The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-14
And Four Others Escaped the Same
Gallows by Reason Of
Their Youth.
Murder OF DR.. Hill Near q Mary
land Town Avenged by
the Law.
How the Four Men Met Death ON the
6canold-Trial OF tho Accused
Homestead Pois0ner.

CHEsTERTowN. Md. Jan. 13.-Ths unu-
sual occurrences Of . quadruple execution,
which came very near being IN octupls one,
took place In the jail here shortly after
noon to-day. Tho history leading up to
the tragic end ID a. follows: In April last
gang OF negroes waylaid Dr.. ]. II. Hill az
ne was going ON professional visit, out
his throat and beat his brains oot with
club. The murder grew out Of the testi-
mony OF DR.. Hill in case in which smother
negro WAS killed some time before. Fiji
teen negroes we're arrested for the crime.
these was acquitted.
The othsr eight were sentenced to death.
OF this number Chas. Emery, Henry HURT,
Joshua Baynard and Lewis Baynard were
boys Of 16. and one Of IS. Their sentences
were commutsd by the governor TO impris-
onment for life. and were secretly removed
by . body Of constsbles u night TO Balti-
more for fear that the enraged populaos
would storm the jail and lynch them, which
they undoubtedly would have done. The
remaining four, Fletcher Williams. Frisby
Conegys. Charles Brooks and Moses Brown
were hanged on the same seaffold to-day.
Aside from the fact Of the number Of VIC
Tins the scenes attending the execution
were in no way unusual. The negroes had
season Of prayer before beginning the
march to the scafold.
Az soon 40 tho drop fell shout Of exul-
tation arose from tho men who crowded
into the Jail yard and surrounded the scaf-
fold. Fletcher Williams and Noses Brown
died almost without struggle. Brooks
nd A.
palling contortions. Tho latter died from
straneulation and the formers death was
due to the dislocation Of his neck. Old
farmers who gathered about the dying mon
laughed and some even cursed the negroes.
Tho men died in from ten to eighteen min
utes. The heart Of Williams beat seven
teen minutes. although he acted az though
he died first At 1850 the bodies were cut
down, placed in pine coffins at once and two
express wagons conveyed them to the pot
tel's field. After the execution the people
quietly dispersed.
The wo'k of constructing the gallows for
eight began on Friday. 1t was to be twenty
fest long and eight feet high. There were
to be four traps, on each Of which should
stand two persons. These traps were to be
operated by lever ana drop simultane-
ously. Gov. Brown went to Chestertown
for the purpose of seeing the prisoners and
Judging for himself Of their ages. intelli-
gence and responsibility. The prisoners
wete all brought before the governor one at
time, and nearly all OF them denied any
knowledge of the crime. Their confessions
made to justices OF the peace before rspu-
table witnesses. and the undisputed facts
in the trial were all forgotten. and absolute
denial OF everything was the course of these
unhappy creatures. After the examination
Gov Brown said this case was giving HIM
moro concern than any subject he has been
called upon to consider during his term;
that he lully recognized tho horrors Of the
cold.blooded murder of Dr. Hill and how
unfortunate it is for the state of Maryland |
and Kent county that there were 80 many |
prisoners whose execution wns set to
occur ON one day. Finally he decided to
commute the sentences of four as stated
above.