Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-08-31

have been absorbed into the system. Prof.
White created aprofound impression in the
Court room by his lucid manner of giving his
testimony The jury after hearing all the
testimony, the argument and the charge OF
the Court, retired and returned in few min
utes with verdict of guilty. The Court then
sentenced Parker to be hung on the 25th Of
August.
After the trial Parker's mother, sixty-fve
years of age, made every effort to obtain COM
mutation of the sentence to imprisonment for
life. She secured the signatures of three hum
dred and ten persons to petition to that ef-
feet and carried it to the Governor, but he de-
clined to interfere The names to the petit
tion included the jury, the sheriff and other
officers Of the county.
In recent interview with Parker in his
cell he declared most solemnly that he was in
nocent. He said that Mrs. Bates gave him
twenty-five cents to buy the strychnine, that
she slipped the empty bottle in his pocket just
before he went to the frolic the night his wife
died, and that after he returned from the
dance Mrs. Bates met him and told him that
she had poisoned Mrs. Parker. According to
this statement Of his she told him that she
had mixed the poison with some sugared whis-
ky and sent it over to Mrs. Parker's with in
structions for little girl there to tell her
when she had returned from the spring, where
she had gone after water, that her husband
had left it there for her. He declared that
Deputy Sheriff Holley arrested him a short
time afterward, before he could inform any
one of her confession to him. .........,..
Last week the erection of the gallows in the
jail yard was commenced. Parker asked per-
mission to assist in it's construction, but this
was refused. It is thought that his object
was to seize an axe and sell his life as dearly as
possible after he got out in the yard.
Last Monday he was carried to the photo
graph gallery in Aiken and had his photo
graph taken.
Thursday night he slept we'll and rose early
on Friday morning. His breakfast was sent
to him, but he eat very little of it. He de-
clined to take drink of whisky. He put on
a we'll laundried shirt, with neat gold stud
buttons in the front, and a full suit of black
broad-cloth, which he wore on his trial. His
shoes were new and well blacked. About half
past eleven O'Clock he was brought down from
his cell and into the yard close to the Jail, on
the west side, and Immediately facing the gal
lows. His relatives were then admitted for a
final interview with him. They consisted of
his aged mother, dressed in deep mourning,
his two unmarried sisters and one married SIS
ter, also in mourning, his three aunts, his
brother, Townsend Parker, his sister-in-law
and his brother-in-aw. They all wept when
they first saw him, and each pressed his hands.
His mother looked fixedly at him and her lips
trembled. Parker himself was apparently
composed. AS the old mother looked into his
face she said, in broken tones my darling,
did all that mother could do for you.
got three hundred and ten people to sign the
paper, and went three times to Columbia and
1,,o 80 foc no ht,f
out avail. Gods will be done. will not he
many days after YOU" The son regarded her
earnestly, and looking over his shoulder at the
gallows he said 'There is only that for me
now. / am innocent, and fear nothing but
the sting of death. If 1 was guilty I know
that there would be no pardon for me-" Al
ter some further conversation between the
mother and son Rev. Thos. Walker of Gran
iteville, read the 35th Psalm, and fervent
prayer was offered up by Rev. w. II. Mosely.
Parker then took a solemn leave of his rela-
tions. 1t was most pathetic scene, and
there was not dry eye among the spectators,
while it was taking place.
Parker was quite a handsome man, about
five feet eleven inches in height, rather dark
complexion, very black hair, small Dlack
moustache and mild brown eyes, which, how
ever, had furtive expression and he avoided
looking any one straight in the face.
The execution was one of the best conduct
ed that has occurred in this section. Sheriff
Holey had taken great pains to have all the
details well arranged 80 that there was none
of the bungling that disgraces so many eXecu-
tiOns -H
The CONGRESSIONAL CANvAss.-On last
Saturday Judge Mackey spoke at Rossviiie
and spread himself against Mr.. Hemphlii::
Among other things he said that Hemphll
was a trial Justice under Scott and was there
fore Republican that while justice he
had married white woman to negro that
he had stolen all the offices he held; and gen.
erally excoriated the Democratic nominee.
Mackey also inveighed against ballot-box stuff
fing, the registration law, &C., &C.,
Mr.. Hemphill was with the primary can
vassers at Rossville on last Tuesday and with
gloves off" took occasion to return the Judges
compliments. He denounced the attack on
him as slanderous, wanton and unjustiiiable,
and branded Judge Mackey as political cow
ard and the most corrupting man in politics.
He characterized the charge as to his marry
ing white woman to negro as monstrous
and malicious fabrication Of the Judges own
brain. The charge as to his being Republl-
can because he was a trial justice under a
Republican administration was absurd, for
such men as Eli Cornwell, r. S. Crockett D.
G. Stinson, C. H. Ragsdale, H. G. Brawley,
James G. McAliley, A. D. Darby, f. 7. AT.
kinson, R. B. Mills, Sheriff Walker, W. D.
Ingraham, Matthew White, G. W: Curtis, ".
A. Sanders o. Barber and Gen. W. A. Walk
er all held Office under Republicans, and they
were never called Republicans. He said ne
was willing at any time to be judged with
gentlemen like these. He also exploded the
Judges ''free ballot and fair count" dodge,
stuck him on the registration bill, tioored him
on ballot-box stufing and upset his pretenses
generally. He opened the peoples eyes when
he read from the fraud reports how Mackey
got carpet for his services in aiding to Sc
secure the Chester delegation for big steal
which was being showed through the Legisa-
ture.-Chester Bulletin, 25th instant.