The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-11-01
TAYLOR ON THE SCAFFOLD.
DIED ALTERED IN SNOW-WHITE
LINEN-PREACHED TWO HOURS.
He Administers the Sacrament to
Himself and Declared That After
Three Days He Would Rise Again
His HeinOus Crime.

NORTON. Va, Oct 27.-The same gal
lows on which Talton Hall was hanged
today claimed its second victim in the
person of Doc Taylor. The little village
at Wise Court house was packed full of
people in spite of the rain. About 1890
o'clock the prisoner was escorted to the
court house, where he stood in an up
stairs window and talked and read from
the bible for two hours. He administered
the sacrament to himself. He was at
tired i'm snow-white linen from neck 10
foot. He stepped firmly up the steps and
onto the trap door. He then bowed on
one knee and opened his bible and read
in a very loud tone a few passages. A
white cap instead of a black one was
pulled over his face. Thus far he never
faltered, but when the guards removed
the prop from under the trap door they
jostled IL q little and the old man fell in
a heap on the platform. He had to be
assisted 10 his feet and stood tottering
for an instant before the door swung
from under him. The body turned slowly
around for several minutes. At the end
of nineteen minutes he was cut down.
IT was his request that his body should
the end Of that time he believed he
would rise again. This request will be
granted He died with his lips sealed.
The crime for which Taylor paid the
penalty was committed May II, 1892,
and was more in the nature Of a
massacre than an ordinary murder So
hideous was it in every detail and so
heartless i'm it's execution that il shocked
even the inhabitants Of this mountain
region, who were not unused to hearing
tales of murder. Ira Mullins, a man
who was so lame that he could not
walk, lived at Pound Gap, near the
state line between Kentucky and VIr-
ginia. At the time the murder was COM
mitted he had been to Letcher county,
Kentucky, to dispose Of tract of land.
and was returning TO his home in COM
pany with his wife, his daughter, his
brother, John Mullins. and his wife and
son. This, with a silly boy, who was the
driver, composed the party. Mrs. Jonn
Mullins and her son escaped to tell
the story. Mrs. John Mullins was
the principal witness against Tay-
lor. Her evidence in court
was TO the effect that Ira Mullins and
family were in a wagon a short distance
in front of her, and where the pathway
led into the main road. when she heard
a volley fired Fastening up to where
they were. she saw the horses and
driver dead. Immediately Doc Taylor
and two others, John and Henan Flem-
ing, came out Of the woods that lay be-
tween the pathway and the road and
commenced firing at close range into the
wagon. Ira Mullins and his wife and
son were killed in that volley. At that
instant her husband. John Mullins, and
her son came up the pathway. The guns
of the murderers were turned on them
and John Mullins fell lifeless; his son
fled and escaped alive.
In the meantime Mrs. Mullins had
alighted from her horse and run up to
them, begged them "for Gods sake to
quit shooting as they are all killed now"
when one of them turned to her and
said that II she did not leave there
"d-n quick they would kill her too"
She then ran away and left them. They
then proceeded to rife the pockets OF
their victims, securing from Ira Mullins
the price of the land he had sold, which
was about one thousand six hundred dol
lars. They then mutilated the bodies OF
their victims I'm the most horrible and
revolving manner. The Flemings are
still at large.