The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-05
LIFE FOR LIFE.
,.xter Hang-a at char'otte'
charlotte Observer

muIuen,eek from which 1t was drawn
Pines 5stb of January by a posse OF
on TUG who had turned out in search
ct.LCnS missing man. When drawn
'0i IN. rocc chain was around his neck.
.oal 'boIe forehead was bealen IN,
me w. was recognized by bis clothing,
o,t ;,h WAS we'll preserved Circum-
WIS W., implicated Baxter. He was
SlI@d His trial came off at the
- term Of the Superior Court,
TTr,]c< f,ure presiding, 1t occupied
J-Ii ay. He was we'll represented
.r,uDseI. xho, in their arguments,
lined the grounds in his favor to a
-. The Jury were out twenty min
s and returned a verdict of guilty.
Ge was sentenced 10y Judge Eure to
II. the extreme penalty on the Goth
- April yesterday. No request was
,Je Tor a new trial. No etfor. to get
~petition to the Governor. His
arrit was too p%alpable; the evidence
eersinst hIm too damniEg. The con
Imrcd man himself passively acquies-
ed IN this view Of it, and resigned
~'Iiu..lf almost uncomplainingly to his
fate. His sentence was followed by
coDfesa.ons, and if there were any
doubts before, they were row entirely
Sc at rest. The murder, as represen-
ted by him, was premedItated, cold
Hooded and deliberate According
10 his diving account, it was instigated
.bv 4 woman, the wife Of the murdered
man. whose diabolical malice had in
sidi0usly, but With intensity Of purpose
worked toward this point for years.
WHY this woman has not been ares
ted and put upon trial for her life,
also, is too profound a my stery for one
10 solve. whose business is not to bring
criminals to justice, and who is not &C
uuainted with the peculiar fortunes
and chances of crime. Baxter stated
before bis death that if he could know
in his last moment that Joe Ross and
Hennegan's wife were simultaneously
hanged. one on either side of him, he
could feel satisfied that eDtire justice
nal been lone in this matter. But to
-.,,r u 10 Baxter. Though a man OF
nor. than ordinary intelligence, he
seenlei perfectly stolid IN regard to the
nature Of his crime, and up to the
tour of his death So far us tbs repor
ser knows, he did not utter one word
judicating,in any degree an apprecia
uiaG of its. eEormlty. In his religious
professions b. bewailed himself as a
vile SINNER, but hot once did he ailude
in q rem0Esefu! manner to the crime
for which be was Sentenced to death.
sesming to think thai In his slnfu
state the timsy PGovocaf.3ns which he
several times mentioned as the motive
for thedeed were amply sufficient cause
fer the communal as being rot allow
the par Of his ordinary mclin&tEops anG
actions. Whether he vac hstdene'
and insensible of crime to some degree
is q question.
Leaning against the support whicI
~.onsrated in the nature of a pulley VIA
e~hand-axe. The edge was eXtremel
fine. The reporter ran ms thumb owe
1T. in would have shaved a han
These things were taken IN almost at
glance. Lttle conversation was car
rled ON. A Eaelrg OF W prcVaile
and saemeG to 4lake all dumb, d
if Alexander ans his assistants Wei
moving nOiselessly about preparln
for the tragedy. TheEormer ordlnarll
90 courteous and accomnodati2gIn hl
answered questions in Il CRU
and impatient tone. lie looked trou
bled and nervous, and when hS ha'
nothing else to do gaced restiessly u
and down the passage. lie was plain
" anxious to get shrough with the bus
mess. This was done sooner than b
could reasonably have expected.
BAXTER TAX EN- FROM HIS CELL.
At III o'clock. Baxter emerged fror
his cell on the side opposite the gaitow:
dressed IN a neat, dark.sHit, and wit
white gloves on his hands. The jailt
pinjoned his arms with q rope at tn
elbows. passing it from one TO she otht
across his back. With a firm tread au
uplifted head, accompanied by Il
sheriff and Revs. T. II. Lomax and
( TYLER, colored, he theu walked u
IL corridor and came down on tn
other side III view of the g~allows.
chaiy was handed him and he sat dow
1t theLoot of the trap, of which j
took ore intent bat passing glance du
ing the ceremonies which followed.
How die you sleep last nightF' I
r-Y.s. asked.
u slept very, well, but did not e
h,aytiIy this morning"
Re,ceremoniously stroked his sho
black beard as he spoke and from tn
on smiled continuously.
Are you still cheerful in spirits an
YOUR faith unshaken<' one OF the mi
listers asked him.
Il have my eyes upon tue one MA
Christ" he answered simply.
Then, turning to the sheriff, he
long" he asked, "before 1t Will
over"
"About an hour" he answered.
"Oh. its too long" Baxter reJol
ed. make it shorter"
The sheriff assured him that the e1
should be expedited.
1t being his desire, the minist'
then began religious services with
hymn appropriate to the occasion, t
verses of which were alternately CIV
out aud sung, Bakers strong and II
steal voice soaring above all oths
and an exultant smile wIeathlng
features with d sort of beauty as
looked steadfastly in the eyes OF II
]. A. TYLER, standing before him.
passage was read from the Bible an
prayer offered up during which bax
manifested contrition for his sins W
fearful expressions of sorrow ana
pentance, and finally repeating al
the minister the Lords prayer, W
which the services ended. The NIL
ter then waved his hand indicatl