Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-27
TWO MEN HANGED.
White and Robinson Executed This
Morning.
CONFESSED GUILT BEFORE DEATH
No Excitement and Little Interest
in the Affair.
FEW PERSONS CAME TO TOWN
Special Dispatch to Tie Evening Star.

ravished Mrs. Heffiin and Mrs Elliott near
here on the 18th of last January, were
hanged here at 7:30 this morning The exc
cution was perfectly arranged vindication
Of the majesty of the law. There was little.
II any, excitement about 1t. and. contrary
10 general expectation, very few persons
came into town.
The condemned n en- spent their last night
on earth quietly. praying a good part OF the
time and sleeping when not engaged In
prayer. They had hoped for a reprieve. q
new trial or conmutation of the fearful
penalty OF death until late yesterday after
noon. when Gov. O'Ferran and their counsel
telegraphed that their hope was vain. Then
they appeared to fully realize for the first
time that they must die on the scaffold. and
To-Day They Were not unnerved, and calm
Iy prepared to make the most of their few
remaining hours by almost unceastng ap-
peals to God for mercy and forgiveness.
No Need for Alarm.
From the time the men were brought back
here. Wednesday night. Sheriff Leachman
surrounded the little brick jail with a guard
Of forty deputies until after the men had
been declared to be dead. 1t transpired.
however, that there was not the slightest
need for such precaution, for, to the credit
OF the people Of Prince William county,
there was practically a unanimous desire
among them that the law should be allowed
10 take Its uninterrupted course. Neverthe-
less. an armed guard about the jail pre-
vented at all times any approach to 1t un-
less the countersign or a pass from the
sheriff was given.
1t was given out last night that Sheriff
Leachman would execute the men as soon
after Z O'Clock this morning as possible,
and at 7:20 tie sheriff led the pinioned men
out into the fenced-up inclosure back of
the jail The laws of Virginia require all
executions to be In private. and that only
limited number of spectators shall be
present Sheriff Leachrlan oheyed the law
TO the letter, and of the forty or fifty per-
sons admitted to the inclosure the ma
1ority were physicians. newspaper men and
twenty feet high. and, while 1t had many
cracks in it through which a glimpse of
the execution could be seen. either the
early hour or the indifference of the peo-
pie failed to provide any large number Of
outsiders Indeed. not more than q hun
dred people were on the outside.
i IHe men walked up the steps Of the
places on the drop. The Rev. U. 8. A
Heavener OF this place accompanied the
men, and offered prayer on behalf of
the doomed men, praying that in the con-
fession Of their sins they might find mercy.
and that their fate might serve as a warn
ing and lesson to others. At the conclu-
sion OF the brief prayer Sheriff Leachman
was told by the culprits they had nothing
to say. Their legs were then quickly
strapped together at the ankles, the ropes
drawn down over their heads, and then
Leachman stepped back to give the signal
To the executiOner within the jail.
The Execution.
Just as he stepped back White asked for
fve minutes longer In which to pray.
But the fearful strain he and Robinson
were undergoing had begun to tell On
them Their hitherto really wonderful
nerve and composure was rapidly weaken
ing. Their legs began to bend, they swayed
slightly to and fro and their limbs trem-
bled- Sheriff Leachman. cool and collect
ed. observed all that and humanely gave
the signal. There was a pull on the rope
running from the scaffold to the JAIL the
bolt supporting the double trap doors flew
back, the miserable wretches shot down.
forms slightly testified to the might and
majesty of the law. The drop fell at pre-
cisely 7:3n. For a second or two the bodies
hung pei city motionless; then they slow
ly revolved about for a moment, and
then followed slight drawing up Of the
knees, a slight quivering of the bound
hands, some slight heaving of the chest
and then the bodies again hung motion
less. The terrible drop had broken the
necks Of both men, and, in the opinion Of
DR.. c. 8. Carter of Warrenton, Va, and
DR.. NJ. W. OBrien of Alexandria. the men
suffered not the slightest pain.
They were declared to be dead five min
utes after the drop fell, Robinson dying
first. The great fall caused a tiny stream
OF blood to flow from the mouth of each
man, slightly discoloring the black caps,
while few drops stained their clothing.
The bodies were allowed to hang twenty
minutes, after which they were lowered on
blankets placed beneath the scaffold Their
features were composed then, substantial
irg the declaration Of the physicians that
their death had been a painless one The
bodies were placed In collins furnished by
Sheriff Leachman, and will be buried on the
farm of Robinsons mother.
The First Legal Execution.
Today's execution was the first legal one
In the history of Prince William county,
and Sheriff Leachman was the recipient of
numerous congratulations upon so success
full a performance of disagreeable a
duty. Just before the men marched to the
scaffold, Robinson stated to Sheriff Leach
man and the Rev. Mr.. Heavener that it
was not true that he had previously been
Intimate with Mrs Hefiin He said he had
been misunderstood in saying that he had
Both men acknowledged their guilt, and de-
clared their willingness to submit to their
punishment
story of the Crime.
The crime for the commission of which
Robinson and White today died was COM
mitted on the night of the 18th of last jan
uary, about two miles south Of this place
The assaulted women were Mrs. Elizabeth
Heffin and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Elliott
the former being a widow and the latter
a Young and attractive married woman.
On the night of the assault Mrs. Helms
father and Mr.. Elliott were absent from
home Robinson, worthless character,
learned of this and persuaded White. who
appears to have been rather decent fel-
low, to accompany him to the house. They
reached the house, very humble affair.
about midnight and they found the two
women alone with Mrs. Helms two little
children. White, who was OF very light
color, knocked at the door. AT first the
women did not answer, but the continued
knocks of the fellow at length aroused
them To their inquiry. White replied that
two friends of theirs from another county
wished to come in. The women, not rec
ogniZing the voice, became alarmed and re-
fused TO open the door, They were then
told that If they did not open 1t it woald
be broken.
At length the women were forced to open
the door and White entered. They did not
suppose that he was a negro, and fmagfu
ing that he merely contemplated robbery,
assured him that they had nothing. Up to
this time Robinson had remained unseen
and unheard, but he quickly followed White
into the house, exclaiming with an oath,
''You know what we want
Too frightened to scream, the defenseless
women beseeched the young devils to spare
them. and resisted with all their strength
the advances Of the scoundrels. White,
however. drew a pistol and compelled the
women to submit. he assaulting Mrs FL
lott and Robinson Mrs Hefin. AZ soon