Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-21
FIVE LIVES FOR ONE.
FOUR MEN AND A SWOMAN
HANGED.
me GallOws at Eastman-The Doomed
rioters Launched to their Account
The Execution Successful and Orderly
The Story of the Crime.

rioters Launched to their Account
1he Execution Successful and Orderly
The Story of the Crime.
EASTMAN, GA, October 20.-The guard
from here, accompanied by the Macon Vol
unteers and Floyd Rifles, came down
from Macon this morning with Ella Moore.
Joe King, Simon O'Quinn, Bob Donelson
and Reddick Powell. They were met here
ov a large armed force from this county
and Cochran, Hswkinsvllle and MeRae. The
line of march was formed at the passenger
platform, and the prisoners were taken
straight on to the jail.
AT ten minutes before twelve O'Clock they
were led out upon the scaffold one at a
time. Ella Moore seemed faint and agitated.
Joe King gave way aud trembled like a leaf
while the rope was being adjusted about
his neck. The others were calm and stood
firm and motionless to the last. Reddick
Powell denied his guilt aud said he had re-
pented OF his sins and was forgiven. He
said the man who shot Mr.. Harvard was
either Joe King or Jim Griswold, who
was sentenced to the penitentiary for
life Joe King said any man who
accused him OF shooting Mr. Harvard was
''liar," and that Powell lied in saying so.
TIE others had nothing to say except Simon
o'QuinD, who called W. W. Carroll and
spoke to him privately. ]. 1. Waite and
Frank Levett adjusted the ropes about the
necks Of the prisoners and tied their hands
and feet, and Sheriff sapp drew the black
cap over their faces. Rev. P. A. Jessup,
George G. Thompson and colored minister
named Askew each made a short and fer
vent prayer in their behalf. A copious
shower of rain was falling throughout the
scene.
The guard and spectators inside the en-
closure were crowded as thickly as they
could stand. There were many outside
eager to witness the execution Mr.. Q. L.
Harvard, father of the young man who was
murdered, and his friends were present.
At one o'clock Sheriff Sapp announced
| that in five minutes more the drop-rope
would be cut. Everybody stood in suspense.
| At five minutes after one O'Clock the Sheriff
called out, "Time's up" The prisoners in
one voice, cried "Good-bye to everybody"
The rope was cut, and the four men and the
woman hung dangling in the air.
The gallows operated well, aud all died
without any apparent struggle. Joe King
was the last to die. Doctors Fisher, Latti-
mer and Walker In about ten minutes pro-
nouneed them dead, and the Sheriff request
ed sll present to leave so that the corpses
could be placed in their collins and taken
away.
The crowd dispersed In good order. Some
colored friends then came in for last look at
their comrades. Joe King requested that
his body be sent to Ellen King, at Coving-
| ton. Bob Donelson desired his body to
be given to DR.. Walker, of Cochran. The
others will be buried here. The stores are
all closed to-day. There were four or five
| hundred white persons IN town, but very
few negroes. The best of order prevailed.
A dinner was prepared by the citizens at
Ashburn's Hall for the visiting military and
guards.
The Governor has granted Isaac Shipman
a reprieve of thirty days to examine the evi-
dence 10 his case, and it is thought his
sentence will be commuted. <lfstsE
HISTORY OF THE CRIME s
During the latter part of July snd
first Of August last circular letters
were scattered around all through the
country among the colored people
of this section Of Ihe State, announcing
that On fha Rtb ~ A,,o,, - t1,a-o ,--,.,l5 - =
colored camp meeting in Eastman, stating
that the railroads would give greatly reduced
excursion rates for the occasion, and promis-
ing more enjoyment than was ever before ex-
perienced at camp meeting frolic. When
the fatal 6sh arrived there came to Eastman
from Macon, HawkinsYille, Cochran,
Jesup and other points along the
Macon and Brunswick Division Of the Esst
Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad,
as well as by private conveyance aud afoot
from all the country round about. some two
or three thousand colored people. These
vast hordes raised the colored population OF
Eastman to five or six times the number of
white citizens. An day long, from the time
the excursion trains and wagons arrived
until their departure, the streets and thor
oughfares and alleys of our little city were
literally thronged with negroes - =
On that memorable Sunday every available
place was utilized by the dsrkies for fruit
aud lemonade stands, lunch stalls, ETC.,
around which crowded many hungry souls,
no less eager 10 take a goodly supply
of refreshments for the stomach's sake
than to enjoy the bOunteous feast Of reli
gion prepared for them. The fact, also,
has since been developed upon the witness
stand that there were kept open here on
that day certain houses fsmiliarlY known In
this section as s'Dodge County Drug Stores"
where, 1t is said, beverages Of very doubt
full medicinal qualities are dealt out by the
glsss or In lsrger quantities to unsick Gus
TONERS. Again, there are not wanting those
who testify thai the whisky traffic on the
excursion trains by the camp meeting pas
sengers was extensive and profitable. But
the most remarkable and significant fact
is, that never before, perhaps, in
she history Of any church, were
there so many deadly weapons brought to a
religious gathering 10 time of peace as were
brought here in the hip-pockets of those
who came ostensibly to attend the long-to-
be-remembered camp meeting, held at East
man on the sixth day of August, in the year
of our Lord eighteen hundred and eighty
two.
Under these extraordinary circumstances
it would certainly have been q matter OF
some surprise If such an immense crowd of
negroes, coming, as they did, armed to the
teeth, and infamed already from having
imbibed too freely of intoxicating draughts.
had left quietly without first doing some
sort of devilment. From the unusual man
ner in which they came, and from their
subsequent behavior, ,It is commonly believed
that they were bent on mischief from the
beginning, or that they intended at least to
resist our town authorities If they happened
to encounter offlclsl interference In the
course of their extravsgant and unlswful
Sabbath day jollifcation
It was about two o'clock in the afternoon,
and the white citizens of Eastman, having
returned from church, were preparing to
enjoy a short season Of rest from their
weeks labors at their respective homes. But
1t was not long before they were disturbed
in a way that time cannot erase from the
tablet of memory.