The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-04
pENMARKS MURDER AVENGED.
JAMES b. NORTON DIES on THE
SCAFFOLD PROTESTING INNO-
CENCE.

Norton Met Death COOIiy and Brave
Iy-~GO Ahead. Good bye, Gentle
men. One and AII,'' the Last words
of Man Who smiIinEIy SaIuted
His Acquaintance From the Gal
lows and Met Death Without a
Tremor-Denmark Killed at a
Dance-Fum Account of the XIII
fnE.
Jasper. Fla, Sept. 3.-James B. Norton.
white, Of Williamsburg. S. c., and who
worked some time in Berrien and Coffee
counties Georgia, was hanged here to-day.
The hanging was witnessed by a crowd
estimated at two thousand people. The
prisoner refused supper last night and
breakfast this morning. but slept well.
At ul5 o'clock Sheriff Polhin and ex-
Sheriff Lee came out Of the Jail with the
prisoner between them. leaning on their
arms. He stopped and viewed his coffin
which was near the front door.
Norton walked around the scanold and
ascended with a firm step. He surveyed
the crowd. recognized a friend and smil-
ingly saluted him. Turning to the sheriff
he asked: Where is Judson Taylor
The sheriff replied; i don't know" The
prisoner then made a statement to the
effect that he was about to die, ana would
tell the truth; that he was innocent Of muir
der I struck Denmark three times with
my fist and ne attempted to shoot me.
wrenched the pistol from Denmark and
threw II 10 the ground. Judson Taylor
piked il up and shot him; that Nose Siles
and Cary McAlpin swOre his life away.
McAlpin. who was present became very
angry at this and attempted to break
through the line of guards to get at the
prisoner. creating great excitement The
sheriff had McAlpin arrested and placed
in Jail
The prisoner then said: Now. gentle
men. don't that prove I told the TRUTH
He thanked the sheriff for kindnesses
shown him.
Norton warned everybody to beware Of
false swearers; they had sworn his life
away; he said, God knows it is the truth
that I wrung the pistol from Jim Den
marks hand, ana threw it down; Judson
Taylor picked it up and shot him.
He babe the sheriff and his friends good
bye with smile, and requested the sher-
iff not to use a black cap. That oncer
tied a thin white veil over his face. during
which time the prisoner talked very free
~ with those on the scaffold.
Being asked if he could stand it, he an
swered Eyes; do it quickly"
The sheriff ran down the steps picked
up a hatchet and said "one minute"
The prisoner then said in firm, strong
voice: go ahead. Goodbye, gentlemen,
one and all. Meet me in heaven"
The trap was sprung at II AS o'clock a. m.
Drs Hanna and Humphreys pronounced
life extinct in four minutes. The neck
was broken. Not muscle moved
nj 4 mi O. is IN
His crime was the murder of James Den
mark, white, at a dance near Genoa. on
Jan. 4: convicted in May term of court
and sentenced to be hanged Aug. u but
respited until to-day.
The following is an account Of the crime
for which Norton lost his life:
The crime for which J. b. Norton was
hanged was committed on the night of
Jan. 4, 1895, under circumstances that were
highly sensational. Norton came to Ham
lton county last fall from Georgia, al
though originally from South Carolina.
He settled near Jasper and soon became
very popular. Last December he welded
Miss Lizzie Daniels, the daughter of a
well-to-do- planter. On the night of the
18th of last January, dance was given
IN honor of the newly welded couple by
Mrs Norton's father. large number
of young people were present and for a
time everything went along merrily.
neighborhood and she was eagerly sought
in the dance by her old admirers. Among
the latter was young James Denmark,
who, rumor said, was regarded favorably
by Mrs. Norton before she married. Den
mark begged Mrs. Norton to dance with
him and she consented. Before the dance
began Denmark gave his pistol to Norton
TO keep while he danced with Mrs. Nor
ton. The dance began and Mrs. Norton
and Denmark seemed to be carried away
with one another and Norton saw some
thing occur between them that made him
crazy with jealousy. AS the couple circled
near him in the mazes of the waltz, Nor
ton tore his wife from the arms of Dem
mark. Norton struck Denmark a
violent blow in the face and, then, with
Denmark's own pistol shot him dead. The
bullet struck Denmark in the neck, sever
ing the jugular vein and his life blood
spurted over Mrs. Norton, who was
standing near
Norton made no effort to escape, claim
ing that Denmark had insulted Mrs. Nor
ton and that the killing was justifable.
On the trial the defense sought to estab-
lish the insult, but failed. Mrs. Norton, in
her testimony, stated that Denmark was
very ardent in his attentions to her dur
ing the dance and she was not pleased with
his manner. When called on to define the
insult Norton could not do it, stating that
il was simply Denmark's manner to Mrs
Norton that had enraged him.
Norton might have escaped on even this
showing had not the state brought out in
the trial the fact that he had two living
wives, one in Georgia and one in South
Carolina. at the time of his marriage to
Miss Daniels The evidence that he was
a bigamist and had deceived Miss Daniels
turned the tide against him and the Jury
brought in a verdict of guilty Efforts
were made to have the death sentence
committed to Imprisonment for life, but to
no avail.
Norton was about % years old and
magnificent specimen of manhood, being
nearly, if not quite, Z feet tall and weigh