Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-31
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.
[At1suta ;Ga.) speeial.l

lAtisata ,Ga.) speeiall
News has reached this city of a terrible
murder committed in Franklin County in
which five lives were lost, and the perpe.
traitor was subsequently lynch.d. Under
she law of Georgia when misdemeanos
convicts are only fined they have the privi-
lege OF selling their services if any one
WIZ pay the fine and take them. It was
thus that John Swilling, a substantial
larmer, made the acquaintance of Frank
oandess, who was in Jail. Sanders
Had been but recently resident Of
the county, coming from South Carolias,
swllllng agreed to take him, and made him
one OF the family. On sevesal occasions
Sanders has attempted to escape the task of
working cut his fine, and thus the gratitude
which he should have felt toward Mr..
Swiiling was turned into bitter hate.
Wednesday Mr.. Swilling took some cotton,
to Ioccoa, where he disposed of it. On
returning home the family, consisting of
SMILING, his wife, and three children,
retired ut 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 az with which he
worked he noiselessly entered, but as he
reached the beside Swilling sprang up.
He was given 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 murderoua
deeds accomplished, the meat thought was
for concealment. A lamp nearly filled with
Oil wasson 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
iorth Tor the purpose Of giving plausi-
bility to the deed. He ran to the
house of George Swilling, brother
of his victim, and told him of the
fire. George hurried back. accompanied bv
several neighbors, while Sanders continued
IN another direction. Unfortunately for
Sanders, the house was not completely
burned when the party reached it, and the
lire had not yet touched, the body of Mr..
Swililng. 1t was thus that the wound on
S"llllngs 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 andIconfessed thG
bloody deed. The citizens>took him from
the officers, and hurried him to the
luAus u! oWllHnSs mouse. When the mob
reached the scene of the tragedy they mads
Sanders describe in detail the whole crime.
AS soon as he had finished the narration
they gave him five minutes in which to
pray. A fire was built on the spot where
Swillings body had lain, and into it San
ders, tied head and foot with chains, was
thrown. When the pile had burned away,
leaving nothing but charred' bones, thu
party separated.
Sanders was fugitive from South Caro-.
lima, where charge'of murder was hang
ing over him. At che age of 16 he com
mitted forgery, and therefor served an i'm
prisenment of five years. Upon his release
he married an unsophisticated' country girl.
He quarreled with her in Janunsy 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,