Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-01-21
-FOUR MEN HANGED.
Execution of the Chestertown,
Maryland, Murderers.
dow the List Hours of the Condemned
Were Spent.

u -
dow the List Hours of the Condemned
We're Spent.
Four Of the eight convicted murderess Of
Dr. J. Heighe Hill paid the penalty for their
crime in the jail yard, Chestcrtown, shortly
alter noon. The trap fell at la:s0 O'Clock,
and in less than an hour the four nozroes
were dead and buried. The men were F.et.
cher Williams, Charles W. Brooks, Moses
Brown and Frisby Comegys.
Contrary to what was generally expected
by every one, Chestertown, outside OF the
isil precincts, pissed quiet aud uneventful
night. The streets Of the little city were a.
m ,,t entirely deserted, except by the poess
summoned couple Of days ago by Sheriff
Plummer. These guards, in twos and thre,s
armed with gus, rifles and pistols, patrolled
the streets nearly all night long, aud until
the execution took piacs. Blu mess during
the morning was almost entirely suspended,
but the streets were crowded.
Not a single arrest was made by the men,
who wake the streets Of the town all night
and not a single disturbance occurred. The
scene in the county court house, however,
vas quite djfY srent from that on the streets.
The rooms in which the eight mon were
tried, condemned and sentenced were crowd
ed With young an old men, armed with all
kinds Of weapons. Thsy had been summoned
to defend the jail should an at, empt Be made
TO lynch the four prisoners. But no such at.
tempt was made, and the posse conte tied
itself with emptying sundry bottles and toll
ing what 1t would do IL q mob should ap-
pear.
At half-past O'Clock Samuel +. Hill and
Walter s. Hi |, thu father and brother OF
DR.. J. Heighe Hill, the murdered mar, were
admitted to the jail: The elder Mr.. Hill 81
pressed q wish TO talk alons with the con-
demned prisoners, with the view OF forcing
q COMES ion from them. The coored minis
ters and other visitors were requested TO
leave the cell room and the two gentlemen
entered the room and were locked up with
the prisoners d wotchman.
Each of the prisoners was Questioned, but
the result was unsatisfactory TO the VISITORS.
Repeated efforts were made turing tho night
to secure confessions from the negroes, but
sach msn stuck I, his story and absolutely
denied all knowledge Of the crime.
The Rev. A. A Murray, who had passed
ths night In tho Jail, beg n bis reli yious at.
tsutions to the prisoners at 7o'clock. Tbs
preacher began to pray aud sing with the
prisoners, giving out the hymns line BY line.
Thea he called separately up n Brooks,
Comegys, Wilkins and Brown 70 pray. Be
tween each prayer q hymn was sung. Come
gys's prayer was the most effecting OF all. IL
was an ayonized cry for help aud succor, do
livered the pecu lar sug-song intonation
of the plantation negro, AMI Its burden was;
20 Jesus, save my soul"
Ia strange and discordant contrast 30 all
this was tbs noise Of laughter and ill-timed
profanity which was borne TO the unwilling
ears of those in the corridor from those out
side hs Jail.
A hearty bre ,kfsst wa, served to the pris-
ouers. Shortly after IL O'Clock Sheriff Plum
m .r began the first preparations for the exc
ruti IN. The members OF the posse. who were
inside the jail, the reporters and the " wit
nesses allowed by law, crowded into the cor
rid IT. Waterman 5tor4s opened the -four
door. and two deputies eutersi each Ill and
hanfcuffed and plnioned its occupant. Tho
Sheriff ordered the crowd In the corridor 10
stand ci aud the short march :, the scar
fold commenced Brooks led, with Comegys
next, followed By Williams aud Moses
Brown.
The sheriff was waiting on the scaff Id FOR
the men, and he silently mosioned zach oil
them to his position.
The heavy, awkward looking cotton
90 SCI, with their tremendous kno's were
soon arranged a ,out the n scks OF the four
men after the black caps were pulled over
| their faces and their legs bound atths ankles
The Sheriff too last look at the beam; tns
ropes, the traps and finally atthe men them
! selves. Tn people waitin 10 the yard be-
/ low cou see nothing. so effectively was ths
/ ealIows boarded up. They heard the crelk-
| ing of & 0 traps however, ami waited with
bated breath for the noise Of the lever. La
! minute it came At 1880 O'Clock the bar
controlling the triggers slippe easily along
3 IA TkAr 4
/ the eight baitened trap-doors fell to th'
ground and four black bodies shot throus b
tie b Dles.
! -Four of the murdsrsrs Of DR.. Hill had ex-
! o q cd their crime on the gallows.
A, soon as thu drop 70 | shout OF exnlta
| ton arose from the mon who crowded into
| The i all yard and surroun led the scafo d.
Fletcher Williams and Moses Brown died al
most without struggle; their necks were
broken Brooks and Comegys went through
the most appalling contortions The lattei
di d from strsn2ulatou aud the former
death was due to the dislocation Of his neck
/ Comegys, the youngest OF the quartet,e, wa
con cousfsr - least five minutes Will
hanging. He twisted his leSs,s rugged VITA
the handouts end drew his K .e.s to his neck
B. ooks went through similar movements
His frIme swsyed several miouts, ane
when the crowd thought aim dead h, started
the most desperate cJntortions.
At 1870 tn, bodies were cut )wn, placed
In pine collins at oncs. and two expires
, wagons conveyed them 10 potters held.
STORY OF DIR. HrLLs MURDKz.
The crime for which Charles Brooks Fles
ch Williams Moses Brown and Prisby
Coueays paid the death penalty wal
the murder Of DR.. James Hedge Hill, oil
Millington, Kent county, Nd.
Itwm on S,tur lay night. April .. 1902
that DIR. Hill received an urgent eau 10 visit
sick child betw cen Milington and Msssey'
Station de was presiding over . policies
meeting at the { ms, but immediately lsfi
the hall to attend the stricken child. A fsu
moments sftsrwsrd be h.d hitched up his
/ ,osd cart and, with q CHEEKY goodbye 70
his Young wife, started on bis fatal ride. Al
70 Dis Hill, about IN dway between Mil rston
ami NJ ssey'a and within o hundi cd yards
o th-farm house where the sick child lay, 9
gang Of negroes ordered him to stop. ''Don'i
burt me-" entrested the physician, but In
tantly one the negroes hurled STONE
upconsciousness. Then another OF the gang
! held the horse Viii others cot their victims
throat jsmmed the tody beneath the seat
imports and started the horse, with il
/ firstly burdsa, 70 xard Masssy's. Al -four
o'clock Sunday morning Mrs. Hill ws'
, awakened by tne returning team warning
: reasonabie tine for tbs doctor 10 enter
the house she became sppreheasive, and
upon Investigating found her husband bleed
tnx and unconsc on in the vehicle. sum
IN ming help, the physician was vita d.
Guilty removed TO bis home. and died thai
1 afternoon.
Subsequently, the four who we're jus
hugtd aad Pers Bradshaw, Charles Emory
Louis B.nson. Henry HURT and Joshul
Bsynard, all negroes living In the vicinity
were arr ested Tor the crime. Bradshaw
turned States evidences, his testimony I'm
pIicating sill the prisoners, who were con
victed OF murder 10 the hrst degree a. III
O:,cbsr term Of the Kent county court ant
sentenced to be hanged. On WsdnssdsJ
"a Z, In Response 10 numerous petitions, Gov
srnor Brown committed the sentences o
E3o,y, Benson, HURT and Baynsrd, 81
boys under 10 years. TO Improvement 10
life. Bradshaw escaped the gailows By turn
ing States evidence.
JAIIrD TIE IAJIER.