Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-01-20
Four Hanged at Once.

Chas. Brooks, aged twenty-seven
years, Moses Brown, twenty-eight,
Fletcher Williams, twenty-four, and
Frisby Comegys, seventeen years,
were hanged in the Jail syard at
Chestertown, Md, for the murder of
DR.. James H. Hill near Wilmington.
on the 2Srd ofslast April.
Armed men patrolled the.streets'all
night and until the execution took
place. Business during the morning
was almost entirely suspended. The
room in which the men were tried
was crowded with men summoned to
defend the Jail should an. attemptlbe
made to lynch, the four prisoners,
but no. sueh attempt was made. Re-
peated efforts were made during the
night to secure confessions from the
four negroes, but each man stuck TO
his story and absolutely denied all
knowledge of the crime. Rev. A. A.
Murphy, who had passed the night in
the Jail, began his religious atten-
tions to the prisoners at 7 o'clock.
The. preacher began to pray and
sing with the prisoners, giving out
the hymns line by line. Comegys'
PRAYER was most affecting. 1t was
antagonized cry for help and succor,
delivered in the peculiar sing song
information of the plantation negro,
and its burden was, 80 Jesus, save
my soul" A hearty breakfast was
served to the prisoners. They APP
parently relished and enjoyed their
last meal on earth. The members of
the posse,;who. were inside the jail,
the reporters and the twenty wit
nesses allowed by law. crowded the
corridors, where they were admon-
ished by the sheriff to get ready.
Waterman Storks opened the four
doors and two deputies entered each
cell and handcuffed and pinioned its
occupant. The sheriff ordered the
crowd in the corridor to stand back
and the short march to the scafford
Brooks led with Com
eggs next, followed by Williams and
Moses Brown. The sheriff was wait
ing on the scaffold for the men and
he silently motioned each of them TO
his position. The heavy, awkward |
looking cotton nooses were soon ar
ranged about the necks of the four
men after the black caps had been
pulled over their faces and their legs
bound the sheriff took last look at
the beam, the ropes, the traps, and
finally at the men themselves. The |
people waiting in the yard below
could see nothing, so effectively was
the gallows boarded up. At 1880
o'clock the bar controlling the
triggers slipped, there was a crash
as the eight trap doors fell to the |
ground and four black bodies shot
drought the holes.
As soon as the drop fell great |
shout of exultation arose from the
crowd surrounding the jail-yard, and |
then with an irresistible pressure
they forced the high fence TO the
ground and swarmed into the yard
and around the gallows. They re-
of the dying wretches had ceased,
gloating over the sufferings Of the
Brooks and Comegys went through |
the most appalling contortions. The
latter died from strangulation and |
the formers death was due to the |
dislocation of his neck. Comegys,
the Youngest Of the quartette, was
conscious for at least five minutes
while dangling from the rope. He
twisted his legs, struggled with the
handouts and drew his knees to his
neck.
Brooks went through similar move
ments. He died very hard. His
frame swayed several minutes and
when the crowd thought him dead he |
started the most desperate contor- |
lions. His body wriggled within the
straps about him and his determined |
efforts to get the handouts off pleased |
the crowd immensely. The old |
farmers who gathered about the dy- |
ing men laughed and some of them |
cursed the negroes.
Williams dropped five feet and
made no effort to resist the inevitable |
Moses Brown also passed away with
out much outward protestation. The |
men died In ten to eighteen minutes. |
The heart of Williams beat for seven
teen minutes, although he acted as
though he died first.
At IL. so the bodies were cut down, |
placed in pine collins at once, and
two express wagons conveyed them
to the potters' field. After the ex-
ecution the people quietly dispersed.
The story of the crime is as follows:
Brooks, Williams and probably |
Brown formed conspiracy to kill |
DR.. Hill. AS he passed along road |
they seized his horses bride, and |
while Comegys held the horse Brooks
struck DR.. Hill on the head with u
stone, knocking him senseless into
the bottom of his cart. Williams
plunged knife into the victims neck
and Brown hacked the doctor with
knife. The horse was then started |
and at dawn the next |
Mrs. Hill found the cart
with her husbands body at the front |
door. He was carried into the house
and died that evening.
The four negroes who were hanged
were the principals In the assassina-
ton. Four boys, three of whom
were sixteen, and one thirteen years
of age, aided them. They are Charles !
Emory, Henry Eurtt, Joshua Ben
son and Lewis Brainerd. On account |
Of their youth, and because he be-
lieved an octette hanging would be a
blemish on the States escutcheon,
Governor Brown committed their SEN
fences to imprisonment for life. This |
caused great indignation among the
people.
500 Reward 500.