Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-18
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: FRIDAY DECEMBER 49, 1885,

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Poyas. but these men, when arrested and
examined, behaved with such GOODNESS as
to dissipate alarm and were discharged.
About June s, William, who had been
kept in solitary confinement, fearing
| that he would be executed, confessed that
the plot was very extensive and en-
braced an indiscriminate massacre OF the
whites.
On June IA, Williams confession was
! fully confirmed by the information given
| by a negro class-leader OF DIR. Palmer's
church, who persuaded his master that
not moment was TO be lost in informing
the authorities, as Sunday, the 18th, at u
O'clock at night, was the period fixed for
the rising. AS this mans story exactly
tailed with Williams without any inter
course between them, GOV. Bennett took
immediate measures, and by 10 O'Clock
| on the night OF Sunday the whole city
was surrounded by the most vigilant pa
trolls.
THE COURT OF INQUIRY.
BY authority OF the Intendant, a court
was organized on June Is ''for the trial OF
sundry negroes. apprehended and charg-
ed with attempting to raise an Insurree-
ti0n amongst the blacks against the
Whites" by Lionel Il. KennedYand Thorn
as Parker, magistrates, with the follow
William Drayton, Nathaniel Hayward,
James Il. Pringle. James Legare, Robert
j. Turnbull and Henry Deas. Arrests OF
| negroes charged with conspiracy went
on until June %, when the court was
first convened.
The court was held with closed doors;
the owners of all the slaves TO be tried and
their counsel, as well as the owners of
those used as witnesses, were admitted.
IL Nurno Mo- cnra,n nf fhD NrYie
nesses had testified under pledge of Sc
crecy. fearing, if known, that they would
be killed by their fellows, and as an open
court would prevent the further detec-
tion of the plot. Six of those arrested
were convicted and sentenced to be hung
on July 2, among them Denmark Nesey
and three of his leaders. All were repre-
sented by eminent counsel. In this and
the succeeding trials no slave was tried
except in the presence of his owner or bis
counsel. No conviction was based on the
unsupported testimony of one witness;
the prisoner was confronted with the wit
ness, except where the testimony had
been given under a pledge of secrecy. Tine
mutinOuS spirit was not vet entirely
quelled, and the cOnspirators still hoped
to rescue their leaders on the day of exc
cutiOn. This was prevented by the ar
rest of the two remaining leaders on July
|, the day before the execution. The
court held sessions from time to time un-
til July %, when 1t adjourned sine die.
The whole number arrested was 1871, of
whom 81 were convicted. From among
those convicted 80 were executed, and
the remainder were sent beyond the lin
its of the United States. as well as some
of those not convicted, but morally guilty.
OF those who suffered death - were exc
cuted at the same time ''on the lines"
near Charleston, on July %.
THE CONsPIRAToRs ON THE sCAFFoLD.
Vesey bore up manfully during his tri-
al, and both be and his counsel, Col. G.:
w. Cross, made every effort to explain
away the Oyerpowering weight 0fevidence
against him. When his sentence was
read. the tears trickled down his cheeks.
Rola confessed his guilt and through tri-
al and sentence showed no signs OF fear,
Ned was imperturbable and apparently
stOical from first to last. Peter appeared
more disappointed and enraged at the
failure of the plot than at his sentence of
death. Monday heard his sentence with
the utmost tirmness and cOmpospre, But
as the contemporary ChronicEer says: "NO
description can accurately convey to 9TH
ers the impression which the trial, de-
tense ana appearance Of Gullan Jack
made on those who witnessed the work
trial he assumed so much ignorance and
looked and acted the fool so well that
some of the court could not believe that
this was the necrOmancer who was sought
after. When he saw the witnesses and
heard the testimony, in an instant his
c0untenance was lighted up as ifby light
ming. and his wildness and vehemence OF
gesture and the malignant glance with
which he eyed the witnesses who appear
ed against him, all indicated the savage,
who, indeed, had been caught but not
tanned" His courage soon left him, and
at the scailOld she gave up his spirit with
out frmness or c0mpOsure." Gullah
Jack, like several OF the ringleadefs, was
an African, and claimed 10 be sOrcerer.
He declared himself invulnerable. and
gave his fellows crab-claws, which he as
sured them would render harmless the
shot or swOrd-cut Of the white man.
Many negroes believed that it was inn
possible TO execute him, that wings
would grow from his side and he would
fly from the scafiold to heaven.
THE CHARACTER OF THE CoNsPIRA-
TORS.
The leaders OF the conspiracy, as a
rule, were the favored and trusted BODY
servants Of their masters. Some had been
frequently entrusted with their masters
keys aud money; one had twice scorned
the efforts Of abOlitiOnists TO seduce him
from his master when at the North, and
one voluntarily confessed that he was
treated by his master more like son than
slave.
What were the views and plans of the
insurgent after they had taken Charles
ton, had they succeeded in doing so, does
not satisfactorily appear 1t is probable
they had formed none, but intended 70
regulate themselves according TO circum-
stances. One or two OF the Insurgents
SAID that Vesey, after robbing the banks
of specie and plundering the city OF all
that was most valuable, intended TO sail
for st. Domingo with his principal adher-
ents.