Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-12-23
HORRIBLE CRIME.
Five Persons Most Foully Murdered
and Cremated in Geor-
gia.
The Author OF the DemOniac Deed Con.
fesses and Is Roasted at the
Stake.
ATLANTA GA spccial.l

lh1uutu ,NhJ bpCClhi-l
News has reached this city of terrible
murder committed In Franklin County in
which five lives were lost, and the perpe-
traitor was subsequently lyhched. Under
the law Of Georgia when misdemeanor
convicts are only fined they have the prvi-
lege of selling their services IL any one
will pay the fine and take them. 1t was
thus that John Swilling, a substantial
fa6%Gsf Iaa9 the dHfn4faini9iaiAre iair sanders H
had been but recently a resident of
the county, coming from South Carolina.
Swilling agreed 10 take him, and made him
one of the family. On several occasions
Sanders has attempted 10 escape the task of
working out his fine. and thus the gratitude
which he should have felt toward Mr.
Swilling was turned into bitter hate
Wednesday Mr.. Swilling took some cotton
to Toccoa, where he disposed of il. On
returning home the family, consisting Of
Swilling, his wife, and three children,
retired at an early hour in one room.
Sometime before daylight Thursday morn
ing Sanders, who slept in the house,
resolved to secure the money and
escape. Taking the AK with which he
worked he noiselessly entered, but as he
DE-
He was given a blow on the head which
went crashing through his brain. Another
blow killed Mrs. Swilling. while asleep
Having got his hand into the bloody bust
ness, Sanders then deliberately went to
the three children and drove the poll of his
ak through their skulls. His murderous
deeds accomplished, the neAt thought was
for concealment. A lamp nearly filed with
oil was on the mantelpiece. This Sanders
took and poured the oil over the bed
clothes. He then applied fire, and, putting
the stolen money IN his pocket, sailed
forth for the purpose of giving plausi-
bility TO the deed. He ran 10 the
house of George Swilling, brother
of his victim, and told him of the
fire. George hurried back, accompanied by
several neighbors, while Sanders continued
in another direction. Unfortunately for
Sanders, the house was not completely
burned when the party reached il, and the
fire had not yet touched the body of Mr..
Swilling. 1t was thus that the wound on
Swilling's head was discovered. Then the
absence of Sanders was noted Search
was at once made for him, and before the
day closed he was caught and confessed the
bloody deed. The citizens took him from
the officers, and hurried him To The
ruins of Swilling's house. When the mob
reached the scene of the tragedy t ey made
Sanders describe in detail the whole crime.
AS soon as he had finished the narration
they gave him five minutes in which TO
SWUNG oo1y nad lam, and INTO it SAN
ders, tied head and foot with chains, was
thrown. When the pile had burned away,
leaving nothing but charred bones, tie
party separated.
Sanders was fugitive from South Caro-
lima, where charge of murder was han g.
ing over him. At the age of Is he COM
mitted forgery, and therefor s,rved an i'm
prisonment of five years. Upon his release
he married an unsophisticated country girl.
He quarreled with her in January last and
cut her throat. He disappeared that night
and had not been seen or heard from until
the particulars of this terrible tragedy were
made public.