Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-01-20
-FOUR MEN HANGED.
Execution Of the ChestertOwn,
Maryland, Murderers.
How the Last Hours of the Condemned
We're Spent.

crime III Uue Jdil Jdiuj NhOSUSi "S"Hj ~
after noon. The trap fell at 1880 O'Clock,
and in less than an hour the four negroes
were dead and buried. The men were Fiet
cher Williams, Charles W. Brooss, Moses
Brown and Fr.sby Comegys.
Contrary to what was generally expected
by every one, Chestertown, outside OF the
iail precincts, pissed quiet aud uneventtul
night. The streets Of the little city were al
m st entirely des, ,rted, except by the posse
summoned couple of days ago by Sheriff
Plummer. These guards in twos and thre's
armed with guns, rifles AMI pistols, patrolled
the streets nearly all night long, aud until
the execution took place. Blu iness during
the morning was almost entirely suspended,
but the streets were crowded.
Not single arrest was made by the men,
who Wake the streets Of the town all nlgho
and not single disturbance occurred. The
scene in the county court house, however,
was quite different from that on the Streets
The rooms in which the eight men were
tried, condemned and sentenced were crowd
ed with young an | old men, armed with al
kinds Of weapons. Thsy had been summoned
to defend the jail should an at empt he made
TO lynch the four prisoners. But no such at
tempt was made, and the posse conte ted
itself with emptying sundry bottles and tell
iny what it would do if a mob should ap'
pear. II tJu,.,d
Walter S. Hi !, tn, father and brother OF
DR.. J. Heighe II II. the murdered ma =, were
admitted to the jail. The elder Mr. hlll OK
pressed a wish to talk alien, with the con-
demned prisoners, with the view OF iorcl9g
a confes ion from them. The co ored inibis-
tiers and other visitors were requesgso "
leave the cell room and the two gentlemen
entered the room AMI were locAeu up "iVu
the prisoners ID watchman.
Each of the prisoners was questioned but
the result was unsatisfactory 10 the visitors.
Rene tied efforts were made during the night
to secure confessions from the negroes, but
each man stuox to his story and absolutely
denied ell knowledge Of the crime.
The Rev. A. A. Murray, who had passed
the night 10 the jail, began his religious at
teatiops to the prisoners at 7o'clock. Inc
preacher began to pray aud sing with the
prisoners, giving out the hymns line by hne'
Thea he called separately up N BrooSs,
Comegys Williams and Brown TO pray be
tween each prayer hymn was sung. come
gys's prayer was the most eifectlng ol all 10
was an ayonized cry for help and succor, ae-
liyered il the peculiar sings )ng lntonatlon
OF the plantation negro, ana It's puroen "sls'
20 Jesus, save my SOUL"
In strange AMI discordant contrast TO all
this was thu noise of laughter aud lll-tlmed
profanity which was borne to the unwilling
ears If those in the corridor from those OUT
side h, Jail.
oners. shortly after II O'Clock Sheriff Plum
m ar bszan the first preparations for the exc
cuti N. The members of the posse, who were
inside the jail, tne reporters ald the ~ wiz
nesses allowed by law, crowded into the cor.
rid Dr. Watchman StorAs opened the TOUR
doors and two deputies entere eaon c I'll az ana
han !cuffed and pinioned its occupant: me
Sheriff ordered TIE crowd in the corridor 70
stand b OK aud the short march to the Scaf-
fold commenced. Brooks led, with Comegys
next followed by Williams and Moses
Brown.
The sheriff was waiting on the scatf I'D for
the men. and he silently motioned eadn Oh
them to his position.
The heavy, awkward-lookipg cotton
no se., with their tremendous kno s, were
soon arranged Oout the necks OF the Tour
mon after the black caps were pull over
their faces and their legs bound attne anK ies'
The Sheriff too last look at the Deam, the
ropes, the traps and finally attne men theui'
selves. TIL people waltin IN the yard Pc
low cou d see nothing, 50 effectively was Vno
oallows boarded up. They heard the cre1k-
mo of the trans. however, ani waited with
bated breath for the noise Of the lever. 10 a
minuts il came. At12:}0 O'Clock the bar
controlling the triggers slippe easily aions
the creased surface There was a crash az
the eight battened trap-doors fell 20 tne
ground AMI four black bodies shot throu n
tae ,les
-Four of the murdersrs OF DR.. Hill had ex-
n ted their CRIME on the gallows.
soon as thu drop fe shout or exuita'
ton arose from the men who crowded inIo
lhe Ill yard and surrounded the scauo u
Fletcher Williams and Moses Brown died a.
most without struggle; their necKs were
broken Brooks and Comegys went tnrougL
the most appalling contorlions. me latIel
death was due to the dislocaton OF his neck
Comegys the youngest of the quartet.e, was
con. cious for 1T least five minutes while
hanging. He twisted his le1s,s rugged witt
the handouts and drew his kie,s o his neck
B ooks went through similar movements
His frame swayed several MINUTES, an(
when the crowd thought him dea h, startec
the most desperate c0ntortions.
At 12:yO tn, bodies We're cut d )wn, placed
In pine cofHns at once, ani two expires
wagons conveyed them to potters field.
STORY OF DR.. HILLS MURDER.
The crime for which Charles Brooks, Flet
cher Williams, Moses Brown AMI FrisbJ
Comegys peid the death penalty wa
The murder of DR.. James Heige Hill, o.
Millington, Kent county, Nd.
|
It was on Satur lay night April %, 1892
that DR.. Hill received an urgent eau TO ViSl'
q sick child between Milington and Massey:
Station. He was presiding over political
meeting at the time, but meiiateIy ief'
the hall to attend the stricken child. A few
moments afrerward he had hitched up bis
road cart, and, with a CHEEKY good-bye to
his vounq wife, started on his fata ride Al
Fo dsHill. aboutm dway between Mil ngtor
and Mss,ey's, and within hundi ed yards
q, tn. farm house where the sick child lay, Q
gang of negroes ordered him to stop. Don't
hurt me.n entreated the physiciin, but in
stantly one of the negroes hurled stone
which struck him on the he ad and produced
Inconsistencies. Then another OF the gang
held the horse viii e others cut their victims
throat jammed the body beneath the seat
supports and started the horse, with 1T
ghastly burden, toward Massey's. AZ foul
o'clock Sunday morning Mrs HIIl was
awakened by the returning team. Waiting
a reasonable lime for The doctor TO enter
the house she became apprehensiye,, and
upon investigating found her husband bleed
ing and unconsc. Gus in the vehicle. Sum
m5ning help, the physician was with d III
Guilty removed TO his home, and died thai
afternoon.
subsequently the four who were just
b lnged aud Pere Bradshaw, Charles Emory
Louis Benson Henry HURT and Joshut
Baynard, all negroes living in the vicinity
were arrested Tor the crime. Bradshaw
turned States evidence, his testimony inn
plicating all the prisoners, who were con
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