The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1881-03-10
THE HANGING
Of Pink Pratt on the 4th rnss,

OF Pink Pratt on the 4th Inst
The crime for which Pink Pratt, colored
was hung on last Friday, at this place, was
committed on the 24th of August, 1880,
seven miles from Marietta, on the Cumming
road His victim was Margaret Watkins
white girl eleven years old whom he met
in the public road, about s O'Clock of that
mornin., as she was on her way to school
| Pink was farm hand on the place Of Mr.
| Gus Alayes, and Mr.. Brit Watkins the
same farm and Pratt's acquaintance with
the habits and customs OF the family, led
| him to know what time the little girl went
TO school. When he met her he wanted to
| know if her brothers were going to school
that morning. She replied mo, that they
were going to pick cotton that day" This
| en- boldened Pratt, and he made insulting
proposals to her, when she began to cry.
AT this he seized her by the throat and sti-
fled her cries by violent choking. He drag
ged her to the side of the road in the bushes,
and perpetrated diaboical crime On com
ing to her senses, Pratt pulled out his pocket
knife and said lie was going to cut her throat
to keep her from telling on him. She beg
ged him not to kill her and promised not to
tell. He told her if she did tell he would
certainly kill her.
Scared, bleeding, bruised and lacerated,
she dragged herself home and the observant
eye of her mother perceived the plight of
her daughter. She questioned herand from
her lips learned the Notifying story of her
assault.
The father swore out a warrant and Con
stable White arrested Pratt vino stoutly de-
MED his crime. He was placed in Marietta
| Jail, where he remained until he was tried
last January in Cobb Superior Court. He
plead 'not guilty. He was defended by
Enoch Faw. Solicitor Gober and Win.
j. VIM prosecuted him, The jury re-
turned a verdict of guilty, without recon-
mendation to mercy. The motion for a new
trial was overruled by Judge Brown, and
Pratt was sentenced to be hang on the 18th
of March.
Pratt denied his guilt until few days be-
fore his execution. when he confessed that
the little girl had told the truth.
On the day of execution, people came
ties, thirty, forty and fifty miles, and some
six or seven thousand people witnessed the
hanging
The scaffold was erected on the west side
of College HILL The prisoner was guarded
from the jail by the Marietta Fire Compa-
ny. Pratt came down from the Jail smok-
ing cigar and got into the carriage secure
y tied, evincing not the least fear. When
they arrived at the scafiold, he took a look
at it very critically, assembled the platform
and took his seat He prayed most of the
time. Rev. John Sanges, white, and Revs.
Thos. Allen and D. B. Bond, prayed and
sung Pratt made his talk, confessing his
chine and warned his race against acting
as he did. He said he was prepared and
willing to die. AT quarter of one clock
the rope was adjusted around the doomed
negroe' neck, the black cap was pulled over
his face, and Sheriff Coryell gave the signal,
and Deputy Sheriff Mcclellan responded by
pulling the trigger, and Pink Pratt was
launched into eternity. He fell about three
feet his neck was broken and he died with
out struggle In thirteen minutes he was
dead, and at the end oftwenty minutes Drs
Cleland, Reynolds and Moore, said he could
be cut down. His body was turned over
to his paren.s, who were present and wit
messed the scene.
The crowd dispersed quietly and every
thing passed of orderly. The sheriffs per
formed their unpleasant duty with the great
est efficiency. There was no laundering or
mistakes.
1t is generally conceded that Pink Pratt
met his death with remarkable GOODNESS and
fearlessness. He did not tremble or shed
tear His stoical indifference seemed to inn
part the same feeling to the crowd, While
many turned their heads away and some
tainted, others jeered and laughed. Thus
ended the tragic scene and we trust it will
be many a day before Marietta has another
like it.