The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-10-04
General News From Various Sections
rhrso nrura,rers SWING or.


I LCHATHAM, VA, Sept. 2S-Sawney Younger
Reuben King nd Isaac E, young ne.
groes, were hung here to-day for the MUIR
der OF William f. Shepard, last month.
The execution was private, only about fif-
en- persons witnessing it. The drop fell
at i2;9o o ?; m. r,s Youn o,Sss NECK twe
tested their inuocelce to the last. A de-
tachment of Pittsylvania Guards acted as
an escort and did guard duty. Quite a large
crowd was in the vicinity Of the place OF
execution, but there was no disorder.
Shepard had driven load of vegetables
10 market and was on the way home,
when the negroes waylaid and shot him.
They had Swallowed him In Danville, and
knowing that he had money obtained from
first shot the team became frightened and
ran, thus preventing them getting their
booty. The thieves continued firing as the
team started, one of the bullets piercing
Evan was bright mulatto rather pleas
ant in appearance and eighteen years old.
Younger,was about twenty years old, with
a dark brown pleasant face and more than
ordinary intelligence and quite laxative.
lighter in complexion but OF repulsive fea-
lures. During their incarceration they were
visited BY several colored ministers, but to-
day were unattended by any man of God.
Some of their time for several days past
has been spent in reading the Testament.
They were visited in their cell this morn
ing, and found standing in the middle OF
the cell chained by the ankles to the floor
with hands joined and praying.
Ua,nnar III no 4 q lae or words ho wOnId
say then and when upon the gallows, were
that he was not guilty; that he had moth.
ing to do with the killing OF Shepard, and
that he was, willing to go, for God knew
he was innocent.
The other two also proclaimed their ig-
norance of everything connected with the
crime. When King and Evans were asked
why they had previously confessed their
guilt and implicated Younger as the one
who had fired the fatal shot, they said they
did so because they had been led to be-
lieve that if they did the governor
would interfere in their behalf. All
TIRES seemed Indifferent to their fate.
Younger asked for cigar, which was given
him, and another was given to King. They
smoked steadily while talking to the news
paper men. Anewspaper man present read
a chapter of the Testament about the New
Jerusalem to which they listened with
earnest attention, and at the conclusion
thanked the reader warmly. They
said they slept we'll last
night, Younger saying his sleep
was softer and sweeter than ever before in
his life. King and Evans were asked if it
was true that they had sold their bodies,
and they answered Eyes" They said they
had spent portion of money and the bal
ance had been sent 70 their mothers, except
one dollar each, which they sent to their
sweethearts. At noon the men were led
from the Jail and placed in front of the de-
tachment of military, the sheriff and two
deputies by their side. The pro
cession moved toward the scaffold
in an enclosure, about $50 yards
from the jail. Crowds, mostly of negroes,
followed. When the ropes had been ad.
justed to their. necks, they were asked II
their innocence. They had lied they
said, when .they confessed themselves
guilty, but they would tell no lie to-day,
Evans said: I've got to die
for what other people did.
warn't with the crowd and
don't know nothing about it," While the
cloths were being tied over their faces they
began praying In droning tone, and ex-
pressed willingness to die, saying that they
good bye and they babe farewell to
all. The trigger was pulled but
the trap failed to fall. The defect, however
was soon remedied, and at 1910 the trap
was sprung and instantly they fell over six
feet. Younger's neck was broken, and he
did not struggle. The. struggles of the
others lasted several minutes. At
the end of twenty minutes
the bodies were taken down
and placed 10 pine boxes. King and Evans
were turned over TO r. p. Thornton, agent
of the Richmond, Virginia, Medical
college, who presented 70 Sheriff Overbev
an agreement to that effect signed by both
negroes. Youpgers body was buried
within the enclosure under the scafold.
Two brothers of the murdered man and q
son who was with him at the time of the
murder, witnessed the hanging.