Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-07-04
The Hanging Of 1907.


4 Mr.. Henry Lyle, ONE 81 tho oldest
citizens or dc comfy who resides On
the south side Of the river, very near
the place where he was born and
brought UP, has given us All account
bfthe hanging "a Nose Pdnrice, which
too place in GAINESVILLE in 1907. and
which the Tobacco Leaf spoke Of in
it, issue Of two weeks ago.
Mr. Lyle Ii familiar with all the
particulars 81 the event, having heard
them often rsrounted by parties who
were then living and witnessed the
execution and its attendant circum-
stances
Ii was barbarous affair from be-
ginning to end and when compared to
the hanging which recently took place
in this city viii show how much the
country has progressed in civilization
since that early day. TAf1 . ~
Mr. Lyle says that Moses Penrice
was the slave OF an old gentleman
named Penrices who lived n che farm
now known az the Jno. M. Smith place,
on the Southside. Mr.. Penrice was
very lenient master, and Moses was .,
very obstinate servant, so hard to con-
.trol that thssoid man concluded to sell
him and did So The purchaser. was
one Mr. Minott, who had the reputa-
ton of being rather severe in the treat
ment of his slaves.
Moses bad bad his own way SO long
that he expressed his determination
not to 60 with his new master, and
Mr.. renrice informed Mr.. Minott that
when he came to take possession OF
his property he had better bring along
some men to help him.
Mr.. Minott accordingly went accom-
panied by a body guard. As the party
approached the cabin occupied by
Moses, that individual stepped out,
and picking up gan from behind
log where he had conceded it,
fired at Mr.. Minott killing him in
49,
The party then took Moses and gave
him such n severe whipping that it
was, evident that he would soon die |
from its effects. Becoming alarmed
at what they had done, they put him
in wagon and hauled him to town.
Che court. consisting of six magis-
trates and three free holders, having
jurisdietioni in such cases, was hurried
ly summoned and went immediately |
into the trial The judgment which
the Tobacco Leaf has published and
which is now on the records at the |
Court House, was that Moses be @hung |
by the neck until he is dead, dead,
dead, and then that his head be sever
ed from his body and placed upon
pole as a warming to all evil doors"
This sentence was carried out to the
letter on the same day of the killing |
and the trial, the negro being so near
y dead from the effects of the beating |
he had received as to be scarcely con-
scious when the hanging took place.
p The head was placed on Il pole at
the point where the Port Royal and /
Nashville roads come together. IL |
stayed there only one day. That night
a mischievous young Irishman named
Jim Baxter took it down and fixed it
TO a fish hook which an old gentleman
named McCullom had set in the Cum
berLlnd river. When Mr.. McCullom |
went to look at his hook next morn
ing he was at first pleased with the
heavy weight attached, thinking he
had captured big fish, but when the
grinning and CHASTITY countenance OF
he dead negro appeared above the
water he dropped it as he would have
lone hot iron, made speedy tracks
ior town and was never known TO set
mother hook. LAY