The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-14
DEATHS ON THE GIBBET.
ELIJAH CHEAvERs HANGED AT
WAYCROSS.

He HdQ EE6NAOu5AY AO444AGk0o Ills
Guilt-women at the Bottom of His
Troubles-He Expected to Go to
Glory-The Hanging in Public and a
Big Crowd Present.
WAYCRoss, GA, May 13.-Ehjah
Cheavers, the murderer Of Deputy Sheriff
Culpepper, was publicly executed to-day
about two miles from the city, in a low
fat cypress forest. From early dawn until
noon there was constant stream of vehi-
cles and people afoot coming into town to
see the hanging. Men, women and children,
white and black, crowded around the jail
20 get glimpse of the prisoner a. ne left bis
cell. At 1920 o'clock the sheriff a d
his deputies went in to prepare Cheavers for
the gallows After taking a bath he was
given neat alpaca coat, Jeans trousers
and white shirt. These gave him neat
appearance. He was then handcufted and
taken to the front of the Jail, where be spoke
q few words aud bowed to the people. He
then stepped into the carriage with the
sheriff and several deputies and was driven
60 the gibbet The carriage was driven
within ten yards Of the scaRold.
AT THE sCAFFoLD.
As the prisoner stepped out he put on a
bold front and bowed TO the people around
him. The first thing he did upon his arrival
at the gallows was to inspect the rude pine
box. II think it is a shame" he said, ''to
put my body in that box without any coffin"
1t was explained TO him that the law did not
provide anything better. II wanted a de-
cent burial anyhow he said. The soatfOld
had a drop door in the center. It was put
up according to Sheriff Mtller's own idea.
NNrU
fifth or sixth man and has never failed to
do his work well. Religious services were
held underneath the gallows. Rev. g. f.
Graves spoke word of warning to his race.
He told them to beware of the strange
woman, Winchester rifles, revolvers aud
British bull dogs. Rev. Graves was the
only man to whom Cheavers would make
full confession. 1t was through his lnflu-
ence that Cheavers gave out written state
ment of his crime
CONFESSED INCENDIARISM,
He also acknowledged to Rev. Graves
that he did the burning of Stokes & Co.'s
commissary at Wildwood several years ago.
In fact, he made a clean breas5 to Rev.
Graves Of every crime that he had COM
united. He said that he attributed his ruin
to women, and that he had one their bid
dug until they had ruined him.
Rev. n. H. Whitmire of Savannah gave
out the hymn, There is a Fountain
Filled with Blood and the colored
people all joined in the sing
ing. Prayer was then offered
and the prisoner assembled the gallows sing
ing Pm going home TO glory, don't grieve
after me-" Upon the scatfold Cheavers was
allowed some time to speak. He asked the
sheriff to give him ell the time he possibly
could. He spoke until the sheriff told him
that his time was up. The black cap was
adjusted at 1927 o'clock and five minutes
later the drop fell. He persisted in talking
until the last moment. He was pronounced
dead in fifteen minutes.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
In November. 1890. the commisssary Of
W. p. Lee, near Fort Nudge, Ga, was
broken into and rifled. The evening before
this Elijah Cheavers had stopped at the
honse Of Berrien Thornton, a white man
living in that neighborhood. He acted in
such a suspicious manner that it attracted
Thornton's attention. AS soon as Thornton
heard that Lees commissary had been
broken into, he concluded at once that
Cheavers was the man. In order TO get a
reward of $25 which Mr.. Lee had offered
for the thief. he made inquiry and found
out that Cheavers was at "Old Nine"
in the suburbs of WAycross. He came
20 Waycross and notified the sheriff,
who deputized b. A. Culpepper, a young
white man, TO 60 and make the arrest. Cul-
pepper was accompanied by Berrien Thorn
ton and Henry Young. As soon as they
arrived at "Old Nine" Thornton pointed
Cheavers out to Culpepper. Cheavers. sus-
pectlng that they had come to arrest him,
ran out Of one house into another. Culpsp-
per stepped up and told him to consider
himself under arrest. Cheavers replied:
f''Al right read the warrant to me-"
Culpepper took it out, and as he
was about to read it Cheevers
fired through a crack in the door. Culpep-
per fell to the ground. Cheavers then
jumped out Of the door, swapping the gun
at Thornton and Young as he escaped to
the woods. The murder of Mr.. Culpepper
soon spread everywhere, and large body
of men started in pursuit of Cheavecs, but
failed TO find him. An Innocent neg 70, who
acted very suspiciously and who resembled
Cheayers very much, was met up with.
He became frighted at the crowd
and commenced running The leader
of the posse called out to him
fwo or three times to halt. He failed to
atop and the crowd fired at him. He was
brought 10 Waycross, where he died shortly
afterward. Cheavers remained at large for
q number Of months. He was finally capt
ured at Valdosta, Ga, by w. P. Corbett
and Levi Presley. He was first tried and
convicted at the spring term Of Ware su-
perior court, 1891, and sentenced to be
hanged on the 22d of the following May
His counsel obtained a stay of execu-
sion. His case came up the second
time before an adjourned term of the
superior court and he was refused new
trial His counsel then ppealed to the
supreme court which passed finally upon
the case, sustaining the decision of the SUI
perior court.
STATEMENTS OF ELIJAH CHEAVERS
!, Elijah Cheavers, am requested TO give
q written statement of the crime that am
so soon TO die for. but thank God, am pre-
pared to meet my Savior in heaven for l
know that God has answered my prayers,
was born In Houston county, Georgia, and
was reared in Darlington county, South
Carolina, in which ! was reared with as
much tenderness and care as ever boy was
reared with mothers love aud care, for
was the only child my mother ever had.
My father never knew for was separated
from him when l was mere baby, but
had step-fether that was very
kind to me, in fact as good as ever
father could have been, bus like the most
of the unfortunate wandered away from
home and friends and / came to Waycross
June II, 1890, and as l understand Alright
there had been warrant sworn out for my
arrest that | was unaware of. y, how cruel
fate can oYertake man. II that false war
rant had never been sworn out against me
IL would never have caused three men to
have lost their lives. The warrant was
sworn out nevertheless, aud MIR. Culpepper
came to make the arrest. and was at
house In the western portion Of Waycross