The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-10-06
rev MEN TO sk Hanged.
Tho Result Of the cour. of Sessions IN
Laarens.


LAURENs, S. G., Sept. 25.-Ihe
most death-dealing sentence in the legal
annals Of this State, except in cases OF
~insurrection, was passed at Laurens to-
day, ten negro men being sentenced TO
be hanged for the murder of another
negro. The charge was conspiracy and
murder. Some months ago Jim Young,
Monroe Young, Henderson Young,
Allen Young, Tom Atkinson, John At
kinson, Lige Atkinson, John Adams,
Perry Adams and Jack Williams, ali
colored, having some cause of quarrel
against Thornton Nance, also colored,
arranged a plan to take his life and car
ried 1t out successfully. At this term
Of the Laurcns Court they we're all tried
together for the crime, and all convicted.
A motion was made for q now trial and
refused, and Judge Hutson sentenced
the whole ten TO be hanged on October
% next.
At the same term of Court Ike Kim
ard, cOlored, was convicted of the muir.
der of Samuel G.. Oxner, a > lite man,
and was sentenced to be hanged on Oc-
tober l6, this making eleven negroes
sentened t. death at these bloody as.
sizes. The Court of General Sessions
has adjourned. The State gained every
case. Six negroes were sentenced to
the Penltentiary or to pay fines.
THE CRIME N THE TRIAL.
The murder of Thornton Nance, for
which the ten negroes were sentenced
to-day /, be banged, occurred on the 5th
day Of August last at a negro church
near Mountville, a station on the Geor-
gla, Carolina and Northern Railroad,
about eleven miles from this city. :
From the testimony it appears that
John Nance had written a letter to the
wife of John Atkinson and that this
band Of negroes went to the church for
tho purpose OF having a row with John
Nance and made a threat that they
would kill the negro that night.
This band Of ''diabollcal demons,n as
the solicitor termed them, proceeded to
the negro church to execute this design.
They did not attend the sevices, but lay
in wait around the church until the SER
vices were over
The night WAS a dark one, but the
band was clearly recognized by a torch
which Edmund Nance, father of the de-
ceased, held for his wife and little chill
dren to see the road home. After a lit.
tie the quarre. grew warmer, aud bullets
were flying in all directions.
Sam Nance was shot through the
lungs, another negro was shot through
the hat and Thornton Nance was killed.
The trial was begun on Tuesday last
at moor and was ended last night about
ii o'clock. The State was represented
by Lewis W.. Simkins and Solicitor
Schumpert, and the murderers by John
son s. Richey.
The defence argued ably for the band.
For seven they tried to prove an alibi,
tor the remaining three they claimed
that the evidence showed that Thornton
Nance was killed by Henry Suber, one
of the negroes who fled and had never
been arrested.
The jury remained out about three
hours and returned a verdict Of guilty,
with a recommendation to the mercy OF
the Court. The prisoners were brought
into the Court room about IL O'Clock
this morning to receive the sentence.
A motion was make by Mr.. johnson
for a new trial ON the ground that his
EOnor had erred in the charge to the
jury. The motion, however, was over
ruled.
The negrOGs appeared to be little con-
cerned during the whole of the trial, but
there was a sad scene in the Court room
as the Judge pronounced the sentence OF
death. The wives and relatives of the
prisoners were present and could not
restrain their feeling, and broke forth in
bitter walls, and were ordered by the
Court to be carried out.-News and
| Courier.