
III, were white or bllUk. ........
md Tlr,!.rY-KIo.lr orMER WITNESSES
Ne. were examined for tho ,prosecntion,, Az I
-. evidences WIZ purely cirGn!lstaitiats out - !
'St brane't out, each link being 50 strong y
" iron letters 1T guilt woru tOrgetl, one!rell
7, III thelr coils the defendants alil satisfy
~ nlI wilt, hear tho testimony tsat tne T., IN
clutches OF the law. The vig'lant 9ttorne
Ut tho defendants subjected nIl there y
= ,,esscs 10 scatilinE u
~ siftil.g the testimony, thereby e,,1oayorlnG
i. lnelt tl,s chain ot clrcuulstallces; But t
= chuin, 10 solid a!ad Strong, wlt''sto9t!
PSwsf Of tax ths!r n,sn{ sry el0au'ce' ano I'll
''t1' The @ trial lSytoti four and n lalf days 4
three defenuas sat tosether ,,i n ,tll tllg lTist I
ference. Tley sgcmcl to fear nothing, a
n"ssss they would grin and ppkB eac!! otl
in tlu sItlcs, showing tint they ,Iookca " "
t st i;'sl 5 n '' s"sy ysi5s sy ALI @ ea Sst s'i '
~ 't n ,n,'risr wl!cli lad Eeel, committed
ncr. lie dirk, without my Witnesses to pr
i%s. @s thoy wsrs present. rhsy !aa No eonss,p:
ntty nf the strength Uf kllb clCCt1llatN1lllltl
you j,,on t-n t},a, md faflutl tn realize
each ilnk atIt,l to the GlIatn yss re-.
Nv, give ths csss their la,st setlons attsnti
y. iho feryld uppenls which tell frun the 80
,m.. nnyocntes' ]ips 'rhn arguments oil, b
" sities were ,'.astertnl J4dg9 rressly,
zoe. tne assottoo'Ttts = ~, ;. ~ mi ,nwarf1Ii
YHe. | delivered lunR AtA Po"ett"
11a. clIAHHE TO TIE JURY.
1EH. | .,t.a.,.,n.,i.. ,,,,,.,+