Evening journal., 1892-11-01
TO HANG BY THE NECK.
Judge Wickes Sentences DR..
Hills Eight Slayers to Death
THE MOST ATR0CIOUs MURDER.

Once TO Meet Their God-Time for the
Execution to be Fixed by the Governor.
CHEsTERTowN, Nov. 1.-Yesterdav
afternoon. before a crowd that com.
! pletely filed the Kent county court room.
Judge Wickes sentenced the eight
negro murderers of DR.. j. II Hin of
Millington, to be hanged by the neck
until dead While the sentence was be.
ing pronounced, Charles Brooks.
Fletcher Williams and Moses Brown.
the theee men, were stationed TO.
gether In the box against the wall
aud Joshua Barnard, Louis Benson,
Henry Hurtt, Frisby Comepvs and
Charles S. Emory, who are bows sat in
chairs in front OF the elder prisoners.
The judge said:
"The duty / am called upon TO perform
is very painful one, as the Judgment of
the court which 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 callous indeed must
he the heart which does not feel the sol.
emnity of the occasion But painful and
sad as that duty is, am constrained by
the knowledge that you, the prisoners
before me, have committed most atroci.
'ous and brutal crime, and for that crime
you deserve to suffer the extreme penalty
Of the law.
Not having yourselves engaged coun-
sci to defend YOU the court assigned To
that duty two Of the most experienced
members Of this bar, and Il is only proper
to say that In the conduct of your de-
fense 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 tribu.
nal by which you would be tried.
After patient hearing aud most
careful consideration OF the testimony
the unanimous impression Of the Judges
was that you had murdered DR.. Hill, aud
the verdict Of the court was that You
were all guilty of murder in the first de.
gree
There is no doubt that some time
|, prior TO the 23d Of april Charles Brooks.
Fletcher Williams. and probably Moses
Brown. had formed a conspiracy TO com
init that fearful deed and that you met
in Millington on the evening of that dav
a to carry out that fendish purpose. Il
, was then that you informed Bradshaw
r Comegys and the others who Joined you.
4 OF that purpose, and invited them to 20
, with you. With alacrity they agreed
!. TO do so and started ont with you.
n When DIR. Hill reached the spot
n where you had assembled you seized the
bride of his horse and arrested his pro
gress. Becoming aware Of your purpose
TO kill him, he offered you his money TO
spare his life, which You rejected He
g then begged for mercy declaring that he
had never injured you, but had always
{, been your friend. OF the nine Who there
n surrounded him not one protested against
r, he bloody deed which was about to be
e enacted or made any effort TO save the
e life of the man who had been your friend
Z and benefactor. Bradshaw and Comegys
were called TO hold the horse, which
e summons they promptly obeyed. II was
e then that you, Charles Brooks with
D. savage cruelty struck Dr. Hill, defense.
II less andipleading for his life, the fatal
{. blow with the heavy stone which knocked
o. him senseless TO the earth. You, Fletch !
J. Williams not TO be outdone in that work
(. Of blood with the ferocity Of tiger
II spiang upon the prostrate body Of your
< victim and plunged into his throat the
,r knife you had for that purpose. You,
a Moses Brown and Louis Benson, to ap
10 pease in part your thirst for blood, seized
the dying man and with fendish glee cut
d aud hacked with your knives his body AZ
N II lay bleeding before you.
D.. 1T was not TO rob OF for any personal
is grievance that you killed him. He hac
e. been kind to you and had given profes.
IN sional aid TO several Of you when sick
re But there is little doubt that he had in
Cured your displeasure and hatred b,
giving testimony at the coroners inquest
held over the body Of Thomas Campbell
he in the discharge Of a sworn public duty
o. contrary to your wishes. For that you
n killed him.
m "A more atrocious and cruel murder
i' has never been committed. With unre
le lenting r)city you attacked and killed
J.; a man who had never injured you anC
" whose only offense was that he had per
D. formed a sworn duty BY that cruel acf
90 you have deprived the community of
IS useful citizen You have blasted the lif,
a. of the young wife whose happiness de
n pended upon the love Of the man yol
A; murdered. You have robbed her infan
'u child Of the father upon whose suppor
Is and guidance she would have depended
you have crushed the heart of tn
aged parent who with just pride has
v watched over the son of his old agl
and had seen him enter upon a career o
N. honor and usefulness. As with tn
o. patriarch Of old. all rise up to comfor
a, him. He will not be comforted, an,
rs well may he exclaim, 4 will 60 down d
or the grave unto my son mourning.
de when we consider the motive whicl
40 led you TO commit that fearful crime tn
ri savage ferocity with which you attacke'
d and assassinated upon the public high
ot way peaceful citizen, it is not matte
rk Of surprise that popular feeling wa
nm aroused to madness and that there wa
grave fear that the strong arm of tn
law might not be able to save you fron
the hands of an infuriated people. Blu
wiser counsel prevailed, and happily tn
people of this county, by practising tina
on self-restraint which should always gov
ern those who respect the law, forbore {
his attempt any violence.
.. During the short time you have I
=" live do not expect human aid, but look {
on higher power for forgiveness. Yo
have forfeited your lives by committin
IRE the terrible crime of which you hav
been convicted and you cannot expect r,
Vi lief from any human power. During tn
ty. brief remnant Of your lives seek to max
your peace with an offended God, VIII