The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-02
and tossed the ashes off as if he had been

and tossed the ashes off as if he had been
in casual conversation.
He walked to the scaffold smoking
carelessly, with his hat tilted, and his
pencil behind his ear. He smoked on the
scaffold and waited a moment. He was
asked whether or not he had anything to
say. His indifference had at last disap-
peared. He became more agitated, he
broke down, prayed piteously, brokenly,
with a low, swinging CHAT of terrified
lament. His hands covered his face. His
nerves had tumbled in a heap; the per-
spiration was in heavy drops on his face
and brow: the wretchedness of frantic de-
tspair had buried its talons into his very
heart.
He had at last, and only at this last
moment, confessed all that had been
charged against him.
s~The time is done come now," George
Brodie began in reply TO Sheriff Smith,
"for me to meet my God" He was stand
ING bareheaded in the clear sun with the
rope dangling before him. II did this
certainly done it." Maj. Macon, on the
seaffold. interruptins, asked: "Did you
Havish the grip
OIE, i OOuC ~.
| His agitation was beginning to con-
vulse him, and he trembled in his limbs
the first sign Of nervousness he had
shown.
| '"Ths truth is tine light" came the next
exclamation. "and am bound to tell it.
I want you all to meet me in heaven. l
was raised up right as a child, and if /
had kept to my raising, / wouldn't a
gone and done this. God be with me and
uphold and support me. "Be with me
Jesus" (His voice was raised into cry
of agony.) "Be with me Jesus! Oh. Lord,
send down one blessing this hour! Lord,
have mercy and crown me in glory"
! He came to pause, and the moose was
about to be adjusted, when he seemed to
want to begin again.
"Give him time to pray" some one ex-
claimed.
| He put his hand to the moose, saying,
''this is mighty tight" The moose was
loosened, when . voice asked if he did
lnot want some one to pray. He replied
Iaffirmatively. 4 scIered preacher, Rev.
Harrison, standing by, began quietly to
invoke Gods mercy upon his soul, but
the prayer could scarcely be heard for the
which Brodie was parallelling it. Lord
Jesus he cried in accompaniment to the
prayer. "Oh, Jesus!' he almost weep
ingly sang, while Rev. Harrison prayed
evenly along. "Oh, Jesus! Oh Lord! Oh,
Lord, have mercy upon me, Jesus! oh,
Lord! Oh, Lordv' wringing his hands
while the hymn-notes of his voice brought
1.-THE screams of the negroes from over the
4 hxy, ~
said when was in trouble call on you.
Oh, Lord! The last time / will pray in
this world-go with me Jesus! Have
mercy on mev' He gulped with craven
terror and cleared his mouth of saliva.
while the sweat-beads broke out like pin
heads over his face. "If you will, forgive
me, forgive me just now! Oh, Lord! Oh,
Lord! You said you would be with me in
the sixth hour and the seventh hour and
the ninth hour, and you will not desert
me now. Oh, Lord, stand by me! Receive
me in heaven! Grown me in glory! Oh.
Lord, may l meet my friends again!
know our Father will unlock the doors
lOh, Lord! Oh, Lord! he abysmally cried.
I"He is our Jesus! Pity my cry! Oh, Jesus
90 with me. believe our Father yo1
are going to save me when I come to die.
I know that he will save me-" he adj
Ided, with the affrighted certainty of de-
fspair. "Oh, God! oh, Jesus, here is mes
Then a pause; he had been pinioned, he
lhad been touched upon the elbow and
bstepped upon the trap with waves of uni
tutterable woe sweeping over the wreck Of
what was left in his face of fortitude.
f"Good-bye rybody! Try to meet me IN
Fheavenr' Rev. Harrison had ended his
[prayer. Figures stood about him in ST.
Hence. The sheriff tip-toed to the lever,
lfaces were upturned-a seconds silence
Efollowed by the barbaric, black scream
kfrom the thousands, and the cry Of viz
Esinity had been answered by the cringing
lot villainy.
Brodie began making his statement at
II .26. He talked for 2 minutes and forty
five seconds. Rev. Harrison began to pray
for him at 1:29, and the two prayers
Tended at 1:31. The large black cap was
thrown on and the drop fell at 1:34:3S
tseconds. His body hung two feet from
1.-THE ground and at 1:49 the sheriff cut
the body down. The physicians present
were Drs. G. Cheatham, Of Henderson,;
s. G. Canaday, Of Oxford; F. X. Harris,
of Henderson, and d. s. Rowland, OF
Kittrelps.
There had not been a hitch in the ars
rangements. Sheriff Smith had done his
duty without a flaw. 1t was the most
painful duty of his life, as his face and
words afterward showed. At 4:30 O'clock
this morning, as the News and Observer
reporter entered the jail-yard, a tall fig:
ure prone on the ground challenged the.
conner. 1t was Sheriff Smith, surrounded:
by deputies sitting about. Within were:
three more deputies, including Pat Wood,
lief, who caught the negro Brodie With
in the jail there was not sound. Col
ored Jail Keeper Dave Eaton called Bro
die. He did not answer; he was in dead
sleep. Sheriff Smith was keyed up to in
tense watchfulness; he feared some kind
of foul play. The negro had been singing
and praying until midnight. and then
came the sleep. The sheriff called to
him repeatedly with a loud voice. No re-
sponse. His door was unbarred, and he
was finally aroused into half wakefulness.