The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1883-06-30
A oUADRUPLE HANGING.
CAIN ExECUTED At CLARKS-
WILLIE. ARK.
How the Last Isay Was Spent--.Yhe
Youngest Criminal Faints ON the
ScaffOld--- History of the Crime.


special to the Times Democrat
CLARKsyILLE, ARK June 22.-This has
been an eyenttul day in the annals of
Clarksville. At an early hour people
were pouring into town from the noun
tain districts, and by / o'clock at least
$500 had assembled to witness the rxe>
cution of the four train robbers The
excitement, though undemonstrative
was intense, and men, women AMI chill
drcn struggled and jostled against each
other in their efforts to get q good view
of the scaffold and catch every deai Of
the ghastly scene.
During the early morning all the pliS>
oners slept soundly and talked freely to
perse1s admitted to their presence. Con-
siderable time wasspeut by all in read
ing the Bible, and during the talk Nc
Donald described the white man he
murdered at Silver City, Montgomery
County Cove Johnson. the leader of
the gang. said he could have committed
sGicde any time aiteg conviction, and
would have done 81 but for jim mir, his
nephew, al $50 to b. hung. He pulled a
knife out Of the lining "t his cont, sh"w>
any where it hnd lvag been concealed.
The prisoners ate a hearty dinner at
III o'clock and talked upon common
place subjects. McDolald implanted of
being compelled to leave
BLIND WIFE AND FIVE CHILDREN
destitute, and said he believed she would
not survive him 10 days She declared
he was innocent of Conductor Gains
death, and Cove johnson said he beiiev-
ed Jimmy fired the fatal shot, not know
ing what he was doing Jimmy replied
that if be committed the act lie did not
know it,
At 1915 O'Clock the con,emned men
were taken from Jail, placed il wagon
and conveyed tQ the place OF execution,
followed by an immense throng. They
were accompanied by the sheriff, their
spiritual guide, Rev. j. W. Kaigler, and
an armed escort Of so picked men Ar
irving at the place OF execution, they were
relieved of their manacles and
GAILY LEAtED FROM THE WAGON.
and assembled the scatfold with fnn
tread and manly bearing. Herndon s,nok--
ing cigar with remarkable eompl,t-
cence ,
They viewed the vast throug, callM y
and respectfully, and not ii a spirit OF
mock heroism. They all tasfetully at
tired, in well Fitting, striped light suits
and black felt hats. A few moments af>
ter their arrival the death warrant was
read. When asked By the sheriff if they
had anything to say, Cove johnson, IL, a
clear voice, without the least trenor.
said
Friends, / suppose you have come to
see the train robbers hung, as they call
us. have no confession to M. TO man
but to God only, | have Confessed my
sins to him and he has psrd ned me. Ny
nephew, Jim johnson, rec wed letter
from his mother, which | wished pub,
iishei IN he Gazette. Now young men
take warning by my terrblt fate. Ny
trial was rather hurried, but no mattet
now. had hoped that my nephew, in
consideration of his youth, would have
found mercy from the Governor"
Jim johnson said he had but iule to
say. No thought of murder was in has
head when he boarded the train. He
said that the deed was done in excite.
ment. He said that he did some OF the
shooting. He told the sheriff. was very
hit there, and to
HURRE UP MATTERS.
His coolpess throughout for one SO
young astonished every one, but 10 the
supreme moment he tainted as the sheriff
was in ths act OF letting the trap fall
Herndon said be did not kill Cain. II
he hud, he did not know it. Mcdonald
protested his innocence of the crime.
Alter the declarations of the condemn.
ed the ropes were adjusted and the ira,
ditional black caps placed on their heads,
and these unfortunate men wht were
united in crime, in death were not divii>
ed. The drop was about seven feet. Nc
Donald neck was broken.
The trap fell at 12:43 p. nm.
ALI. THEIR NECKs WERE BROKEN
except Cove johnson, who was strangled
ouu uicu III 10 DluuES. utIHuWi u'cu
in minutes, Mcdonald In 5 inmates and
Jim johnson In 8 minutes. In 20 min
utes the ropt were cut.
One melancholy incident of the day was
the death On the grounds Of little babe
OF CONGESTION. The fond mother to graft
fy her morbid curiosity to witness such
scenes, little dreamed that the shadow of
death would strike her little one, aud
that 1t would taste OF The sam" hi er VA
ers rs the condemned men.
There was not the levity usually at
lendent npon such occasions. The spec
tators were awed into solemnity by the
awful methods of the law to vindicate It's
majesty.
HISTORY or TINE CRIME.
On the night OF Marcn IL, 1883, the
west bound train or the Little Rock and
Fort Smith Railroad wps boarded by a
band o. four robbe,s ut station known
as Mulberry, just on the eastern border of
and inside the line Of Franklin c"unty.
The party at once h,',an shooting md
yelling, while Singing revolvers "vrr
their heads and ordering the pas".neers
to bold up their h4nds. This ceaied
mn"' "'rf 'si.'. ,,od 'n,ln',t irr -