The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-23
A FAREWELL LITTER.

\ fAhkN Eli ItllEh.
JERUSALEM, VA. June %, 1888.
(To) johnson: ! will drop nv regards
to you, and you can keep them. Try to
walk in the right way, that people may
speak good of YOU. That is what l shall
tell you. i cannot tell You any more, but
did not think il would be any harm to
tell you about it. You may thank me for
it. / love YOU more than any others. |
have got nothing against the world, and
hope that the people have nothing against
me. You can remember what | told you.
trust that the Lord will take me home to
rest. where sorrow will be no more. There
will be merry and full with JOY, as am
able to escape the judgments, and give me
the true light 10 shine through the dark
shader Of death and make me pure and
true. ISignedl LEWIS CARTER.
"Amen, amen.
"P. S.-Remembert that say that you can
have this printed ii you want to, and keep
it. Please sir, tell 1t.
TSignedl LEWIS CARTER.
" Jerusalem. Southampton county, Va"
A few minutes before II O'Clock the pris-
oner was
LED TO THE sCAFFOLD
by Sheriff Briggs. The Rev. Mr.. Whidbee,
his spiritual adviser. delivered quite
lengthy address, in the feryid, noisy ora
tory which is peculiar TO the negroes. He
selected his text from Romans vii, "a. His
topic was ''Vain man, forbear thy fond
pursuits, shrinking from the cold hand
OF death, and the resurrection Of the dead"
Carter was baptized on Tuesday, and re-
90, thai oooocio, tho Holy Sapra-
ment. The sermon contained history OF
the crime and other moral reflections, and
was well received by the vast number OF
spectators present. among whom was
THE MOTHER OF THE MURDERER.
At ten minutes before II Carter was adj
monished by the sheriff to say what he had
to say. as his time was growing short. For
several minutes he prayed in language
which was unintelligible to those who were
present. About one minute before II the
sheriff exclaimed, Garter, you have but
one minute to live" The doomed man
then began to pray more fervently. sud-
denly he cried out: Mother, if you wish
TO see me YOU must come to Zion. | shall
soon be walking the streets OF that glo-
rious place with golden slippers"
The black cap was then fixed about his
face, the sheriff grasped hold OF the fatal
cord. and then a heavy thud was heard as
the body OF Lewis Carter fell. In eight
minutes
lie WAS DEAD,
and upon examination by the physicians II
was found that his neck had been broken.
His remains were buried by his father and
mother within few yards of the scaflold,
and the last act in the dismal tragedy was
at an end.
There were about one hundred guards at
the scaffold armed with guns and reyolyers.
An attempt TO rescue the condemned man
had been expected, but nothing OF the KIND
was attempted.
History of the Crime.
perbons one of the most henous crimes
ever committed with the borders oil South
ampton county, and one OF the most WICK
ed known in the annals OF crime, was the
murder Of Fanny Carter by her husband
Lewis Carter. In the darkness OF the
night, when every one but himself was
wrapped in profound sleep, he fiendlshly
and without color Of proyocation took the
innocent life OF his own wife. Ana 10
make the matter darker still, she was sleep
Ing in bed with her infant.
THE HORRIBLE DEED
was committed on the Goth of January last
in small framed building OF two rooms,
situated on the avenue leading from the
residence Of DR.. T. j. Pretlow to what is
known as the Petersburg road. 1t was
about II O'Clock in the night, when some
Of the members OF the family, who were
sleeping i'm the upper room OF the build
ing. were awakened by the wailing OF The
infant in Carter's room below. The cries
were continued for such length OF time
that they descended TO see what could be
the matter. A spectacle oil
HORROR AND SADNESS
met their eyes. A sheet OF blood covered
the floor, and Fanny Carter was FOUND
PROSTATE, in an unconscious condinon, her
head badly crushed by two blows inilicteo
with an axe, and the blood-stained weapon
lying upon the floor. Surgical ala was
promptly summoned, but no service couiu
be rendered to alleviate the condition Oh
the unfortunate woman, who fingered Dut
short while.
Lewis Carter, who but few minutes
before the cries OF the child were heard
was lying on his bed apparently asleep
was now absent. His absence created siis-
picion. Strong evidence was adduced al
the inquest, showing himto be the murder
er. II was shown that he lived unhappiiy
with his wife; that he had several times
ehastised her and threatened to take her
life, and that on the day Of the crime nc had
made preparations to leave the county.
Unfortunately for him, he had betrayed
himself by his own conduct and statements.
He remarked 10 one of the witnesses that