The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1892-11-05
Hill at Wilmington.

1
am called upon to perform is a very pain
full one, as the judgement OF the court
which l am about to pronounce will send
to the gallows eight human beings to
suffer death Never before in the history
of this State has such a scene been
witnessed, and calous indeed must be
the heart which does not feel the solemn
| ity of the occasion But painful and sad
az that duty is, am constrained by the
knowledge that you, the prisoners before
me, have committed a most atrocious and
brutal crime, and for that crime you de-
serve to suffer the extreme penalty of the
law.
'Not having yourself engaged counsel
to defend you, the court assigned to that
members of this bar, and it is only
proper to sag that in the conduct of your
defence they faithfully discharged their
whole duty. In the exercise of the right
given to you by the constitution of the
State you selected the court as the tri.
bunal by which you would be tried.
After patient hearing and most
careful consideration of the testimony
the unanimous impression of the judges
was that you had murdered DR.. Hill, and
the verdict of the court was that you
were all guilty of murder in the first
degree.
There is no doubt that rome time
prior to the 23d of April Charles Brooks,
Fletcher Williams, and probably Moses
Brown had formed a conspiracy to commit
that fearful deed, and that you met in
Millngton on the evening of that day to
carry out your fiendish purpose. 1t was
then that you informed Bradshaw and
Comegys and the others who joined you,
of that purpose, aud invited them to go
with you. With alacrty they agreed to
do SO.
Having heard i'll Mill,ngton that DR..
Hill would leave the town in a short
time to visit a patient who. resided on
the road from Millington to Massey's
you started uIne in number, on your
mission of death. With songs and dane
ing in anticipation of the feast of blood
which you were soon 10 enjoy, you pro-
ceeded at late hour of the night on that
lonely road until you had reached Ford's
Hill, and there you awaited the coming
of your victim. DR.. Hill had left bis
young wife and her infant child and
started on his errand of kindness to
relieve human suffering, happy in the
thought that he would soon return to
that peaceful home which you had deter
miped he should never see again.
"When he reached the spot where you
had assembled you seized the bride of
his horse and arrested his progress.
Becoming aware of your purpose to kill
him he offered you his money to spare
his life, which you rejec ed. He then
begged for mercy, declaring that he
had never injured you, but bad always
been your friend. OF the nine who there
surrounded him not one protested against
LILO uiOOuy uOCd hiSh Woo apcun ~ w
enacted or made any effort to save the
life of the man who had been your friend
aud benefactor. Bradshaw and Comegys
were called to hold the horse, which
summons they promptly obeyed. 1t was
then that you, Charles Brooks, with
savage cruelty, struck DR.. Hill, defense
less and pleading for his life, the fatal
blow with the heavy stone which knock
ed him senseless to the earth. You,
| Fletcher Williams not to be outdone in
that work of blood, with the ferocity of
tiger sprang upon the PROSTATE body
| of your victim and plunged into his
throat the knife you had for that pur
pose. You, Moses Brown and Louis
Benson, to appease in part your thirst
for blood, seized the dying man and with
! fiendish glee cut aud hacked n!sS.h your
| knives his body as it lay bleeding 6efoE'
you.
"The motive which induced You tS
enter into plot to murder DR.. Hill is no
longer mystery. Who that read the
testimony and is acquainted with the
passion of the human heart or the indi-
cations of human feeling can for a
moment hesitate to believe that for some
time revenge had burned in your hearts,
and that you only waited for favorable
and, as you believed, a safe opportunity
10 crafty il? 1t was not to rob or for
| any personal grievance that you killed
| him. He had been kind to you and had
given professional aid to several OF you
when sick. But there is little doubt that
he had incurred your displeasure and
hatred by giving testimony at the
corners inquest held over the body OF
Thomas Campbell in the discharge of a
sworn public duty contrary to your
wishes. For that yon killed him.
ga more atrCcious and cruel murder
has never been committed. With unre-
lentirg ferocity You attacked and killed
a man who had never injured you and
formed a sworn duty. By that cruel act
you have deprived the community of a
useful citizen. You have blasted th'
life of the young wife whose happines:
murdered. You have robbed her infsn
child of the father upon whose supper
and guidance she would have depended
you have crushed the heart of the
1 IL, l,nF
watched over the son OF his old age ant
had seen him enter upon career o
honor and usefulness. As with the patri
arch of old, all rise up to comfort him
He will not be comforted, and well ma.
he exclaim, I will 90 down to the gray
unto my son mourning
"When we consider the motive whicl
led you to commit that fearful crime
the say ferocity with which yoI
attacked and assassinated upon tn
public highway peaceful citizen, it i
, not matter OF surprisethat popular fee
ing was aroused to madness and tina
= there was grave fear that the strong arm
of the law might not be able to save yol
from the hands of an Infatuated people
But wiser counsel prevailed, and happil
the people OF this county, by practicinl
that self restraint which should Away
govern those who respect the law, fol
: bore to attempt any violence.
. During the short time you have to liv
& do not expect human aid but look to
y higher power for forgiveness. You hav