The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-05-03
OCONEE's FIRST HANGING.
Execution OF Frazier Copeland, Coiorcd,
Minister and "a Murderer, at HaIIaIla
Yesterday.
Gonrpon,,rn., .r he Mrs MT ,ar,;.,.


C"rrpo"Jcm, Q, he Nr"s u"J t"mi~.
WALHALLA, April 27-Frazicr Cope.
land was hanged here to-day in the
county Jail At II O'Clock by Sheriff Rob.
bins Tor the murder of William J. Hun
nicut in December last. AZ 10 o'clock
Copeland spoke from Il window of the
Jail for one hour to mixed crowd of
white and colorcd people. 1t was u
rambling talk. chiefly denying that he
killed liunnicutt. He admitted, howcv.
err that he was near enough to hear the
licks struck. lie was attended in his
last moments by the Rev. G.. ID. Mann,
white, and the Rev. Il. J. Clark and the
Rev. Mr. Young, culored.
Although Copeland was Baptist
minister, he was denied a burial in their
cemetery. The Rev. Mr.. Clark, pastor
of the Methodist Church here, came to
the rescue and had his congregation to
take charge Of the body and will give it
decent burial tomorrow. Everything
passed off quietly.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
About dark on Saturday evening De.
ccmber 2, 1882. w. j. Hunnicutt, quiet,
law abiding citizen Of Oconee County,
| WAS brutally murdered in West Union, a
suburb Of Walhalla. Accompanied by
his son Newell, young lad, he had gone
| to Walhalla on the day of the murder to
| sell load of cotton.
After transacting his business he left
Waihaila for home about o'clock in the
evening. When he was within g half
mile Of the public square of West Union
| he was murdered and his SOL had his
| head fractured. Mr.. Hunnicutt fell on
the tongue Of the wagon between the
horses and the wagon body. The team
being old and well trained carried the
wagon to his home over rough road for
distance of seven or eight miles, when
his lifeless body was discovered in the
position indicated.
For several weeks before the murder
Frazier Copeland had been working at
Government distillery on Hunnicutt's g
road home, and on the day of the mur-
der had gone to Walhalla to receive his
weeks wages and to buy provisions.
He left West Union at 6, o'clock, and
consumed two hours and halfin reach
ing his home, distance Of about two
miles, and reached his house only few
minutes before the wagon containing
iunnicutt's lifeless body passed his door.
Suspicion soon pointed to Frazier Cope
land and he and Adolphus Richardson
were arrested and lodged in Jail at Wal
halla on the day after the murder.
For time there was talk of lynching
Copeland, and he was transferred TO
Greenville for safe keeping, where he
was safely kept until the last March
term of Court, when he was taken to
Walhalla and put on trial for his life.
Adolphus Richardson was indicted with
him for the murder, but the grand jury
failed to find bill against Richardson,
and he was discharged. Copeland was
put on trial and pleaded not guilty. He
was ably defended by Messrs. w. J.
Stribbling and Henry Pitchford. The
prosecution wau conducted by Solicitor
Orr and the Hon. J. S. Werner. A large
number of witnesses were examined.
The evidence was conclusive, and after
q fair and impartial charge by Judge
Wallace, before whom the case was tried,
the jury returned verdict OF guilty,
and after, deliberating for only about
twenty minutes.
| During his confinement Copeland
mnde number of confessions, but
scarcely twice did he tell the same tale.
His tardiness on the road the night OF
the murder, his strange conduct at hume,
the blood on his shoes and pants, his vari
GUS confessions, his contradictory state
ments were the evidence against him that
satisfied the people and the jury he was
guilty. The blows on the heads of Hun
nicutt and his son were both on the same
side, the left of the head; had the same
angle extending from behind, forwards
and downwards, and showed plainly that
a right. handed man did the work. Cope.
land was right-handed. Hunnicutt's q
boy was stricken senseless and knew but
little afterwards. There were no weap.
GUS Or nhy sign Of the implements ussG
in the murder on the spot Two pools of
blood, one near the father, other by the
boy, broken bottle and the hats of the
two victims was all that was found on
the spot.
| Copeland was q dark coffee colored
negro about forty years of age, six feet
three inches in height aud weighed one
| hundred and seventy pounds. He was O
Baptist preacher and blacksmith. He
was raised near Shutdown, Anderson
County, and was owned by Mr.. Thomas
Orr before the war. He moved to
| Oconee County in 1876 end lived there
until his execution. 1t is supposed that
| he murdered Mr.. Hunnicutt for the pur-
pose of robbery, as it had been whispered
around thnt Mr.. Hunnicutt had received
$500 while he was in Walhalla with
which to make a payment on steam
mill he had jnst erected. Copeland
| maintained his innocence to the last,
although his guilt seemed to be fully es.
! TO ht;,S,a,s