Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1891-08-14
THOROUGHGJOD HANGED
At DOVER Oh FRIDAY LAST.
His Bravado Deserted him but He
Died Protesting His Innocence.

lanes Thoroughgood colored, wa
hanged at Dover one week ago to-day, by
Sheriff Cole, for oatraging little eight
/ year-old I.ouisa G. Huntington, also col
ored, few months ago.
This simple statement scanned by
casual reader viii probably not carry
with it the horror and leave the impress
Sion, further than the true fact that one
more soul has been launched into eter
nifty and that he received his Just punish
ineut, that j; viii upon the thirty men
men WHO were assembled in the enclosure
around the ear jail ward at Dover on Fri
I day last 10 " itness the iulhument oil one
fthe strictest OF Delaware's laws. That
little assembly viii probably never Tor.
/ get the scene, wrought up to the hgnes'
nervous tension as they Were when tne
culprit was heard coming out OF his cell
praying and calling on his maker to save
/ his soul, as he walked down the corridor
| Of the jail and out the west door Of that
| building into The Jail yard proper sup
ported on either side by turnkey Boggs
and Deputy Constable Cahill. The march
TO the gallows was commenced about l. 20
O'Clock and was led by Sheriff Cole I'M I'M
mediately followed by Rev. L. w GID,
son, rector Of Christ P. + Church, OF
Dover Rev Mr. Campbell, OF the A. n.
Z. Church, Of Camden, Rev James Jack
son, Of the Dover Baptist Church, ms
spiritual advisor during his incarceration
and supporter on the day Of the trying
ordeal Thoroughbred came next sup
ported, as stated above, bv turnkey Boggs
and Deputy Cahill and followed by the
Jury, physicians, newspaper meu and
- WIS
plainly evident that the doomed
man was in a very weak physical state
caused, no doubt, by his refusing to eat
anything since early the day before and
the high state of religious fervor he had
worked himself into.
The gallows were reached about I.2S
O'Clock and after the reading of the muir
derers' burial service by Rev. L. W. Glib
sou, PRAYER was offered by Mr.. Jackson.
The mans arms and legs were then pin
toned by the sheriff and turnkey. Captain
Israel Riding, the New Castle hangman,
then proceeded to adjust tue moose and
put the black cap over the mans face,
thus shutting out daylight for the last
time The trap was sprung at 81 and
although the neck was broken at the
first cervical vertebre the man died hard.
Tie kicking of his legs the twitchiug,
contraction and contortions of the mus
cles OF he body was horrible to look
upon anu -sused many to turn away and
caused the blood of the spectators to run
cold at H. II is pulse was 90 and =
minutes later Dr bfrher. of Pennington,
the examining phys oiau prom unced
him dead though the heart continued to
beat ui-,- .uicaliy 70. several minutes.
The body was GU. down at I.47 and laid
in the plain pine coffin prepared by the
sheriff Internent was made III Potter
field as none OF the dead mans relatives
claimed the body and none Of his friends
took enough interest IN him to give the
body a christian burial.
From early morning until the noon
hour Sheriff Cole was beseIged by apph-
cants for tickets to see the execution but
complied strictly with the letter of the
law and allowed only thirty persons to
view the CHASTITY spectacle. Some OF the
sentences and phrases used by the con
demned man as he staggered to the gal
lows were ''Oh, Lord, have mercy on my
soul: am going to the gallOws for the
last time; Spare NE Lord Tor l am lnno-
cent; Glory to God, have mercy on me-
am going home to God" After the
pallows were reached lie kept up the
wall and as the moose was being placed
over his head and around his neck he
said Draw it tight" Il was a tragic
suspense. more dreadful than the death
OF the burlv negro itself. alter the eXecu-
toner had prepared his victim for the
finale and had stepped aside while The
condemned man $ spiritual advisor step
ped forward TO the brink Of the death
dealing scaffold and asked James do you
know me ?" The vision OF his minister
ing friend was cut out by the black cap
but Thoroughbred recognized the plead
ing voice of his friends and answered
eyes. Mr.. Jackson" do you now sur
render Yourself to God" asked the minis
ter and from behind the hood came the
reply eyes; Mr. Jackson, l do ~ DID
YOU do it?" was the next query put by
the spiritual advisor and as the doomed
culprit did not seem to understand him
be continued ''You know what l mean
Immediately came hack the prompt reply
mo, did not in the sight OF God, " then
Good BYE" said the minister and with
these words still upon the lips OF the man
the rope was cut and his body went down,
brought up with jerk, and all was soon
over.
Thnroughgood's last night on earth
was one of torture to himself and a sleep
less one for every ore within square OF
the Jail, in fact, there were few people
within radius of a square as they mad
all moved to quarters farther away All
night long his voice could be heard TO
peal forth from the dark walls OF the
prison in cries for mercy aud his prostes-
tatiofIs oe innocence interminSled with
PRAYER and songs His voracious apPe-
lite failed him and he did not touch the
break fast of ham, eggs, potatoes, bread
and coffee from the kitchen OF the sherlH
sent in al all early hour, neither did he eat
a moutbful Of dinner, though 1t was ten
dered him Victuals would have stimu-
lated and strengthened the unhappy
wretch but he would have none OF II.
Early on the day of the hanging the
victim of CHRONOLOGICAL leinous crime
arrived i'll town, accompanied by hSr
parents TO assure herself that her assail-
ami did not escape the penalty Of the
Law. She would take no heresay evl-
dence that her dreaded enemy was dead
No coroneris certificate or Official record
was sufficient to quiet her mind; nothing
hui the dead body of the man whose
memory was a source Of misery to her
would suffice to allay her fears Earlier
in the dav her mother had started toward
fhe iail with her aud when within very
sliort distance of that place she heard the
deep base voice peal forth in prayer and
at once recognizing it as the same that
bade her be quiet of her wrong under
penalty of death on that eyentful day
went into mysteries and had to be carried
away. Day aud night the fear OF Thor
-ouphgood haunted his victim. BY day
ligRIt She was afraid to stay alone in her
hSmble home near Viola and at night
her dreams we're repitions Of her horrible
experiences in that lonely Drushwoou,
Nothing could shake. the child's belief
that Thoroughbred was her assailant
His features and voice had impressed
themselves indelibiy upon the girls eyes
and ears during the struggle she had
made against his violence. 1t was the
word of one against the other. The
child was so absolutely sure Of her iden-
tification that the mention OF the cui'
prit's name sent a shudder through her
hagile body Thoroughbred was so per
sistent in his denial that he could never