Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-08-30
TWO MEN HANGED.
And more TO Travel the same Path
All charged with Arson A Full
Account.
Rocky Mount, Va.
August %, 1890.

and Byrd W OOd OF beuIOru OOunOy,
Va, were hanged at IL O'Clock "a IN.
to-day. They both said upon the
gallows that they were innocent OF
the charge which was brought
against them. They were acquitted /
OF the charge OF burning the ware
house in winch the Democrats had |
speaking last fall, but other dwell |
ings having caught on tire there
from and being destroyed, the trial
resulted as has been stated. We
need colored lawyers in our part OF
the country.
We have two more persons IN jan
who are accused of this same crime.
They are put back until the 18th oil
September. Mrs. Phyllis Farley the
wife OF George Farley tainted three
times the day on which her husband
was executed. We have no protec-
ton OF the law In Franklin Co., Va.
The whole AFFAIR is brought about
because these men are Republicans.
Nearly all in the county have refus-
ed to vote any more.
bird WOOD and George Early were
forced by set OF men TO pay the
penalty of a crime oil which they
were not guilty" is the sentiment Oh
the majority Oh the people OF Frank
lin County, State oil Virginia. These
men were hung because they were
bitter Republicans, for the Franklin
Times sand, both men have exhibited
remarkable characters for the he
publican Party. MIR. billiard Is said
10 have paid poor white man 10
lie upon those colored men-he was
given a drink of whlskey. He said
THAT Bird Wood, one day, ran after
two disrespectful white girls Co COM
NIT rape, some years ago. The .ig-
norant old man told IT as though
ne had seen il himself. 1t was IN
deed a fabrication. billiard said
that Bird publicly proclaimed ON
the streets on one occasion that he
would not be satisfied until he car
ried some poor white mans daugh-
Ter to the altar. IL was the Two
crimes mentioned above for which
Bird Wood was hung, not for the
burning of the warehouse and
other houses which caught from the
warehouse.
The writer was in court during the
trial. There was no evidence gwen
in to implicate these men III the
burning OF the town. A colored de-
tective was employed by the Demo
Gratis TO work up the case. de testl-
fed on the stand that there were SIX
more implicated than those who
were already in Jail. The defence
asked who they were. MIR. Dillard
told him not TO tell. They were
expecting that some of them might
be white men. There are over eight
hundred white men in this County
who cannot write their names.
In the contagration twenty-six
stores and dwellings, were burned
and many of the people barely es.
CAPPED. The detective was immedi
ateIv employed and he was told who
were the suspected parties. He inn
mediately went to George Early
who is a lover of liquor, and who
upon being questioned while under
the influence OF the same, confided tc
the NEGRO Detective that he was
present ON that night and saw tn,
oil poured on the warehouse anC
the match when it was struck. Tn,
affair was now ready for the author
tiles, and George Early, Morgan
Dickerson, Henry Smith, William
Brown and others were quietly arres
ted. A few days after, Bird WOOD
was arrested.
George Early was taken from iai
by a crowd of men and dragged
behind horse and buggy with shots
flying around his head, and was told
if he did not acknowledge that tn,
other prisoners did the burning h,
he would be killed The men theI
built fire around him and told hin
that if he did not admit that he oil,
the burning he would be consumed
Mr.. billiard and Judge Peters allow
ed them to take him out.
On the day of the hanging, tn
prisoners were bound with thei
hands behind them. The sheriff an,
his deputies led the way. Whenlthe,
reached the scaffold the prisoner
took seats which had been prepare,
for them and the sheriff told then
they had an opportunity to speak
they so desired. Bird Wood, with
smile faced the crowd and mad
quite an intelligent speech, every ser
tence protesting his innocence in tn
most solemn manner. In his II
marks he stated: Witnesses bot
white and black have lied on IN
during my trial two of my juryme
said on the steps of the Court Hous
that they believed me innocent afte
they had condemned me. 1t is har
to die for thing of which l am no
guilty, but i would rather die innC
cent than guilty.
He exhorted the black and whit
to lead better lives. Mr.. Clark
should have taken note of what wa
said as he was close by at the tim,
He boldly proclaimed that he di
not fear men, but God only, an
that he had make his peace wit
Him. He spoke for hall an hoU