Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-11-11


The final farewell was given to the sheriff
and his deputies, when the
BLACK GAPS WERE DRAWN,
on Milt by Deputy Sheriff b. W. Gross,
and on Sam by Deputy Sheriff W. c. Nc
Cannon. While this was being done Milt
engaged moment in singing in plantation
style, 'Pm going to ride on the evening
train" The moose was adjusted on Sam by
Sheriff Gilmore, and on Milt by Deputy
Cross - f
Sans last words were, II see Jesus"
Milt's last words were, Farewell, everyss
body, I'm going home" The wagon was
driven out by G. Baker, and both, at exact
iy l:30 p. NJ, by the sheriff's time,
SWUNG OFF INTO ETERNITY.
Up to the very last moment there didn't
appear to be even the hinehing of nerve,
in Sam, but both main
tanned their apparently perfect COM
posedness. Just before the wagon
moved however, Milt seemed to rather
give way in the legs
at this critical period of the tragic
scene,
MoANs AND CRIES
and sobs were heard in profusion from the
females in some parts of the crowd.
There was scarcely any struggling visible
on tie part of either, after they swung off.
Drs. A. J. Campbell, George E. Wiley, S.
G.. Bowman, j. w. Hill, w. Stewart,
Arbeely and Heard were
on the spot and made examinations and OBJ
on the hanging bodies.
DEAD IN AND 10 MINUTES.
In Sam the pulse was feint at 5 minutes,
slow at 8. and ceased entirely at 9 minutes
after the drop. Upon Milt respiration ceas-
ed in 4 minutes; there was one final pulsa-
ton of the heart at 6 minutes, the pulse
beat 10 at the 7th minute, and ceased to
beat and he was dead at 10 minutes after
the drop.
SELLING THE MOOSE ROPES.
Mr. Johnson announced, while the bodies
were hanging, that all who wanted piece
of the laoose ropes could purchase from the
sheriff, the money to go for the benefit of
widow of Sam.
RelPs baggage wagon arrived at this
juncture with two plain, stained wooden
cofins, from Esq. shepard's under
takers shop, aud after the bodies
had hanged for thirty7one minutes, and life
was pronounced certainly extinct by all the
the shoes were taken off, and
both were
LOWERED INTO THE ooFFINs
at the same time, the caps being left on
them. The lids were fastened on, the re-
mains placed in the wagon, and in few
minutes were on the way to the
depot, and were taken on the
s o'clock train to Hodges tank, their late
home, for burial
Rev. G. G. Russell accompanied them, by
request, and offieiates at the funeral, to-
day.
after the final scene was enacted,
and made their way back to the city. 1t
was an immense assemblage of people, va
riously estimated at from 5000 to 1900,
but at least from 5000 to 5000.
They came from all the surrounding coun-
try, by all kinds of conveyances, and were
of all classes, conditions and colors, men,
women and children Perhaps half the
crowd was colored
THE EXECUTED MEN.
Sam Hodge, according to his wife's state
ment, was 90 years old. He leaves wife
and one child, between and years old.
They have one child dead.
Milt claimed to be % years old and was
single. They we're born in Jefferson Coun-
ty, at Hodges Tank, slaves of Joseph C.
Hodges, and their father is yet living, an
invalid. They were entirely illiterate, and
ignorant, and in their life time had been
considered rather bad fellows.
THE CRIME
for which they we're executed, was commit
leU dt Dlstch OaA hIuBo, LII luls couuty,
September 5th, 1881.
The history of it is about this, according
to the evidence adduced in court:
James Mcfarland, who seems also to
have been rather an evil disposed man,
though peacable when let alone, was mar
ried to sister of the Hodge boys, and
lived near them. On Thursday night,
before the killing, son of their sister
came to them and told them that McFar-
land was whipping his wife and was going
to kill her. They went over there and
found it SO. Next day they had
him arrested on State warrant,
for beating his wife, and the officer, Pink
ney Northern, placed the prisoner in the
Hodge boys custody while he was getting
up the witnesses. On their way to the JUS
tice's office, Mcfarland escaped from them.
The constable, they claim, summoned them
to assist in rearresting Mcfarland, and told
them to take him wherever found.
Mcfarland, it seems, left the neighbor-
hood Sunday, and came to Knox
vile, and on Monday morning, September
5, set in to work on the railroad works at
Black Oak Ridge. The Hodge boys got
trace of him, and started out Monday morn
ing, armed with shot guns, and made
threats to several parties that they would
XIII Mcfarland on sight. Coming to Knox
vile, they found Henry McBee, an uncle, and
the three proceeded to Black Oak Ridge
They sent McBee into the cut where the
hands were, and he came back and reported
Mcfarland there. They all went into cut
then, and the Hodge boys, with guns pre-
sented, demanded that Mcfarland come out
of there; they had come to take him, dead
or alive. They claimed authority to arrest
him, but showed no warrant. A commotion
was created and the boss ordered all of them
out of the cut. When they had gone
some distance, the Hodges took rope
and after some scuffiing, succeeded in tying
Mcfarland. After they had gone some
further, Mcfarland, with both hands crossed
and tied, struck Sam in the face. Sam
then said to Milt ''let him have it." and
Milt fred with his gun, the ball entering
MeFarland's left temple, and he fell dead
The Hodges both ran off, but MoBee was
arrested on the spot On Wednesday fol-
lowing the murder, the Hodge boys sur
rendered themselves to Esq. Province, of
jefferson County, claiming they were
afraid of being mobbed. They