The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-24
HANGING OF PRITCHETT.
He PAYS THE PENALTY OF HIS
TERRIBLE CRIME.

WIN a CAIN ana Collected Ar-ae
Refused to Make q Confession, But
Stuck to the Story Told Month Ago
The Fernandina Volunteers on
Duty as a Guard.
FERNANDINA, FLA, June 23.-George
Pritchett, the murder of Henry Fushee, was
hanged in the Jail yard this morning at
1925 o'clock.
Early in the morning large crowd OF
men and women, mostly colored, COM
menced to gather on all sides of the Jail,
and every tree and fence in the vicinity
was occupied by one or more anxious to see
the execution. At 8 o'clock he was seen in
the cell, was surrounded by ministers Of his
own race, administering the consultations Of
the church. He also appeared to be calm
and collected, and spoke without tremor.
Prayers were offered in the cell by the min
listers in which he was besought
TO MAKE A CONFESSION,
but he refused, sticking to the same old
story, with slight variations, that he tod
month ago. He was dressed neatly in a
black suit of clothes, with white shirt
collar and cravat. At 1915 Sheriff Eller-
mann came into the cell with the death
warrant in his hand and read it to him,
during the reading of which Pritchett did
not move a muscle. After n while, draw
ing on his gloves, he asked for drink of
wine, which was quickly furnished. He
ate heartily, and had taken a sip, when
The sheriff quickly bound his hands, and
the procession started for the scaffold.
WITHOUT TREMoR
ha vvolI-ad IN tho coaFOl6 an6 nm ba cfapS
as careless as if he was an attendant, and
not the principal actor, in the tragedy soon
to be enacted. The sheriff directed that
his legs be bound, and he was placed upon
the trap, the moose and cap being adjusted.
be in a clear voice, without tremor, babe
farewell to all and said that he was going
to heaven. The sheriff walked off the
scaffold, and before majority of the
people assembled realized it George Pritch-
ett's body was
sSwINGING IN MIDAIR.
There was nothing brutal in the execu-
| ton. The body heaved, swung once or
twice, and then swayed gently to and fro.
He was pronounced dead in ten minutes 10y
the attending physicians, his neck being
broken. The body was then cut down and
turned over to the undertaken for burial.
There was not the least disturbance, crowd
ing or iamming. The governor ordered the
Fernandina volunteers out as a guard to
the sheriff, which no doubt aided in keeping
such good order.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
On Sunday morning, Feb. Is the body of
a man was found dead in the hammock near
Fort Clinch, and upon the sheriff being
notified he went out and held an inquest,
the verdict of which was: Game to his
death by blow or blows from club in the
| hands of some party or parties unknown to
the jury" The body was afterward identi-
fled as Henry Fuehee. raftsman that had
been seen in the city the day before with
some money. Sheriff Ellerman having
heard that George Pritchett or Peaches
had been spending money freely and given
a supper to some of his friends at the house
CT James HoratiO, went there to make some
inquiries and found the hat and coat of the
murdered man, which Horatio claimed had
been left there the night before by Pritchett,
or Peaches. Upon being asked where
Peaches was, be was told that he had gone
to Callahan. Upon this the sheriff tele-
graphed his deputy there to arrest Prtchett,
which was done on the following Tuesday
night. AS soon as arrested he acknowledged
the crime, and said that
HoRATIO DID THE KILLING,
but when brought to the city for his pre-
liminary examination denied all knowledge
of it.
At the last term of the court he was
convicted and sentenced to be hanged. the
| date to be set by the governor. Some time
| ago the sheriff received his death warrant
and read it to him, when he became greatly
| excited and declared he was to be hanged for
| a crime he did not commit, and frequently
| since then he has asked the sheriff to come
up and talk to him, which he always did
| and upon every occasion has gone through
| the same harangue.
The crime was committed on Feb II. The
weapon used was club. Pritchett enticed
his victin lTto the lonely neighbOrhood of
| old Fort Clinch, or bent upon his design
accompanied Fushee thither. the latter's
object having been to collect sea shells to
take to his home in North Carolina whittier
ne had announced his intention of going.
TIE OBJECT OF THE MURDER
The murdered man, Fushee, came to
Fernandlna about seven months since from
Ellington, Y. c., where a son Of his teaches
or has taught school land who writes very
good letter, indeed, and obtained employ
ment with the Flori la railway and naviga-
ton company. While thus engaged the
deceased made his acquaintance. Fushee
worked hard, lived frugally, aud saved his
money. He had some sixty or seventy
dollars upon his person on tho morning of
Saturday Feb. II. and Pritchett and his
accOmpice (Horatio, now in jail awaiting
trial. knew that he had the sum
All the parties were colored. The murd-
erer was not a progressing looking man,
having thoroughly british, sullen look,
with that uniformed, fiat type of face which
generally hides mind of small caliber. He
was about 80 years of age, of powerful
frame and of medium hight.