Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-13

| n.
persistence with which the man pro-
claimed his innocence added a feature of
horror to the gruesome business and sent a
momentary shrill of sympathetic pity
through the crowd. The query arose in
every mind; What has the doomed cul
prit to fear that he should give truth the
go by and what benefit can he hope to re-
ceive through utterng lie? He stood
there on the very brink of the grave, with
no hope of respite or reprieve and with no
possible occasion to believe that what lie
would say, one way or the other, could
stay the hand Of death. He had had good,
faithful and devoted spiritual advisers,
who went to him early in his trouble and
stood beside him when death was sum
moned by the law. and they had taught
him that his only hope of heaven and Of
redemption lay in his obedience to the
laws Of God. They had impressed him
forcibly with the value of truth as one Of
the requisite elements in considering his
hope of hereafter, which was the com
| forting solace to his violent death. Yet he
| reiterated his innocence and died with the
| plaintive plea, II did not do it," uttered
with his last breath.
Has an innocent man been put to death
many people are asking themselves; but
| who can answer Those who saw
| Thoroughbred ON the scaffold blinded by
| the black cap and the cruel rope drawn
stood what blind, trusting faith he had III
| the future. for the penitent, purged and
confessed; those who saw him face to face
| with grim death and answer, may he had
not done it, may hesitate before advanc-
ing an opinion.
On the other hand Lulu huntington, his
| puny, weak, little victim. came several
miles-from her home--to assure herself
that the man who had SO brutally treated
| her and threatened her with death did she
| but speak of the injuries he had inflicted;
came all those weary miles under the
beating rays of the hot sun, over tire
some, dusty roads, to assure herself that
| the law had taken the life of the man
| whose very existence was source OF
misery to her. She would take no here
say testimony that her enemy was dead.
| No coroner's certificate nor official record
would suffice to give her peace. TO her
untutored mind only practical, visible evil
dence that death had overtaken the author
of her sufferings and fears would suilice.
There seemed no persecution nor malice
in her manner. She lacked the ingenuity
to exercise either of these. In the dead
man as he lay in his rude pine box, ready
for burial in a felon's grave, she saw only
the distorted features of the man whose
brutality had led her near unto death $
door, and who she feared would live to
wreck his vengeance upon her, for she
as the only hope to save her from VIC
lent DEATH Earlier in the day she had
heard his deep bass voice raised in prayer
full supplication for mercy and at once re-
cognized 1t as the same tones which had
bid her be silent as to her wrongs, on the
penalty of death She shuddered at the
culprits voice although 1t was pitched in a
key that had no harshness, nor could of
itself awaken fear Day and night the
fear of Thoroughbred haunted his victim.
By daylight she was afraid to stay alone in
her humble little home near Viola and at
nights her dreams were repitions of her
horrible experiences in that lonely brush
belief that Thoroughbred was her assail-
ant. His features and voice had inn
pressed themselves indelibly upon the girls
eyes and ears during the struggle she had
made against his violence. II was the
word of one against the other. The child
was so absolutely sure of her identification
that the mention of the culprits name sent
shudder through her fragile body.
Thoroughbred was so persistent in his
denial that he could never be trapped into
admitting that he was even in the
vicinity of the place that the crime was
committed and died with the protestations
of innocence warm OH his lips.
Could the child have made mistake in
her identification? The crime had been
committed, beyond doubt. and upon the
little girls testimony that Thoroughgood
was the guilty man, he was hanged No
one can venture, in the face of all that
transpired yesterday, anything other than
their personal opinion upon the matter,
and the question remains unanswered
Was Thoroughbred guilty?
The culprit had, however, bad record,
and there could be but little sympathy for
him. He was deserted by every relative;
father, mother, wife and child, and no
body took enough interest in him to give
his body a Christian burial. He was said
to be vicious and immoral and to have
given full rein to his base passions, and
those who knew him are Of the opinion
that he had richly merited the hangruan 5
moose, whether he was guilty or not OF
the last crime laid at his door.
The air of bravado which the negro had
always affected since his incarceration en-
tirely deserted him yesterday and showed
him instead of the man ready to ''pass
over" as he had said, to be an arrant
coward The reading of the document OF
death in his cell just after noon set him in
great fear. He roared in an ear splitting
voice his prayers and supplications and
hut for the stimulation which came
through his almost fanatical religious
fervor he would doubtless have iiunked
outright. AS it was he came from the Jail
with his knees quaking, almost refusing
to support his body and he leaned heavily
on the arms of those beside him, His
eyes were turned to heaven but his steps
faltered and were halting and everybody
feared there would be pitiful scene when
his eyes met the gallows. But he trusted
not to such shock and kept his head ele.
waited and his face upturned and suffered
himself to be lead or literally dragged III
: the flight of steps to the platform, from
where Proctor and Young had gone tc
| death for murder but half a year before
/. l,i yrb fnl
seemed Unsuitable up to Thursday NIGH
fled and nothing could tempt his hunger
) Edibles of which he was particularly fonc
did not serve to persuade his stomach tt
Z take food. Like his air of reckless bra
/ vado 1t had fled him at the time when il
, could have served him best in strengthen
, ing him for the tragic finale.
, II was pitiable scene about the scaf1olc
Just previous to the fatal drop. Thorough
good stepped quietly and in trepdatiol
upon the trap as If in fear that II woulC
, break and let him through. The prayers
r of his spiritual advisers seemed TO queter
, his fears for the moment and afforded hin
a consolation that gave HIM conrag,
when death was lowering closest at hand
Whether or not the doomed mans hope o.
heaven may be realized, his belief thereI
5 was deep and profound and served him a
) the only comfort remaining. All hi!
; kindred and friends had deserted him, bu
his probable crude and vague idea o
heaven and hope Of attaining this shining
> goal bore him up after his courage anC
D defiant bravado had been put to rout b,
physical fear.
The story of the death is short Israe
Ridings aided Sheriff Cole and Warder
: Boggs in the final preparations, and at thu
; culprit's last request drew the rope tigh
J about his neck. the knot directly unde
, the left ear. At the signal Sheriff Col,
t sent his keen beaded hatchet into the stay
/ rope, severng 1t clean and clear. Tht
. body shot downward, and at length Of tn,