The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1888-01-05
UNWEPT, UNHoNORED, UNSUN6
JOHN STRICKLAND GETS HIS JUST DE-
sERTs FOR A BRUTAL MURDER.
Swung from tho GIbbet This MorniuS--The
Last or n Human Wretch Who Riddled tho
BODY OF His Step Mother with Rolled Shot.

John Strickland, the white man who
cruelty murdered Mrs. Adeline Strickland,
his step-mother, was hanged in Conway,
on last Friday
The history Of the crime and crcum.
stances of this horrible murder, as given
in Cuult, are as follows:
On the night Of July last Mrs. Adeline
Strickland, while sitting in the door of her
mothers house, in l1orry County, near the
North Carolina line, was bru,ally murdered
by IN assassin who had, under cover of
darkness, Crept up to tho house and emp
tied the contents Of q gun into the body of
the unfortunate woman. The gun was
loaded with large rolled or handSmude shot,
which caused the same torture as the
chewcd bullets formerly used by the In
dams. Mrs. Strickland was covered with
wounds from her neck to her knees. She
lived three hours afterwards Before dying,
however, she swOre that she had rCCOg
niZed the assassin as John Strickland, her
step son. She had heard a noise and was
looking out into the yard at the flash Of the
gun and plainly recognized John Stick
land.
The coroncr's inquest developed other
facts and and circumstances which caused
the arrest of John Strickland as principal
ard Bradley Strickland Gohn's father and
the murdered wnman'S husband), Elnlira
Strickland OOhn's wife) and several other
members Of the Strickland family rs nc
CeSsrriCs. The murdered woman had been
living unhappily with her husband, Brad
ley Strickland for some time. He had aC-
cused her of infidclity, repeatedly beaten
her aud finally driven her from his house,
and at the time Of her death she was liv-
| ing with her mother, Mrs. Tilcr.
John Strickland had excited his fathers
suspicious against her, and it was proven
| that he had uttered threats against her life
| on several occasions
The day previous to the tmurder JOHN
| Strick Gland and his father passed the house
Of Mrs Tilcr, when Adclinc Strick,
| land abused John for circulating false
reports about her and setting her husband
against her. Thercupon her husband ap
preached with an upiftcd turpcntinc dip
per and told his wife that if size would
come out Of the yard he would spatter hel
! brains out.
lu the morning after the murder it was
found that the assassin had been lying il
wait for his victim for some time, and that
| he had been lying on the ground waiting
| for a chance TO shoot. The murderer was
tracked to Johns house.
RcbCcca Ammons, a sister of the muir.
| dCrCd woman, testified that she saw John
Strickland fire the shot.
John was convicted in October last and
| the DthcrS were acquitted, although tho
feeling is general that Bradley Strickland
| deserved death for the part he took, as it is
believed he melted his son to take the life
| Of his wife.
A strong effort was made to have Stricl.
| lands sentence commuted by the Governor
| 10 life imprisonment all the jury signing
the pctition but the judge and Solicitor
recommended that if such acts were moi
| punished by hanging, capital punishment
should be abolished.
Governor Richardson refused to inter
| CCre.