Richmond planet., 1896-08-15
THE LAWS DECREE,
Harry Chapman Hanged
at Culpeper, Va.
HE KILLED A MAN
Showed No FeaT-Rade All
Farewell.
THE ROPE WHICH WAS USED ON
MARABLE.

CULPEPER, VA. August 7-At exact
ly thirty-seven minutes past 10 O'Clock
this morning Harry Chapman Color
ed). the murderer of Henry PendletOn
(also colored), paid the penalty of his
crime on the gallows. The procession
to the scaffold moved through the rear
door Of the Jail, and entered the exc
cution enclosure by side door TO
avoid the curious gaze OF the crowd
that lined the court yard and Jail
fence. This crowd numbered not less
than 800, and was kept back by de-
tail of militia.
REV. JONES OFFICIALS.
The prisoner was accompanied to
the scaffold by the Rev. Robert Jones,
his spiritual adviser, who has been
with the prisoner almost constantly
for the last two weeks, and six other
colored ministers, The steps leading
to the gallows numbered thirteen, and
up these Chapman walked with a firm
tread, and knelt in prayer Rev. Rob-
ert Jones, In the name OF the doomed
man, spoke few words.
Chapman then stepped forward. and
clearly and distinctly, except for a
slight. natural impediment in bis
speech, bade everybody a farewell
THE MOOSE ADJUSTED.
The moose was then adjusted by Dep
utv-Sherif James II Judd. who as
sisted by his 16-year-old son, had
charge of the execution, the trap was
quickly sprung, and the doomed man
shot down through the opening He
never moved a muscle, and at IL :0e
the jail physician, DIR. Robert s. Lewis
~
tion it was found that Chapman's neck
had been broken in the fall. The rope
/ used in the execution was the same
that had been used upon several SINH
lar occasions, the last time when Solo
mon Marable was hanged in Farmville
on July Sd. 1t was loaned to Sheriff
Pulliam by Sheriff OVERLY of Pittsyl.
vania.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Chapman paid
the penalty on the gallows this morn
ing was the killing of Henry Pendle.
| ton at Rixeyville last September, and
the trouble was about Chapman's
mother. He saw Pendleton at Rixey-
vile, and determined TO have his life
He borrowed an old musket from his
brother-in-law. and hid in a path that
he thought Pendleton would cross OF
his way home. Fate directed Pendle.
toms steps IN another direction, and
Chapman missed his prey. He ther
went 10 Pendleton's house, where be
saw his victim gathering a basket oi
chips for the morning fire, for Pendle
| ton lived alone. Chapman, stand ,nf
in the shadow, waited until the moor
cast its full light upon his victim. He
II q " Ch -ff
He cut Pendleton's pockets open tC
rob him, but changed his mind, and
simply stole pair CT pants of the
line. He was at once suspected anC
arrested.
THE CONFESSION OF GUILT.
He confessed the foregoing facts anC
tried to implicate his brOther-in-law
| Henry Settle, in the crime, claimin,
that Settle urged and influenced hin
TO commit the deed, loaded the guI
and gave ii to him for the purpose o
killing Pendleton. Settle was arrest
ed, but it was impossible to get proc
OF his being an accessory, and ne wa
acq ditted.
Chapman was tried twice in tn,
lCounty Court, and he was both time
promptly sentenced to death. Hi
white friends worked hard for commu
tation, but without avail Abou
twenty-five persons were at the execu
tion. Among them were John f. Law
ter, Sergeant of Norfolk, and William
Rosser, Sheriff of Page county Chap
man had written statement thi
morning which is simply repetition
of the facts already stated.
The vast crowd in town was aug
mented by train load of colored ex
cursionists. who had come from Wash
ington on pleasure trip.