The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-08
A TREE IS KNOWN BY IT'S FRUIT
CAPTURE AND EXECUTION OF AN OUT
RAGE F1END.
What Daylight Revealed Yesterday
I'm WndeSborO---Tle Negro Found
in II Cave--Hc COnfesscs tho Decd,
1. P~Iaenrdcd, Hanged and RiddIed
with HUIlCfN.
Charlotte Observer.

Chdr36He Observer.
At two o'clock. IN Wnlcsburo, yesterday
morning, The quiet or the night wns disturbed
by vollrys of shots TINT were fired In the Vi
entity OF the court house. but as the rcvrrber-
atoms died AWAY stiffness rcigned n.nin. Tho
citizens who were aroused by the shots had Il
prcsriitmcnt that something OF 4 startling ma
ture had occurred and many correctly sur.
missed what it meant. As daylight dawned
upon thc town, the body of q negro man, rid
died with bullets, WAS revealed dangling from
II sycamore tree that stands in the shadow OF
the court house. 1t was the body OF John
Boggan, tho negro brute, who, OH tho night OF
June 10Th. heartlcs>ly assaulted Mrs. Bruncr.
a widow lady Of great r~cspectaLillty, living
within one milo Of WadesborO. From the
time the outrage was perpetratcd Began had
been rclenticssly and increasingly hunted for
by Tie indignant citizens OF WadcsbnrO aud
Arson county, and NIL well knew tile fnte that
awaited him. Bosgan WINS captured Thurs
day night, In a cave. Mt hts mothers home,
O'Clock Friday morning, he was hanged and
shot In WilucSbOro.
Tho capture OF tho negro was brought about
through Il woman, who was coerced INTO Il be.
travail of his hiding place. According to the
best accounts, II seems that having learned
OF the whereabouts OF Il cOrOred woman with
whom Boggun was Intimate, q ptriy OF sew
enty.five men visited her house Thursday
night. and SECURING the omar marched her
of To II piece OF woods. They then requested
her 10 tell where Bosgan could DC found, but
she declared she did not know. y rope was
produced and mt the supposed preparations to
hang her, the woman turned bctrHyer and
told the men that if they would follow her
Silh would conduct them to bUggan's retreat,
Ihpy followed the woman to the home OF Bog
CAMS mother, aud tnking them into the gar.
den. The woman pointed to a small pile OF
straw with the remark that they won u find
him there. The party kicded the straw away
and several boards were revealed. They re-
moved the boards and iound u cave, or hole
| 81 feet long nv fhrpn fppt deem untl In thiS
hole lay John BOggan, the object OF tllcii
search. Bncgan came out sullcnly. In re-
sponsc to their command. and stood before
them rs II he fully realized that his end had
come. The spokesman Of the purity suggested
that they conduct Began to Mrs. Burners
house and let her see him, but the negro
would not agree tOillis. Ifcsnid, Its no use
did 1t. She lives " miles from here. and
don't want to sec her. She will know me and
I would rather she would not sec me-" Bug
gan then related In detail how he broke opei
the door of tho Widows house, dragged hel
from q sick bed and carried her to the woods
There was no one In the house except tlt
widowed lady's several small children. Ate!
lenving her he relurned with the intention o
killing her, but found other parties Mt thu
house aud ut once fled. He said lie w;s drunk
cy..,
His arms wore %pinloncd, and the prisoner
anu his captorS took up the mar, II for WadcS
b0ro, at which place they quickly arrived, n
It. was but n short distance. Near the cour
house stands u sycamore tree. from which
twenty years ago, Il negro. the first In Amer
len to cuinnit n crime of this character, wa
lynched, and selecting the same limb, th'
lyn:hing party threw Il rope over 1t. \ pla
card was pinned to Bngsnn's breast, bearin:
the words; "This maj max es q full confession
Our women must be protected" The rop'
was then adjusted around B0.gan's neck ar
he was swung up. AS his body danSlcd u
the air, n hundred shots were fired into 1t, rid
dling II with holes. The lynching party tiici
dispersed. Fifteen minutes afterwards. par
ties in the omnibus on the way to the depo
10 meet the train for Charlotte. looked out n
they passed the court house, and saw til
bolp swaying idly to and fro In the gcntl
morning breeze. No one was In sight, ar u al
was quiet and solitude.
Dnggan.s mother confessed that she ha'
been feeding him regularly in his cave, an
that his Intention was to remain serrctcu vi
I'll the excitement died dow and then max
his escape from the country.