The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-04-15
SWUNG INTO ETERNITY.
Hanging Of the M;lXcy MurdererS Scenes
Before and ut The Hanging.
TFrom the Sumter Advance I

S@Pt. OO.-bA -''''A>t' NS"sNA''''N.
Sheriff Carson, deputies, witnesses, and
the press went to the Jail at 10 O'Clock. and
fo1nl everything in readiness forthc eNecu-
ton.
We visited the doomed men i'll the jail
and found them very composed; awaiting
death They were attended during their
last moments by R=v. w w. Mood, Of the
Methodist church; Rev. c. G. Brown, oi the
Baptist church: Rev. J. B. Middleton and
and Rev. J. T. Harmon. Of the Baptist
church.
Evangelist Williamson and Rev. W. I.
Hundley also witnessed the execution.
Rev w w Mood and Rev j. 3. Middle
ton prayed with the prisoners who seemed
to realize that their end was near. Gentry
Butler seemed willing to die and said that
he was prepared to meet his God. Il viii
be gone in few hours" "Will be with my
Jesus" "Havc asked him to forgive me for
all have done, and I'm going to Heaven"
Hampton Nelson protested to the last that
he had nothing to 60 with the killing.
A5 1880 Sheriff Carson told them that time
was rp. and that they must proceed to the
gallowS. The prisoners marched with firm
steps, accompanied by the ministers, sheriff,
and deputies, to the spot where the scatfold
had been erected. The constru uction Of the
eallows was very simple, being made Of two
uprights, with trap doors hung by hinges,
with post to hold doors up until the trap
was sprung. The scafold was erected un-
der Shed in the rear Of the jail.
While on the way to the gallowS the pris-
oners repeated with Rev Middleton, Unto
thy hands, Oh. Lord, commend my spirit,
and Lord Jesus receive my spirit"
on THE scAFToLD
Hampton said, Il did not kin Capt Max
cy, for I was at my house with sick child.
Gentry said, Thanks be to God am pre-
pared to meet all faithful brethren
Both were very cool and collected, and
did not show the least agitation, only while
Gentry was singing "My soul has been re-
deemed" his eyes filled with tears. He
thanked the jailer and ministers for the at
tention shown him. At this juncture Chief
of Police Weeks pinioncd their legs and
SnSIiA SlISOll iOPSS, "biAC SiiS |
prisoners muttered Unto thy hands, o,
Lord, I commend my spirit" At thirteen
minutes to II o'clock Sheriff Carson pulled |
the rope that held the post, aId Gentry
Butler and Hampton Nelson were dashed
INTO ETERNITY.
DR.. J. A. Mood examined the bodies and |
pronounced life extinct after II minutes.
After hanging until Is the bodies were
lowered and placed in pine coflDs for inter-
ment at the poor house.
The friends Of the criminals refused TO |
take their bodies.
Large crowds assembled at an early hour
around the jail, brt the execution WIS strict |
" private Sheriff Carson deserves credit
for the manner in which the execution was
conducted.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Capt. John Maxcy was in Snmter on Non
day, the 18th CT January. He was alone in
his one-horse spring wagon. About half
past one o'clock on that fatal night his wife
and son were aroused By q noise in the |
yard and on going out they found the wag-
on overturned few steps from the back |
door, the horse not far of, and Capt. aIaxcy
lying with his face to the earth. covered |
with blood, and in an unconscious ccndi-
ton Then no thought Of murder entered !
tie minds Of those present, but tl.ey sup
posed that Capt MaXcy WAS injured when
tI.o wagon overturned HewaS carried into
bis house. ana every possible attenton CIV
en- him, bn: ahont ) O'Clock in the morning
he died without having regained conscious
ness. Then shot marks We're discovered OF
his face and head, and the fact that he had
;a,2 bo,,
1t was not long before quite crowd of the
neighbors had gathered, who set themselves
to work to solve the mystery Of lis death.
From previous circumstances, and from the
actions Of Gentry Butler and Hampton Mel
son at the time, suspicion pointed strongly
to them and they were arrested. The gen.
tlemen present finding the wagon toer COW
cred with blood they trailed 1t back about
two and half miles down the road. 1t
this point which is at the foot of long hill
and where a small stream crosses the road
signs were discovered which indicated that
Capt. MaXcy was shot there. Near the road
was a pine tree from which the road could
be seen for considerable distance each
way. At tho foot Of this tree there were
foot prints. Near by was an uprooted tree,
and on the clay which covered the roots was
an imprint Of a gun, and near 1t were foot
tracks. These tracks fitted Gentry Buffers
foot exactly. Other evidences were also dis
covered in Buffers house which seemed to
fusten the crime upon him beyond question.
Excitement ran high, and there was such a
demonstration of popular indignation in the
neighborhood that these negroes would
doubtless have been lynched had it not been
for the timely arrival Of the sheriff. The
negroes were lodged in the Sumter jail, and.
acting on his own judgment and under Or
ders from the governor, the sheriff did not
carry the prisoners back into the neighbor-
hood to appear at the inquest on account OF
the danger of their being lynched, of which
threats had been made.
In the jail each of the negroes made a
confession to the sheriff, admitting his con-
nection with the murder, and each accusing
the other of doing the killing. They met
by appointment at the corner of Mr.. +. G.
RembeEts field near the spot between nine
and ten o'clock, and as Capt. Maxcy was
passing by he was fired upon. He fell back
wards in his wagon, and his horse carried
him on home in that dying condition. At
the March term Of the court Butler and Mel
son were tried, convicted, and sentenced by
Judge Aldrich to be hung on the 10th CT
April.
MOTIVE OF THE MURDER.
Butler and Nelson were both laborers on
Capt Maxcys place, and he had at different
times had considerable trouble with them.
Butler WAS under contract to work to pay
for damages done to one of Capt. Naxcy's
horses This was CALLING to him. 1t seems
that Nelson was anxious also to free himself
from the bondage Of his contract. They ac-
cording!y agreed to kill Capt. Meacy IN or
der to keep from having to serve out their
contracts. That was the motive which
PROMPTED the murder Andrew Spann,
another negro was also arrested as an acces
sorry to the murder. bat was not tried, and
is still in jail. The confessions made by
Butler and Nelson did not implicatc him.
Ever since sentence of death was pro-
nnnnc cei mon these nenroeS ReY W w.