Evening journal., 1889-12-30


she eight negro prsone Il at Baruwell Satur
day. Full details Of the awful crime hovs
been received and all unite in denorncing IL
as an outrage against humanity Not only
were tho principals charged with the MUIR
iers of whites iynched but accessories be.
fore the fact aud even witnesses met tha
same fate. The people OF Barnwell town
knew nothing Of the crime until they awoka
on Saturday morning. How the prisoners
were taken from the Jail is best told by
Jailer Neyille's statement, which he gave aas
follows:
Jailer Nevi1le'a Story.
about half-past 3 or 3 o'clock Saturday
morning some one knocked at the gate
got up and opened the window and aslsess
who was there. Some one in the crowd saie
My name IL Black, from Martins Statioi
with prisoner. Come out and take him
l told them to hold on until got ready.
dressed quickly and went out as usual TO ~
ceiye prisoner
Lu Rushed Mob.
~ unlocked the gate and as / opened it .
mob OF masked men rushed in on me. They
demanded the prisoners from Martins Sta
tion and asked mo where they were / told
them they were IN Jail. BY this time they
had taken the keys from me, but told me to.
80 and unlock the doors / told them 4
would not, that they must unlock the doors
themselves, as they had the keys
Threatened with Death.
"rhe crowd then went to the door Of the
jail with the keys unlocked il and showed
me in the Jail ahead Of them AS | struck
the second jail gate, which is Of iron, they
told me to take the keys and unlocxfit
refused to do it, and then they threatened to
shoot me, drawing pistols. | told them I
could not unlock that gate, and they senk
down TO the yard for an ak aud said ii did
not open it they would knock the whole
d---d thing open aud let the prisoners out.
just before the crowd got to the gate thaa
leads 20 the cells and rooms told them II
they were determined 10 20 into the jan to
give me the keys and / would unlock tho
gate, but asked them not 70 turn out any OF
the prisoners except those they wanted
Witnesses and Prisoners Alike Went.
'eThey themselves took the key, unlocked
the door, went into the jail and took out iirst
Mitchell Adams, who was charged with the
murder Of }. j. Helferman. Then three Of
them carried out Judge Jones, Robert Pb0a-
nix, Peter Bell, Hugh Fnrz, Harrison john
son and Ralph Morrall all colored. Bella
was charged with the murder Of ROBBERS
Martin, who was mysteriously killed at Mar
tins Station last Saturday. Hugh Furz was
In as an accessory to the killing, and Ralph
Morrall and Robert Phoenix were held aa
witnesses, but were supposed to have BEEN
accessories 20 the crime Judge Jones and
Harrison johnson were held az witnesses.
wen XIII Them Right Here.v
1.-THE crowd next ropsd the eight prison
ers, brought them down stairs and marched
them through the principal streets, compel
ling me 10 20 with them. We got seventy
yards across Turkey creek, which is about a
quarter OF a mile away They stayed thera
some fifteen or twenty minutes, and the
crowd asked the prisoners a good many
questions.
After talking 20 the prisoners heard
some one in the crowd say: Wen kill them
right here. ] asked the guard who had ms
in charge TO carry me back to the bridge, as
/ did not want 10 see the negroes killed. The
crowd that had me said should not 60 back.
About that time two or three men ran up.
caught hold Of me and told the guards who
had me in charge to carry me back 70 the
bridge.
Many shots Fired.
zone man on each side OF me walked ms
back, and l. with the guard, sat there twenty
five or thirty minutes before the crowd lefk
me. About thirty minutes after they were
gone they commenced firing. 1t seemed to
me they kept firing five or six minutes K
imagine I50 shots were fired In that time.
The guard then said, Let's go up the road
where the party are firing l mounted a
fI.afn laaH a.
the road some 250 yards before the firing
ceased
1--WE went few steps further, when we
met the crowd returning 10 town. They es-
corted me back 10 town. and bidding ms
good night said / could go to bed or 20 telk
the sheriff that they had wound it up The
crowd then dispersed
%he Scene Of the Execution
The CHASTITY scene at She place Of execu
tion is thus described by a man who in
spected it, "1he bodies were lying on this
roadside. When we reached there at
o'clock the bodies Of johnson and Adams
had been removed but the others were UNI
disturbed. The mob divided the murderers.
putting the Hefferman slayers on the left OF
the road and the Martin murderers on the
right The negroes arms were pinioned and
tightly tied to trees with strong ropes before
they were shot They were not hanged.
however 1t is impossible to describe how
many shots each man received and where
they were struck as their bodies and heads
were literally torn to pieces. HH
mitchell Adams was tied to the post
which marks the corporate limits of Barn
well. Just to his right his accomplice Rip
ley johnson, was fastened to tree. The
Martin murderers on the other side of the
road were arranged in line.
Horrible Death.
"Some Of the negroes were old men, Nor
rail- possibly being 90 years old, and Peter
Bell about The same age Some of the un-
fortunate men had their eyes shot out.
others were wounded in the chest and face-
Blood covered the ground upon which they
laid, and more horrible sight could not be-
imagined
He named the cases Of Stewart shooting
Mr. J. l. Brown, the killing Of Robert Mar
tin, the shooting OF Mr.. Joe Dickinson by
Jasper Bradham and this shooting of Mr.
Nat Weekly by an unknown negro. Sheriff
Lancaster was at home when the Jail was
attacked, and was greatly surprised when
he heard Of the shooting He does not aD-
prehend further trouble and has no guard
at the Jail
Verdict OF the Coroner's Jury.
The verdict of the coroner's journey il ~
follows: THAT the aforesaid parties came
TO their draths by gfnshct wounds Inflicted