The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1893-01-26
FOUR AT A TIME.
FOUR MURDERERS DIE ON THE GAL
Lows IN MARYLAND.

Tho Men Simply Choked to Death. -Hor
rible Scenes.
CHEsTEKToWN, Md, Jan. 13.-Con-
trary to what was gene.allY expected by
every one, Chestertown, outside Of the
jail precinct, passed quiet and unevent.
tul nigh. The streets of the little city
were almost entirely deserted except p
the posse summoned couple of "
ago by Sheriff Plummer. These guy
IN tWos and threes, armed with a
rifles and pistols, dating from fir ,ckS
used III the revolution to the Modern
lf-actlng revolver, patrolled the streels
nearly all nigh. long, and until the exc
cution took place.
Business during the morning was al
most entirely suspended, but the streets
were crowded with sleighs and other
vehicles filled with merry couples, who
did not seem 10 have thought for the
TOUR miserable wretches confined in tho
damp basement cells ofthe Jail. But,
nevertheless, the shadow OF the gallows
seemed to haug over all, and gaiety was
ol Il forced character. Very few negroes
could be seen on the streets. Not sim
| gle arrest was made by the men who
walked the streets OF the town all night,
and not single disturbance occurred.
The scene i'll the county court house.
however, was quite different from tn It
on the streets. The room in which the
eight men were tried, condemned and
sentenced was crowded with young aud
Old men, armed with all kinds of weap-
ons. They had been summoned to de-
Tend the jail should an attempt he made
to lynch the four prisoners. But no
such attempt was made, and the posse
contcnted tsef with omptying sundry
bottles and telling what it would do if a
mob should appear.
Shortly after / O'Clock the members
OF the posse inside the Jail, reporters
and The twenty witnesses allowed by law
crowded into the corridor when told by
the sheriff TO get ready. The short
march to the scutlOld began with Brooks
llrst, Comegys next, followed hy Will
liam and Moses Brown. On reaching
The scatlold the men were placed in posi-
lon, the nooscs arranged about their
necks, the black caps pulled over their
iaccs and their legs bound at the ankles.
Al l2:3O the bar controlling the trig-
gers slipped easily along the creased
surface. There WAS a crash as the light
battened trap doors fell TO the ground,
and four black bodies shot through the
hole. -Four OF the murderers of DR.. Hill
had eXplatcd their crime on the gallows.
Fleatcher Williams and NJ oses Brown
died almost without struggle: their
nccks were broken. Brooks and Com
cSys went tht ough the most appalling
contorti0Ds. The latter died from strau-
gulton, and the formers death was
due 10 dislOcatlou OF his neck. Com.
eTys, the youngest OF the qu ,rtette, was
conscious Tor at least five minutes while
dangling from the rope, he twisted his
IeGs, struggled with the hand cuffs and
| drew his knees TO his neck. Brooks
went through simlllr movements: he
died had, his ir"'Nc swaycd several min
utcs, and when the crowd thought him
dead he started the most desperate con.
torlions; his body struggled wilhln the
straps about him, and his determined
tlorts to get the han-cuns of pleased
the crowd immensely.
Old farmers who gathered about the
dying men laughed, and some one cursed
the negroes. The men died in fro II ten
to fifteen MINUTES. The heart Of Viii.
hams beat for seventeen minutes, al
though he acted as though he died first.
The men were examined by Drs, w.
Frank Hines. j. Horton Kelly, Chas.
w. Holland and John Weihered, the
latter OF Philadelphia. AT $50 the
bodies were cut down, placed in pine
collins at once, and two express wagons
conveyed them TO pOtters's field.
Alter the execution the people quiet
~ dispersed.