Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-29
PUBLIC HANGING.
EXECUTION or A NOTORIOUS cRIMl-
NAL IN NORTH CAROLINA.
Ms Statement from the Gaiiows--Mans
spcctstors-History OF His
Crime.
lsrccI.l telerram o ,he pI.palch.l

20 4 o'clock this afternoon james i. bhNis
aims William L.. Shackclford was hanged for
the murder Of John ID. Horton, 5000 peo-
PIE being spectators.
ON the 2ist instant Governor Fowie re-
ceived an application, made by Rev. Ear.
Dunlop. of Marion :. c.. FOR the repr'eVe
of Davis alias Shackoiford on the Erouhd
Of insanity. The Governor requested Iun-
iop 20 send by telegraph aihdayits sustain
ING this allegation that they might DC con-
s;Sered Tho Goyernor consulted with Dr.
j.. Burke HAYWOOD. president OF the Board
Of Public Charities, who advised that ne
send commission 90 examine DAVIS. The
commission was composed OF pr. rear
sail. assistant physician Mt the NORM
Carolina Insane Asylum; Dr. a.. b.
Tudd, OF Louisville, and Dr. Una
min. of Chatham county. They IN
yited Dayis's attorney TO go with then.
They saw Davis or Shackeltord on the
pGth. and reported 20 the Governor to-day
that Davis was without question sane, aud
his attorney, who heard the exa'niEaton,
conceded fully in this opinion. AfhdayitS
were received from South Carolina. and
this MORNING the Governor calleda Council
OF State. The latter unanimously. recon-
mended after due consideration OF the al
fidayits, that there was no proper ground
for any reprieVe. Davis was wonderfully
cool and polite on the gailows, ana READ
statement warning all his auditors ag,a,ns,
carnal sins. lie assorted that be kuIeo
Horton with bootjack.
His neck was broken when the, trap ieli,
and he died without struggle. lhere
was no disorder ut the execution.
HISTORY or THE CRIME.
About two years ago James 7: DAVIS
white man Of m0dloago made ms appear
ance in Chatham county and was employed
by John ID. Horton. farmer, VINO was
bachelor and who lived in quiet sechon.
frFt- II. tacr "A
upstairs. the house being kept by horizons
mother. an aged woman. Davis began
work there November %. 1893, end NoYem-
her Is. 1889. murdered bis employer and
bed-fellow in a horrible manner, the crime
attracting attention oil over the State.
On the 10th DAVIS left and Horton was
not seen. Two DAYS later Deyis re-
appeared. Mr.. Horton asked him where
Horton was and Davis told her he did not
believe she would ever see HIN again. lho
next dav Davis again disappeared, alter
having told several people, among them
Horizons brother-in-low, That Horton had
probably gone 10 Seattle. Wash. Ter. and
had tried to induce him to 60 also.
1HE DEAD BODY DISCOVERED.
Horizons brother-in-lGw. j. i. Williams,
the day after Davis left the second time
went up TO his room and found the bed not
disturbed. He suspected foul play at once
and began 10 search Tor Horton. lie foun4
blood about the bed N Horizons room, and
il was evident that attempts hai been
made 10 scOur this away. mere was also
blood on the roof of porch. ms req To
very careful search by Williams. with re-
markable results. The track of wheel
barrow was found leading from the porch.
and on the barrow there was also blood.
The tracks were in the direction of a to-
bacco-barn. Ii was Just week after me
murder before the BODY was discovered oy
Williams in the tObaccO-Oarn buried ana
covered with totacco.
II was now plain that Davis rad muir
dered Horton while tho latter slept
by blows with n hatchet which was
found had rolled the body out Of the
window, and had then carried 1t 10
the new barn. where lie bad secTeted
il under the door OF a closet. AFTER
he returned from Raleigh be bad takeh the
body on the WheclbaTrOw TO the old barn,
had buried it and covered 10 Wan tobacco
stems over the well-packcd earth.
HIS STORY TOLD N DAN1LLr.
Pursuit Of Davis was made, and Dur
ham detective captured him at Danvllie.
Va. in a hotel DAVIS was lodged in jail,
ard at once talked TO the police officer. He
said: ~ killed John y. Horton and buried
him III the tobaccO-harn. did IT by N.Y.
self. Nobody knew anything about II.
Horton came IN late Friday night, and we
cot into dispute about settlement, ana
Horton insulted me and | accused him OF
belnr d dishonest IN the settlement. b0r-
ton sat down end wrote aud read awhile,
md then asked me Il I SAID he was dlshon-
est, and said If he did not pay me Tor my
work no was not an honest man nor
ton swOre he wodld Kill me, and drew
the gun on ne and fell over behind the
bed; Horton wheeled around, went across
the room to get Cartrld 20, ana Whhe Ae
was extracting tie old cartridge rn rom
under the bed. grabbed boOtlhck, n Il MN
on the head with Il, and he fell. 1 went
down stairs and remained long time. i
came back and found MIN dead. put hlm
on, of the window, rolled him 10 the edge
OF the porch, and dropped him III the yard.
CONVICTED.
The prisoner was taken to Pittsboro'
where on February 18th his trial began.
IL lasted two DAYS and resulted III convlc-
ton. Davis was sentenced to be hanged
March 2sth, and the commissioners ordered
that the execution be public and "a near
the town as possible. Davlss evidence was
given in so remarkable a way that many
people believed he must be innocent, and
there was in preparation petition Tor
communication OF sentence. But ltNas never
sent TO the Governor.
HE WAS MoSsITR.
On the 18th Of March it was discovered
that Davis was not named Davis but WAS
William :. Shack ford. and guilty OF the
most terrible crimes IN South Carolina,
having committed incest with his daughter
in one county and then having murdered
Their infant child in another DAVIS. or
Shackelford, denied this until the 22d.
when at midnight he confessed to the
death-watch that il was true. He acknow-
lodged that his age was forty-two years
and not as he had before claimed thirty
one, and that he had q father and mother
i eN.raH ma sod
when twenty years Of age and had VIE
and seven children living with her uncle,
druggist, in Marion, 5. G. He further
stated that he was licensed 10 preach at
the age OF eighteen by the Methodist
church. and was subsequently, ordained
minister in the Baptist church.
AMAN WHO VISITED CLUyERIUs.
Two DAYS before his execution he was
visited by Rufus r. King, minister OF the
Society Of Friends. who makes II poin. to
visit every man under sentence of death
whom he can reach. lie went to RICH
mond to visit Cluverius before he was
hanged. The last murderer visited by him
before he saw DAVIS was Elijah Moore, who
was recently hanged at Greensboro.
On last Sunday Davis wrote Is farewell
letter TO his wife ana children aud another
TO his parents and sister. They are re-
markable productions TO have emanated
from 80 guilty criminal.
Rad HIS OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
Davis read on the eallows his autobogra-
ply, which he had given to hIsdeath-watch
10 publish IN this he gave his full history
aud told all of his horrible crimes in South
Carolina and also the true account of the
murder of Horton. Davis preserved his
remarkable equanimity To the last. and
thus ended one of the most remarkable
crimes and executions on record III the on
tire country.
SCOTLAND NECK.