The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-30


grocery. From behind a barrIcade Of
boards in a rear corner came at times
sound that was between a growl and
howl, accompanied by a fierce scratch
ing. 1t was a wildcat. a tigerish, fiery
eyed thing. which broke into a scream
every time footsteps approached too near.
1t was chained TO a post.
"Childers was the murderer OF a ped
pier" continued the old eXecutioner, af-
ter he had smoothed down and adjusted
70 his satisfaction piece of black court
plaster over sore place on his right
index finger.
He swoFe that he was innocent. For
six weeks before he was hung little
Baptist preacher from Van Buren, stayed
with Childers in his cell. he lived with
him, and every day and night
after the preacher had prayed
he would say to ChiIders, John Childers,
not for the sake of your miserable
body. but for the sake Of your wretched
soul, say whether or not you are guilty
of this murder" And Childers would al
ways say he was innocent.
Well, sir. the day of the hanging came
and Childers marched to the gallows
smoking a cigar. There was a big crowd
in attendance, for the hanging was pub
lie. The Cherokee had listened to the
prayer of the little preacher. whose last
word was to ask him g confess, but he
said no. The rope Eas around his neck
and 1 was hurryin peo get through, Tor
a storm cloud was 1.-the over head. That
was where the stras copart of the hang
ing came in" said the executioner, drop
ping, metaphorically, the criminal for a
moment.
ION the way to the scafold a small
black cloud about half an acre came
from the south and hid the sun. There was
not another cloud IN the sky. l never
saw anything like it before or since.
When Childers took his place on the
scaffold # began to rain. though I could
see that all around the sun was shining
elsewhere. AS the drop fell there came
a crash of thunder hiatt was the worst
/ ever heard. A dynamite explosion which
I heard since was the nearest thing to il,
and IL seemed to me as If the whole space
in front of the scaffold was filed with
forzed lightning. Three of our women in
the crowd tainted. The negroes came to
me afterward ana said: Didn't 70 heah
de chains a Tattlin', Missa sIaledan?
OF course ] didn't. Then the cloud passed
and the sun shone out"
But as l was saying" went on the oil
man, once more adjusting the court plas-
ter patch on his finger. Il had the rope
around Childers' neck ana was just pulling
down the black cap when he asked me to
wait. Turning his head toward Jailer
Berry, he said: Capt. Berry, are you GO
ing to hang me sure?' The captain he
said: You'll be in eternity in five minutes.
John Childers.' Then Childers he says to
the cap'n: Well ] killed that Teller, but
the witnesses all swore to lies Then l
pulled the lever, while the little preacher
fell on his knees and began to cry and
pray. / was sorry for Childers up till he
confessed and then didn't care for him"
Did you ever feel that you might be
hanging an innocent MANI
mo, sir When a man is convicted and
Judge Parker refuses HIM new trial there
is no doubt of his guilt. He is a muir
derer."
do you ever have any sorrow for these
people you hang?"
ooh pity them maybe when 1 see them
weaken. but Childers knocked all senti-
ment out OF me-"
What was the one thing in common
among these lightweight men that you
hung which struck you as PECULIAR"
They all weakened at the end"
"All of them? Indians as well as
whites?"
The old Bavarian studied moment
smoothing down that recalcitrant bit of
court plaster, and said:
Nearly every one of them says he is
innocent. Keeps denying it to the end
too"
And you believe they are telling a
falsehood?"
81 know they are lying. The court has
said so, and my experience tells me So"
Have you ever had any dramatic cpl
sodes on the scaffod, or in connection
with any of the executions?"
Nothing more than the weakening Of
the prisoner. Some of them have to be
helped along. Jack Spaniard tried to de-
lay the execution till after o'clock, be-
cause he thought that as the warrant
called for the execution between and )
O'Clock, if he could keep it back he would
go free. He tried to keep the jailers out
of his cell with a stool. We got him off
in time, but there was not a great deal Of
time to spare. Then there was the negro
Charlie Finch. The morning he was to
hang he climbed up in the chimney and /
had TO burn some old clothes to smoke
him out. The youngest l ever worked off
was boy of 16, named Fillmore who had
killed a school teacher.
There is nothing in these stories about
fellows dancing jig on the scafsold, TAX
ing off their boots, and cursing and swear
ing and carrying on. | was there nd saw
it all and l know. They all weaken, every
one, when it comes to the time" and
smoothing out the black patch of court
plaster on his forefinger, while the Wild
cat in the corner snarled and whined at
his footsteps, the old executioner went be-
hind the counter to wait on a customer
that appeared at that moment.