Huntsville gazette., 1885-08-29

quick succession, with the axe. He then
went to the door and whistled for Neal,
but Neal didn't come. He began to get
uneasy, locked the door, ran back, and
remembering Meals caution to do so, cut
the throat of his victim. He again went
to the door and whistled for Neal, and
became terribly alarmed at his still fail
ing toappear, believing that he had given
the thing up and left him.
He went back to Freeman, took the
money he had in his pocket, and got
what was in the desk, in all, S24.SO. lie
| threw the axe in the well, but overlook
ed his knife, slipped out of the back
door, and started to his girls house with
the money thrust loosely in his coat
pocket.
| He met Neal, some distance from Free
mans, and Neal said that he didn't
come when he whistled, because he saw
that he was getting along all right, and
thought it best to watch. The two then
went out East of Madison into skirt OF
woods Just beyond the first railroad cut
next to the town. They drew together
some brush and leaves, lit a fire, and di-
vided the money. Neal said he would
only take S.; that Townsend should
keep the rest, go back to Brownsboro
that night, and when all was quiet at
Madison, Neal would write him, and the
two would 90 on to Birmingham. Town
send was already overcome with fear,
and said "no Neal, we'll never get out OF
this thing without the penitentiary or
they kill us. | am going to stay here,
and let things CO." He persisted, and
they went back and spent the night at
Hattie brakes. The next morning Neal,
was "all to pieces" over Townsend's de-
termination to stay, and was so urgent,
that he finally consented to 60 back to
Brownsboro, and left tearly that morning.
He walked up the railroad passed through
Huntsville by the Jail and up by Fearn's S
ISwitch. He was so heavy hearted that
it took him all day.
Townsend said when he met Neal after
their arrest he told him he intended to
tell the truth as it was That he kept up
this determination until shortly before
the trial. when Neal finally succeeded
in persuading him that if he didn't care
ANYTHING for his own life, he aught not
to betray him, Neal when he had trus-
ted him as he had Neal said that Wash
Cavanaugh was in his restaurant, next
door to Freeman, when he was killed,
that the Madison people, suspected
Wash, and if they united against him
they could swear it off on him. He
fixed up the tale, told by Townsend on
the stand about the latters going to Cav
anaugh's and lending him his knife, and
about Cavanaugh's statement to him as
detailed in the evidence of Townsend on
the stand. Neal also said that in order
to account for the S.. found in his pos
session, he would simply say that Town
send had let him have it for debt; much
as he did recount the facts on the stand,
but without the additional statements
made by Neal tending to show Town
sends guilt. Thus it seems, Neal added
after he saw the effect of Townsend's
story on the jury,
Although he spoke freely about his
own approaching death, and his conf
dence in salvation, he broke down and
sobbed when referring to the killing
He was evidently under strong religious
influences, and said, "when | came
back from the trial l felt like l never
wanted to see anybody and couldn't bear
to speak about this thing or think
about it. But now with Christs help |
can talk about it, and still feel that the
Lord is going to bring me through"
THE EXECUTION.
Greatly to the surprise of the people
of Huntsville and to the disappointment
of many, both in Huntsville and a great
number of negroes who had come from
distance in the hope Of seeing the hang
ing or being at hand when the pom
drous drop fell.
Their morbid curiosity however, was
unsatisfed and they were completely
beaten.
SHERIFF M'GEHEE
very wisely appointed the time OF the
hang between the hours OF 4 and .
a. m. Being within his power to have
condemned executed at what ever time
he deemed proper, the officer did this IN
order to defeat the mob in their eApec-
tations, and to have this solemn duty
carried out with perfect decorum and So
briefly.
This action of our prudent Sheriff and
fellow citizen should be appreciated by
the ggd people of Huntsville and vlclnl-
ty.
The hour of hanging was known to