The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-01-04
UNWEPT, UNHON0RED, UNSUNG.
JOHN STRICKLAND GETS Ills JuSr DE
SEHTs FOR \ BRUTAL MURDER.
SWUNG rom the GIhh"t This MorntnS-Th"
Inst of n Human Wretc, who Hiidird I'll"
Body of iIts Strp-tIothrr with Rolled shot.

John Strickland, the white man who
cruelty murdered Mrs. Adc!inc Strickland,
his stcpmOthcr, was hanged in Conway,
on last Friday.
The history of the crime and circum'
stances OF this horrible murder, as given
in Count, are rs follows:
On the night of July 3 last Mrs. Adclinc
Strickland, while sitting in the door OF her
mothers house, in Horny County, near the
North Carolina line, was bru'ally murdered
by an assassin who had, under cover of
darn ness, crcpt up to the house and emp
lied the cOntcuts Of Il gun into the body OF
inc unfortunate woman. The gun was
loaded with large rolled or hand-madc shot,
which caused the same torture as the
chcwcd 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 sworc that she had rccog-
niycd The assassin MS John Strickland, her
step son. She had heard a noise and was
looking on. into The yard nj the flash of the
gun and plainly recognized John Stick
land.
The coroncr's inquest developed other
flc,s and and circumstances which caused
ihc arrest of John Strickland as principal
| ard Bradley Strickland (JOhnS father and
| The murdered wpmau'S %huShuudh, Elnilra
S,ricklund tJohu'S witG and scvcrai other
| members Of the Strickland family as ac-
ccssUrirs. Tho murdered woman had been
livir q unhappiiy with her husband, Brad
lev Strickland for some time. He hni ac-
cuscd her of intidclity, repeatedly beat n
her and finally driven her from his house,
and at the time Of her GCath she TNG ltN-
ing with her mother, Mrs. iilcr,
John strickland had excited his fathers
suspiciUnS against her, and IL was proven
that he had uttered threats against her lllC
on several occasions
The day previous to the murder Joha
Strickland and his father pissed the house
Of Mrs. Tilcr, when Adclinc Strick-
land abused john Tor circulating false
reports about her and setting her husband
against her. Thcrcupon her husband APP.
pronchcd With IN upliftcd tnrpcn,inG diir
per and told hi? wife ,ha. if 81 would
come oul OF the yard he would spattcr hcr
brains out.
In the morning after the murder it was
found that the assassin had been lying ii
wal, for his victim for some timo, and that
lac had been lying on the ground waiting
for Il chance 10 shoot. The murderer wac
tracked To Johns house.
RcbCCca AmmonS, II sister Of the muir
dcrcd woman, testified that she saw John
Strickland fire the shot.
John was convicted in October 'aGt and
the ptbcrS were acquitted, although til,
feeling Is general that Bradley Strickland
deserved death for the part he took, rs ii i.
believed he melted his son TO take the lite
Of his wife.
a strong effort was made 70 have Strick.
lands sCatlngc Cuu,mutcd by the Governor
TO life imprisonment. all the jury signing
the petition, hut the Judgy and Solicitor
recommended that if such acts were moi
lUni3hcd by hanging, capital punishment
should be abolished.
Governor Richardson refused to inter
frrc.