The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1891-04-30
A BLUNDER OF THE LAW.
ONE MAN HANGED FOR ANOTHER
MANS CRIME.

WAN = CHlME.
On his Deathbed Bird Confessss ,h..
Killed Hawkins, for the Murd,r -,
whom Whit" was Hanged in Spartan.
burg.
AsHVILLE, n. G., April I6.-The
hanging of Tom White, white man il,
Spartanburg about twelve years ago for
the murder of Pet Hawkins, a c0lorcd
man. will always be remembered as q
remarkable execution. 1t happened lust
at n Time when the white and col0rcd
races were decidedly at daggcrs' points.
but which had no influence or bearinu
on the case. The idea of a white man
being hung for the killing of Il negro was
rather repulsive to a great many Dcople
who had suffered under negro domina.
ton and misrule, but the law took IFS
course and the man was executed in the
county Jail. But he suffer ed the penal
ty OF a crime with the commission OF
which he had nothing to do. and which
was laid to his account by the man who
did the killing.
The facts OF the case were about as
follows: Pet Hawkins and Tom White.
both OF whom were under the influence
OF whlskcY, had a quarrel, which result
Ell IN a row. This was Quieted, how
ever, but the Two antagonists were still
angry. White was of n rather wander
ING disposition, possessing nothing but
an abundance of ''shrcds and patches, -
and lived around the bar-rOoms. Pet
Hawkins, the colOrcd man, was of a SIM
liar disposition. For some reason an
other white man, named Dick Bird, be-
came involved i'll the quarrel, and, as
VIII be seen later, played prominent
part IN 1t. Shortly after the first row
the two white men went into a bar room, ,
which then stood in Church street, and
a1tcrw lrds Pet Hawkins and a crowd OF
c0lorcd satellites came into the same bar
room. Tom White was rather drunk.
perhaps in that peculiar condition when
whskey has The effect of dcadcniny the
senses, although the man can still stand
up and fight.
1t Is believed that White was too drunk
to know anything when the shooting oc-
CURED. Hawkins and the white men cot
INTO row, and during the melee Uaw-
kins was shot and killed. A pistol was
found in Whites hand, and lie was ar
rested as the murderer. When the trial
came on Bird was the principal witness
against White. The circumstantial evil
dencc was so strong that White was
found guilty. and was sentenced TO be
hanged.
All along White profcsscd his inno-
ccnce, and declared that he mad not
killed Hawkins. When the execution
took place, just hcfore the cap was put
forn 10
nocent man, and | am now to suffer
death for another mans deed" He was
executed, and there was Il good deal of
talk about his last words; but nothing
was ever done to ferret out the other
OF whom White poke on the scatlold.
Dick Bird soon afterwards left Spar
tanburg and went over to Polk County.
III this State, where he got into some
trouble and then went over into Nc
Dowell County. Last year he si:kcncd
and died. While on his dcathbed he
made a tell confession Of his crime in
permitting Tom White to be hanged for
the murder OfPct Hawkins. Bird went
on to say that he killed Hawkins. but
Put the blame on White; that the evil
ucnce, taken altogether, was against
White and that he had permitted him to
be hanged ior the murder, although he
had nothing to do with it.
This will startlc some people in Spar
tanburS, perhaps, but there arc some
who heard of the confession some time
ago. Whether the confession was writ
ten out l have not been able to learn.
but the facts above were obtained
from an excellent source. My inform
ant is one Of the best known men in
Polk, in this State, and Spartanburg and
Greenville counties in South Carolina.
lie is detective and knew Bird and
White, well, and is sure of his facts
News and Courier.