The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-16
REEVES IN THE MOOSE.
HIS SPEECH ON THE GALLOWS
IN THs NATURE OF A WARNING.

left the Jail at :25 o'clock with Sheriff
Blount aud his aids. He assembled the scat
fed at 1850 o'clock. The death sentence
was then read. When asked what he had
to say, he said: "My friends, have little
to say. l was sorry in five minutes after
had committed the crime. Let this be
caution,to my young white and colored
friends beholding me where | am to-day,
and to my friends with whom / have
passed many pleasant times. l thank the
ministers of the gospel for their
advice, and am satisfied to go, and want
my friends to know that the way to heaven
is prepared for me- Let me caution you,
my friends, not TO take that which you
cannot give / thank God for his mercy in
forgiving my crime. / am guilty OF the
act for which l am TO be punished, but let
it be a caution to my young friends" de
then turned 70 the sheriff and said:
THAT'S about all have to say,
and let il be a warning" Two
hymns were then sung and prayer
was offered. The black cap was then ad-
justed, the doxology sung and at 1859
Reeves was swung into eternity. His body
was carried 10 Macon for interment by his
brother-in-law. Everything passed off
quietly. excepting the wall Of few negro
women when the cap was placed. About
1900 people witnessed the banging. Reeves
is a mulatto, and had but one arm
CAUSE OF THE CRIME.
Last February Reeves went to the store of
Mr. Greenwood, and while there dispute
arose between him and the German about
an account. The German lost his temper
and struck the negro over the head with
stick
Reeves made but little resistance at the
time, but went to has paramour, Ella Fay
son. and told her what had happened.
She berated him soundly for allowing a
white man, and foreigner at that, to strike
him, and advised him to 60 and wipe out
lahe insult.in blood. She kept insisting, until
Reeves finally needed her advice, and, taking
down his double barreled breech-loader,
started back for the store, slipping two
shells loaded with buckshot for bear into his
gun as he went out. He put two extra
shells into his pocket and went forward on
his mission OF death.
THE FATAL SHOT.
On reaching the store il was but the work
of a second TO throw up the gun, cover the
German, and empty the load into his body.
He fell dead in his tracks and the negro
struck dog trot for the woods, throwing
out the hull Of the cartridge and dropping
in ( esh one as he ran.
As soon as the report of the gun reached
Elias ears she cried out: There, now, he's
killed the - Dutchman, and he'll kill
somebody else If they fool with him."
Notwithstanding the fact of Reeves being
easily identified on account Of his missin
arm, he succeeded in reaching Mississippi
before he was arrested.
He was brought back, tried, found guilty
and sentenced to delth.
Ella Fayson, who had also been arrested,
was tried and found guilty, but
recommended to mercy, which gave her
life sentence in the penitentiary.
Of att nj ho
applied for and secured a new trial, the
result of which was that she was found
guilty without recommendation aid SEN
fenced to death. An appeal in her case was
heard few weeks ago by Judge Falligant
It Sev" ali, but he has not announced his
decision yet.
AN ANTE-BELLUM LYECHING.
Alexander BeaIer has brought out some
interesting "reminiscences OF hanging in this
county.
The whites recall a wholesale execution
thnt took place just after the war.
Four negro men and negro woman who
hated their master, rice planter, brutally
murdered him, and then, in the dead hou rs
of night when the tide was down, leaving
exposed the hanks of foul-smslling marsh
ditch, they carried the body out into the
mire and covered it up on the side of the
ditch, the rising tide soon celebrating all
traces of their CHASTITY deed.
A superstitious negro was never vet
known to keep such a secret locked in the
solitude OF his own breast when suspicion
was In the air. and these five were no excep-
tion TO the rule.
One of their number ''let the bloody cat
out of the bag" and all five were soon In
Jail
The country was in disorganized condi-
ton and judges were not TO be had for the
asking.
Tf,x. 1ak ,Nlr fk1 s.N1 -.
hands, but in an orderly and decent man.
ner, in keeping with their southern spirit.
A court was organized from among the
very best citizens and the negroes were all
put on trial.
1t was fair and impartial hearing that
was given them, although the gallows on
which they were executed was ready for
their reception at the very moment they
were found guilty.
The men died like others of their sort, but
the woman was sent to death with horrid
oaths en- her lips, oaths directed against her
master whom she had helped to murder,
and against his friends who had melted
swift justice to these inhuman perpetrats
ors Of this bloody deed.
GRoTEsoUE SUPERSTITION.
While the whites are rehearsing this and
other kindred occurrences, the negroes.
with bated breath, are again going over a
most my sterious hanging that happened in
Mcintosh county years before the war.
A white man by the name of Forbes
killed Baylesford, a companion, who was
working with him on Sapelo Island
Forbes was holy terror to the negroes of
the county. and it was with genuine pleas
ure that many of them went to see him
executed after he had been sentenced to
die.
The gallows had been surrounded by
very tall rail fence, to which many horses
were hitched, aud on which many negroes
and whites were perched, while the inside
of the fence was we'll crowded with inter-
ested spectators.
The negroes then were even more SUPER
stitkous than they are now, and hanRings
did not occur as frequently as they do at the
present time.
The more superstitious negroes were feel
ing exceedingly shaky about the time the
black cap was adjusted
just as the drop fell a horse gave an I'M
earthly squeal, at which several negroes,
with alyeIl Of fear, fell of the fence and took
to the woods.
A regular panic ensued.
Horses became frightened and ran away.
negroes rushed heller skelter anywhere
away from the fearful tree of death, and in
five minutes time not negro was to be
seen and not one rail Of the tall fence was
left upon another.
The next daY the negroes who were nres-