Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-12
cHEsrERrowN EXCITED.
Threats of Lyncbing Made on n caring Of the
Murderer Reprieve.

CHEsTERrOwN EXCITED.
Threats of Lyncbing Made on n caring Of the
Murderers' Reprievc.
As announced in yesterdays STAR executive
clemency extended to four OF the Hill muir
derers at Chestertown, Nd under circum-
stances which would have discouraged man of
less resource and determination than Gov.
Brown, for the white people of Kent county
were arrayed against him and his policy to
man. Bat in spite of all the threats the four
youngest of the prisoners we're early yesterday
morning taken beyond the danger line Of the
county, and on Friday when the drop falls
from under the feet of the luckless quartet who
will suffer the full penalty OF the law their
more fortunate companions in crime will be
safely housed in the Maryland penitentiary at
Baltimore.
For the past week this little village has
walked and slept within the shadow of the
huge gallows erected in the Jail yard. and day
after day the villagers became more confident
that the governor would not interfere to stay
the executions.
To them the case has seemed so clear against
the eight negroes that when it was limited that
the four BOYS might be reprieved the people
expressed their determination to lynch them.
On Sunday Gov. Brown gave a last audience
to the various charitable and Christian ASSOC
behalf and practically agreed to commute the
sentence of Henry HURT, Louis Benson,
Joshua Baynard and Charles S. Emery. the
four boys, to life imprisonment. He knew that
such an order. if made public. would cause
riot. and plans were made to circumvent the
Kent county vigilants On Monday it
announced that he would render his decision
yesterday, and Chestertown went to sleep rs
calmly confident OF seeing the condemned men
hanged tomorrow as they were of seeing the
rise.
When they woke up yesterday morning the
reprleved quartet WAS gone. All night long the
state icebcat Latrobe, loaded with armed meE,
had battled with the ice foes of the Chesapeake
and the Chester river. No ordinary vessel
could make the trip from Baltimore, but the
stout breaker came after great struggle and
at O'Clock anchored in the river back Of the
jail
Police Capt Lewis II. Cadwallader Of Balti
more. thirty of his men and detachment from
the fifth Maryland regiment. under command
of Capt. John Smalley. landed and silently
marched up to the Jail entrance. Capt. Cad
wallader showed Sheriff Plummer an order
signed by Gov. Brown for the release OF HURT,
Benson, Baynard and Emory. They were i'm
medlately surrendered, quietly Conveyed away
and lodged in the Baltimore penitentiary.
VILLAGERS ISDIGSANT.
The town parayzcd yesterday morning
when Sheriff Plummer issued u notice OF the
transfer of the condemned boys. There was
excitement enough in that and neighboring
villages to demonstrate the intense feeling the
white people have against the prisoners. and all
sorts'of wild threats were made. One was to
lynch the four remaining men simply to show
n defiance of Gov Brown. But tho fact that
they would hang in forty-eight hours anyway.
and the more significant fact that Sheriff Plum
mer had sworn III $50 deputies cooled the ardor
of all but the most hot-headed. The disap-
int mpr,t,y I'll haca fba
boys who escaped were. so far as the evidence
shows, just guilty as those who arc to be
hanged
The villagers don't believe that their youth is
a factor which should be considered in their
favor and the general sentiment expressed
soon as the town realized how they had been
hoodwinked was that something should be done
70 show Gov. Brown what Kent county thinks
of him.
PREPARED FOR THEIR FATE.
The rest of the condemned men ready for
the galiows. Moses Brown, who has confessed
his guilt; Fletcher Williams. Frisby Comegys and
Charles Brooks did not expect TO be reprieved
and have settled down to accept III inevitable.
They are sullen and silent in their little under
ground cells. There is no seesawing on the
scaffold or blind mans buff in the yard and the
men scarcely see enough daylight from sunrise
to sunset to read their Bibles by--not that they
care very much about their Bibles. As 4 mat
ter of fact. no condemned men we're ever less
impressed by religious teachings than these ne
groes The Rev. Dr. Roberts mas been jealous
in al effort to induce them to make confess
sion, but he is working in barren soil, DR..
Gronfeld has had nearly the same experience
The men exhibit different shades of courage
as their last day on earth approaches. Little
Conegys apparently doesn't know what fear is
and he eats and sleeps soundly. Williams is
Grimly ocular sometimes and yesterday he
objected 60 eating ham without eggs for break
fast. asserting that the county wouldu have 20
board him muck longer. Brown is morose and
Brooks may give way at the last moment He
isn't rugged as he month ago and he is
given more to prayer and to his Bible
CRowDING INTO cHEsTERTowS.
The hanging will take place at noon tomor-
row and already the town has filed up with the
people brought account of it. The hotels
filled and preparations are being made to
accommodate 10000 visitors on the eventful
day. al the surrounding towns will con-
tribute to this gathering and special trains will
be run on the railroads from the north and
east.
Owing TO the ice in the bay all navigation by
water Is shut of and the people on the other
side who had planned to attend the execution
will have to travel 100 miles out of their way to
get 20 it.
The Jail faces on the main street of the
town ard the rough wooden beams which form
the top OF the scaffold are visible over the high
board fence which surrounds the building. The
crowds that will gather in the public square
can see the ropes jerk and hear the drop fall.
and every house roof in the vicinity will be a
point of vantage from which the whole scene
can be viewed.
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