Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-25
ANGLING OF HOPKINS.
urderer Of Mr.. Parsons E1plates His
Crime on the GalloWS.
.crs pr,ru WITHOUT FEAR,
,,pdemrcd Man spends Most of
a.. Mint md Morning In Prayer
md song-fcw People attend the
,-c,tiou-Fnthcr Denied body.


NORRIS Hopkins has been hanged.
..,o murder ol MIR. Henry Parsons has
.,en avenged. the galiows has claimed
liner victim. and the mandate % the
,.s been carried out. The execution
80 r'acc much earlier IN the morning
..., was generally expected. II was
.f,.tcA on strictly business basis.
,-5 ihc uogro whose life was TO be for
...el was disposed Of with but little
.....,,rv IN a neat manner.
...,.4 solomon conducted the hanging,
49,, Ola not ascend the scanold. He.
...,s tvo 90 his deputies. was sccre;cd
frsm just IN front Of and 20 the
.. % tho scanold. where they could
.-s no; be seen. one Of the three
... Che rope. bat no one knows which.
.... ..rl cmucl man displayed great
..-, % calmness and courage. and
.DI a,. ircntly without the slightest
.r fear lie assembled the scat
,.h steady tread. prayed and sang
Los r. ministers who attended him,
..,mc8 TO be going through only
- min Important ceremony to which he
,.u accustomed. lie babe good-by
ala q those surrounding the scadold.
.t as DIS yaicdictory again denounced
.. ,f.4hv as a liar. His last words
.I.l DICK Moshy whatever you
... q, prepare TO meet me i'm Heaven"
.,.,,.s spent the greater part OF his
-.-bt on this earth In prayer. and
...,..f not az all afraid 70 die. He
81. ., most OF the night praying and
.....r. ami slept but q few hours. He
.. "a s.D clock. dressed himsti IN
r.ye black chcviot suit Of neat IT. with
vr.f. shirt. turned down collar. and
Hack satin bow. lie then sat down TO
lr..kfast 81 bcefsteak. porksteak,
r. rolls. biscuits. and coffee. Upon
... conclusion of his meal he again
I..f .o prayer, and about half-past
... Joined by Scott Buuen. Of the col
.i y.unr Mems Christian Association.
..l Eev Archer FERGUSON, Of Calvary
I..,f-f church (coloreO. These were
. f..nai hy two colorcd women. mem
I... II one Young Mems Christian Assoc
cation Auxiliary.
AZ AFFECTING SCENE.
--r. quintettc spent the remaining mo-
r...ts % Morris's life in singing and pray
.. The scene was "A most affecting one
Morris s4t on the middle OF his bunk in
..r..r DE- had so often slept. ana, aDpa-
-.rtly ollvious 90 all Of his surroundings
.... and nraved with ferVor. Jesus Is
N.t." was sung by him with apparently
--..f feeling. and as be sung the title
,..Hs 10 rolled his eyes upwards seem
..- Oh le In a perfect elysium OF bliss.
ir0n the conclusion Of this hymn.
sheriff solomon appeared and, calling
Morris % the bars. read his death war
.art 20 him. The negro stood with one
foot resting on the grating. and gave
r.-ncctful attention while the oiiicia
raal As be folded up the document the
Sheriff said. morris IN Few minutes,
/ viii lead YOU 10 the scaffold. "All
-ht. sir" was the reply accompanied
tv A nod OF the head. II was then but
f.,y minutes Of o'clock. and the ne
gro preachers began taking their leave.
THE right hand OF fellowship was extend
a. % Morris by his colored friends, ana
Rev. Ferguson told him that the TIME
for his execution had arrived. As an
aadcndum. FERGUSON said 10 nm 'hdt
tho trauveressor IS bound 20 suffer. ana
exr~cssed the hope that Morr.ss death
would be lesson TO others.
MARCH TO THE SCAFFOLD'
The doomed man shook hands with the
plepatch reporter. and SAID mat ne
roneI - lnsct him I'm glory. At TINS mo-
mont Hfputy Noegier. appeared az tHt
door Of Dis cell ana said. Motifs are
Won readyg" Eyes Sir was the seh'eh-
tl,1s rcplv. ana ne moved silently out
~ his cell. without one fareweh s.anCe
,,,,.,s him. AS he emerged into the main
,'.,.fCr ~ the tafl. he sung out in a
lr,f tone, "Go0d-by. boys when was r.
.,reI 10 from every cell. AZ the uooi
- the iau the handouts were ADJUSTED
q, his wrist. ana DR.. 'foNtoh '""N Wy
state Of his pulse. u was normal H!tl-
.afiuc no excitement WnateNtl' "n -
art Of the condemned man. Inc IhaIvn
Ia the scanold about zVp iecI "'9''''''
Has then commenced. csor,,.
Mr. Voecler. led the way ana Sherln
Solomon brought up the rear. MOTIFS
,,,rse5 between them with head erect
- 9th Irru and steady step. UP the
s,airs he went 70 the platform. ana as ne
riaced his foot on the first step ne turn
81. graspod the hand Of Sheriff solomon
sn5 warmly thanked him for his cons
, 49, tindneeses to him. lie also ex'
pressed the hope that MS 'N'O"''o'0'
would meet hiInrn glory -,
rcst4aq lfessrs John and l.. L. NoeB-
- vrho adjusted the moose, the negro
&C sccon,panied TO the scaffOld by ReVs.
prr-ou and Ferguson. Il Need ines
Fverv Hour" was sung by the Two
preachers, Morris Joining in IN Iouu
tone. PRAYER was offered by hoN. re'
r,,sson. and he followed II up win a
an "a On example 10 the score or more
eIertators who stood around. When TINS
v-qe concluded Morris stepped 10 the
front Of the platform, and placing ms
hands on the railing said: well sehue-
men. l have nothing 10 say except thls'
/ have nothing in my heart against no
body: my soul Is as pure as the ahseis
in Heaven: my heart is as clear as can
ne You all have heard OF DICK Moshy'
Of
Dick Nosby lied on me- l VIII soon DE
/, Heaven. where / am going home 10
Win this he turned. and 10 the Deputy |
sais. so. MIR Noegler. do your work
Ike the law tole you"
COULDN'T TAKE HIS SOUL.
Morris walked to the centre of the |
tap and stood Immediately under the
zone The preachers shook hdnds WIN
MIN and walked down from the death
platform The two officials quickly adj
tu.ted the moose and black cap. and as
the hood was slipping over his head Nor
ris sung out 10 Calvin Anderson. irusty |
coiorea prisoner who had been attending |
him recently. Farewell. Captain, they |
can't take my soul away, ] am going 10
glory Tell DICK Mosby. Whatever you |
an 10. 20 prepare 10 meet me In Hea-
ven" lie stood erect and still while his |
legs and arms were bound This was |
speedily completed and exactly at IL |
minutes after o'clock Deputy Noegler |
pulled the string which signalled TO the |
executioner below that all was ready |
and in d moment the body shot through |
the tap with terrific force. 1t hung mo- |
tion!ess for awhile, the feet Strengthened |
out and the whole form became rigid. |
The legs then drew up. and thirteen |
distinct commissions. most Of which, how |
ever. were very slight. were counted. |
on one occasion the body bent almost |
double. \ noticeable fact was that his |
hands never moved. There was not even |
"a twitch Of any OF the fingers.
The body remained suspended for ex- |
ac;ly nine minutes before the doctors |