Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-06-26
The Black Cap
CLOSES THE LAST ACT OF THE
TRAGEDY AND JORDAN
TAYLOR GIVES UP
HIS LIFE.
He Meets Death With Fortitude
and Makes a Dying Statement.
The job a Perfect One and the Best OF
order Maintained.
THE BODY VIEWED BY A LARGE CROWD.

Jordan Taylor was hanged to-day
at y :55 o'clock, standard time.
At y 80 he was led forth from the
jail and walked to the gallows in
closure with composure. The in
closure was surrounded by vast
crowd ofpeople,bot male and female,
but no demonstrations toward tear
ing down the Enclosure were made.
To prevent this about twenty armed
guards were placed inside rope
stretched some fifteen feet from it.
Taylor mounted the steps with
lirmness. lie was attired in a neat
suit of black, with linen collar and
black neck-tie, lie was told to make
any statement he wished and address
the spectators substantially as fol-
lows, in a calm and firm voice:
"Friends, this is a serious thing to
face. 1t is a trying thing, but man
is born to die and 1t seems l have got
to die to-day. Mans days are num-
bered and my number has run out.
| committed terrible crime, but it
was the first trouble I ever got into
that amounted to anything. l am
very sorry that I done it, but it is
now too late. | was fool, but it is
too late now. I have been brought
up right and never got into any other
trouble. Young men, q see some
young men here) let me tell
you, it is bad thing to lust
after woman. She will surely bring
you to bad end. hope you will
let me be an example to you. | hope
this is the last gallows that will ever
be put up in this town. 1t is not the
first and am not the first man ever
hung. never seen gallows or a
rope like this before. 1t is a hard
thing TO die hut l feel willing, for
Jesus sake. But l am mighty sorry
that have come into this fix. / am
thankful that this is all that can be
brought up against me-"
Here he saw colored friend and
said to him.
"Joe, how's your health ? You must
study about me when I'm gone" He
then called for water and drank with
relish and resumed: 81 am going to
meet death but | am thankful that |
don't dread it. l have suffered more
in Jail than l expect to suffer here"
Rev. e. G. Garratt, col, then read
a statement denying that Taylor
had ever stolen saw from
Mr.. Forbes, as some one had charged.
He then offered up an earnest and
appropriate prayer, at the conclu-
sion of which the preparations began,
The black cap was first put on but
while the prisoners feet and legs
were being strapped he asked
that it be taken of, and that his
legs not be bound so tightly, as il
hurt. 81 want to see as long as l
can" said he.
When he was securely bound the
cap was replaced and he called upon
those around him to snake hands
with him. lie pressed the hands Of
several persons with a convusive and
nervous grip, all the while muttering
farewell, farewell" He trembled
and had to be supported during this
ordeal. AT precisely u :55, standard
time, Sheriff Boyd pulled the lever
and Taylor shot through the opening
IN the twinkling of an eye. His neck
was broken and the flesh torn in one
place slightly, and he never moved
muscle after he fell. Death must
have been painless to him.
Mr.. Boyd shook hands with the
doomed man before pulling the lever.
1t was his first experience of the
kind but the painful duty was per-
formed in the best possible manner.
Drs. Woosley, Dennis and Seargent
attended and made the following re-
ports:
AT 2 minutes, pulse 80.
AT A minutes, pulse 80.
1t 6 minutes, pulse l25.
AT 8 minutes, pulse 100.
AT lC minutes, pulse hardly per-
ceptible, heart beating feebly.
AT l21G minutes, no pulse.
AT IA minuets, heart still beating
very feebly.
AT l6la minutes, dead.
The body was cut down at :lG, in
just q minutes.
lie was then placed in his coffin
and taken outside and the coffin
opened to allow the crowd to see the
corpse, after which it was taken to
the potter's field and buried.
THOSE PRESENT.
There were but As persons inside
the inclosure, though eight or ten
Others were let in after the drop fell.
The local press was represented and
several correspondents were also on
hand. Most Of the local physicians
were present and few members of
the bar. A fair proportion of the
spectators were colored men. Revs.