The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-04
HOMERVILLE'S HANGING.
WILL HICKS AND ROBERT MCCOY
PAY THE DEATH PENALTY.

Blacks Confess Their Guilt, but Ex-
pected to GO to Heaven-A Story of
the Double Murder.
HoMERvILLE, Ga, april SWIM Hicks
and Robert Mccoy paid the death penalty
here to-day Tor the brutal murder of Mr..
and Mrs. VIM. II. Hughes. on November
last. The largest concourse of people
witnessed the execution that has been here
for wears. BY o'clock the people began to
gather around the gallows, and when the
drop fell, fully two thousand spectators
were present
Yesterday Sheriff Dickerson and the
guards went to ValdoSta and brought the
condemned men here. where they were
guarded until executed. Neither would eat
anything for supper last night until remon-
strated with by the guards, then both ate
heartily.
This morning Hicks ate a hearty break
fast but Mccoy simply drank cup Of
coffee.
LED TO THE SCAFFOLD.
Sheriff Dickerson started with them to
the gaIlows at 1910 O'Clock. They assembled
the scaffold at 1890 o'clock. When asked
if they had anything to say Hicks said that
bad company had brought him TO the gal
lows, that he murdered Mr.. Hughes and it
was nothing but right that he should be
hung.
Mccoy then spoke for about fifteen min
utes, giving an account of the murder
in all its details He said that he did not
kill either of them, but was present aiding
and abetting the crime. His account Of the
murder was the same in substance as his
statement in court.
EXPECTED TO GO TO HEAVEN.
They both said they felt that their sins
were forgiven and that they would go to
heaven. They wanted their awful end to
be a warning to others of their race. They
praised Mr.. Nelson, the jailer at Valdosta,
for his treatment of them, and said that
they had wanted nothing that he did not
provide
At 1850 o'clock the death warrants were
read.
Then three colored ministers come for
ward and prayed for the condemned men,
Each of the condemned had look OF stolid
indifference while being bound.
AT / O'Clock sharp the black caps were
pulled over their heads and the moses ad-
iusted
FALL OF THE TRAP.
At / :03 o'clock the sheriff cut the rope and
the bodies dropped about six feet but
neither Of their necks was broken. They
strangled for about five minutes and then
were still in death.
At is o'clock Drs. L. G.. Mattox and r.
B. New pronounced them dead
The bodies we're then cut down and placed
in collins. The father OF Hicks was present
to claim the body of his son. He is re-
spectacle looking old negro, and has some
very flattering letters from the officials of
his county.
The crowd was very orderly. and dis
persed Immediately after the bodies were
cut down.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
Thursday, Nov. last, two old and
respected citizens of this county living near
DUPONT were found murdered, evidently
with an ak, as their brains were literally
beaten out. The premises showed signs Of
having been robbed. The murderers had
fled, leaving no trace behind. The murder
was shrouded in mystery. 1t was learned
from a son of the deceased, who is a mail
rider to Davis postoliice that on his return
home Wednesday evening, the day before
the finding of the bodies, he stopped in to
see the old folks and found them both well
and very cheerful During his stay how
ever, they told him of three negroes who
had been lurking around the place during
the day, but as nothing had been seen of
them for several hours they concluded the
negroes had left the neghborhood.
One of the negroes was bright mulatto,
and, judging from appearances, wassabout
So years old. The others were much
younger. OF course suspicion at once
pointed to the three negroes as the perpetrat-
ors of the deed, and at once considerable
reward was offered by the children and
friends of the deceased for their apprehen-
sion
THE FIRST CAPTURE.
BY an accident month later one Of the
negroes was arrested in Jasper, Fla, by
Marshal Hinton for another offense, aud
without inquiring into the cause OF his ar
rest he said to the marshal that he knew
why he had been arrested, and that he was
going to tell the whole story. His name is
VIII Hicks. He then made a confession
of his part in the murder of
NC MCCOY HuSn snd mp Ro6a4gs one sax B0b
He also told where Mccoy could be found,
and the sheriff, MIR. Potsdamer. arrested him
at Live Oak, Fla, two days afterward
Mccoy was then carried with
Hicks to Dupont, where they
had preliminary trial, and were then
taken to Lowndes county Jail to await the
March term of the superior court. When
the crime was committed Sexton, instead Of
going on to Florida with Hicks aud Mccoy.
went to Wilcox county Ca, where he lived
FOR several weeks in the pine forest.
BETRAYED BY HIS OWN HAND.
Finally, thinking himself safe, he wrote
letter to his paramour at Cat Creek, in this
county. The woman could not read and
took the letter to male relative 80 read it
for her. This relative, it seems, had no
sympathy with Saxton, and, there being
reward for his capture, told his whereabouts
to a white neighbor. They then armed
themselves with shotguns and went to the
place designated in the letter by Saxton and
found him there. Saxton saw he was
trapped and decided to take his chances of
flight, and was fatally shot. He was car
ried to Valdosta Jail. There he voluntarily
confessed his crime and died. He was a
1nulatto, about 35 years of age, possessed of
some shrewdness. and could read and write
a letter.
Will Hicks was born in Perry, Ga,
where his father now lives. He is
81 years of age and cannot read.
He has been in this section about Eve years.
mostly engaged on turpentine farms
Robert Mccoy is 10 years of age. He was
born in Sumter county, S. c. He can read
and write little, and at one time was
member Of the church, but when he came
out to this state soon drifted into evil ways.
Hicks and Sexton both say that card olay-
ing and whisky and bad company rave
brought them to the gallows. They are
both Of the strongest African type.
THE TRIAL.