The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-14

CHEsTERTowN, Md, Jan. 13.-Con-
trary to what was generally expected
by every one, Chestertown, outside the
jail precincts, passed q quiet and un-
eventful night. The streets OF the
little, city were almost entirely deserted
except by posse summoned a couple
OF days ago by Sheriff Plummer.
These guards, in twos and threes,
armed with guns, rifles and pistols,
dating from flint locks used in the rev.
olution to the modern self acting re-
volver, patrolled the streets nearly all
| night and until the execution took
place. Business during tho morning
was almost entirely suspended, but the
! streets were crowded with sleighs and
other vehicles, filled with merry couples
who did not seem to have q thought for
the four miserable wretches confined in
tho damp basement coils of the Jail, but
nevertheless o shadow of the gallows
seemed to hang over all, and the gaioty
was of a forced character. Very few
negroes could be seen on the streets.
Not single arrest was made by men
who walked the streets Of the town all
night and not single disturbance oc-
CURED. The scene in the county court
house, however, was quite different from
that on tho streets. The rooms in
which the eight men were tried, con-
demned and sentenced, was crowded
with young and old men, armed with all
kinds Of weapons. They had been sum-
moned to defend the Jail should an at
tempt be made to lynch the four pits.
oners. But no such attempt was mad @
and tho posse contented itself with
emptying Sundry bottles and telling
T. IN hn oh oh
pear.
Shortly after II o'clock the members
OF tho posse inside tho Jail, reporters
and twenty witnesses allowed by law
crowded into the corridor where thew
were told by tho sheriff TO get re ady.
The short march TO the scaffold then
began with Brooks first, Comegys next,
followed by William and Moses Brown.
On reaching the scaffold tho men were
placed In position, the nooses arranged
about their necks, the black caps pulled
over their faces and their logs bound at
the ankles.
AT 1890 the bar controlling the trig.
gers slipped easily along tho surface.
There was crash as the light battened
trap'do fell to tho ground and the
four black bodies shot through the hole.
Four OF tho murderers of DR.. Hill had
expiated their crime on the gallows.
Fletcher Williams and Moses Brown
died almost without struggle; their
necks were broken. Brooks and Comegys
went through most appalling contor-
tions. Tho latter died from strangula.
ton and he formers death was due to
dislOcation of his neck. Comegys, the
youngest of the quartette, was con-
scious for at least five minutes whilo
dangling from the rope. lie twisted
his legs, struggled with the handouts
and drew his knees to his neck
Brooks went through similar move
ments. He died hard His frame
swayod several minutes. and whom the
crowd thought him dead he started most
desperate contortions. His body wrig-
gled within the straps about him and
his determined efforts to get his hand
cuffs off pleased the crowd immensely.
Old farmers who gathered around the
dying men laughed and somG even
cursed tho negroes. The men died in
from 10 to is minutes. The heart of
Williams beat for seventeen minutes,
although he acted as though he died
first. The men were examined by Doc
tors w. Frank Hines, j. Horton Kelly,
Charles w. Whaland and John L.
Wethered, tho latter of Philadelphia.
At $50 the bodies were cut down, placed
in pine collins at once, and two express
wagons conveyed them to Potters field
After the execution the people quietly
dispersed.