Evening journal., 1893-01-13
A BRUTAL CRIME REVIEWED.
The Cowardly Murder OF Dr. Hin Briefly
Re-Told Judge wickes' Eloquent
Charge.

CHEsTERTOwN. Md. Jan. 13 DIR.
James Heighe Hill, for whose murder
four negroes were hanged to-day and
four other negroes will pass the
remainder Of their natural lives in the
State Penitentiary, was graduated from
the medical department Of the University
of Pennsylvania in 1885.
Nearly everybody on this peninsula
has heard something of this awful crime.
Never in the history of Maryland has
such a scene been witnessed, and ca llous
indeed must be the heart which did not
feel the solemnity of the occasion today.
The condemned had committed most
atrocious and brutal crime, and for that
crime they deserved to suffer the extreme
penalty of the law.
Not having themselves engaged coun-
sci to defend them, the court assigned
to that duty two Of the most experienced
members Of the bar, and it is only proper
to say that in the conduct Of ,their de-
fense they faithfully discharged their
whole duty. In the exercise of the right
given to them by the constitution of
the state, they selected the court as the
tribunal by which they should be tried
After a patient hearing most careful
consideration of the testimony, the
unanimous impression of the judges was
that they had murdered DR. Hill, aud the
verdict of the court was that they were
/ all guilty Of murder in the first degree.
There is no doubt that some time
prior to the Esd of April Charles Brooks,
Fletcher Williams. and probably Moses
Brown, had formed a conspiracy to com
nit that fearful deed, and that they met
in Millington on the evening of that
day to carry out that iendish purpose.
It was then that they informed Brad
shav, Comegys and the others who
Joined them for that purpose, and in
vited them to go with you. With alac-
rity they agreed to do so and started out
with the conspirators.
More Like Demons Of the Dark Ages.
When DR.. Hill reached the spot
where they had assembled they seized
the bride Of the horse and arrested his
progress. Becoming aware of their pur'
pose to kill him, he offered tn EN- his
money to spare his life, which they re
iected. He then begged for mercy de
claring that he had never injured them
but had always been their friend. Oh
the nine who there surrounded him not
one protested against the bloody deeC
which was about to be enacted OF made any
effort to save the life of the man VIII,
had been their friend and benefactor
Bradshaw and Comegys were called Il
hold the horse, which summons the
promptly obeyed. Il was then tha
} Charles Brooks, with savage cruelty
struck Dr. Hill, defenseless and pleadinl
I for his life, the fatal blow with the heav.
stone which knocked him senseless to tn
earth. Fletcher Williams, not to be out
done in that work of blood, with tn
ferocity of a tiger sprang upon the pros
3 trated body of his victim and plunged int
his throat the knife they had for tina
purpose. Moses Brown aud Lewis Benson
to appease in part their thirst for blood
seized the dying man with fendish glee
s and cut and hacked with their knives hi
S body as it lay bleeding before them
, The Doctors Death at Home.
! Soon after they dispersed and weu
e home, the men first impressing on th
boys the fact that they must keep quis
about the affair, or it would 60 har
with them. After the horse was starte
up the road it evidently travelled ON
e run for some distance. At Massey
, Station, four miles from Millington, th
!. animal stopped for some time. as th
a tracks and pools Of blood showed th'
: the cart had stood in different places q
4 intervals long enough for considerab
, blood to flow from the wounds and ia
= to the ground in pools. The animal the
n evidently turned around and wei
!. leisurely to his stable door, where
\ paved the ground until Mrs. Hill, wi
n was in bed, was attracted by the nois
and going out to ascertain the cause
n the disturbance found her husband in IL
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