The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-08
TOM CYRUS ON A GIBBET TRAP.
MOOSE SLIPS AND HE DIES FROM
SFRANGULATION.

He Makes No speech to the Specta-
tors and Dies without FIincbing.
Mob of 300 Men, Women and
Children Makes "a DisorderIy Rush
Into the Jail to witness the Exc
cutiOn-The Women and Children
Forced to Retire Before the Grew
some Scene Is Enacted.
Atlanta, Ca, Jan. tom Cyrus, colored,
was executed In the county jail yard here
to-day for the murder of his mistress, An
ME johnson. The drop fell at 11:40.
The moose slipped from behind Cyrus
cars and death resulted from strangula-
ton He was pronounced dead 16 minutes
after the trap fell. He made no statement
whatever on the gallows.
The execution was the most disorderly
and disgracefub scene that ever occurred in
the county.
A mob of 300 men, women and children
overran the police and deputy sheriff on
guard at the Jail yard, entered and made
a mad scramble for places near the gal
lows. No effort was made to GEAR the yard
after the mob had once gained an entrance
because the sheriff thought the scene was
bah SliOuSH as IL was without CAUSING u
riot by using force to disperse the crowd.
The women and children who rushed in
with the mob were however put out before
the eXecutionAook pace, the crowd as well
Joining the officers in clearing them out.
one negro woman tried to hide in a cor
ner to witness the hanging, but she was
routed out and elected along with the 9TH
ers, the crowd all the while hooting and
guying.
Sheriff helms came to the jail about II
O'Clock and ordered the big gate opened to
let in a number of those 10 whom he had
given passes. and it was at this time that
the crowd, which had been gathering since
early in the morning, overpowered the dep
uties.
AT 11:SO o'clock cyrus was brought out
of his cell and, accompanied by two ne
gro preachers, assembled the galows
They prayed for him for a few minutes
and read hymn al his request.
Cyrus, who was a quiet and docle pris
oner, was calm and collected at the crit
ical moment. Just before the black cap
was adjusted he bade Sheriff helms and
the others goodbye.
The sheriff replied, "Good-by, Tom,
may you find better country where you
are going"
Thank YOU sir" the doomed man an
swered, and with the solemn May God
have mercy on your soul" Sheriff helms
touched the trigger that sprung the fatal
trap
Sheriff helms and his associates did all
they could TO save Cyrus from the gal
lows. They got up the petition for elem
ency and urged II before the Governor
and the pardon board.
An hour or two before he was hanged
Cyrus sat down and wrote a note OF
thanks to Jaler Maddox and Sheriff
Nelms, which he handed to the jailer on
on his way to the scaffold.
Up to the last night the negro was al
lowed all the liberties of a trusty at the
jail on account of his good behavior. He
was not a bad negro, never having been
in any kind of trouble before.
The crime for which Cyrus was hanged
was the murder of Annie johnson, a ne
gro woman, who was employed in the
home of Gov. Atkinson as a domestic.
The murder was committed on the night
| of June in a little cottage on Bell street
in this city Cyrus was infatuated with
| the woman, who had been his mistress
| for some time. On the evening of June 2
! he went to Annie Johnsons home and
| found another negro man in her room. Cy-
| rus asked for an explanation, and failing
! TO receive a satisfactory answer cody
! drew his pistol and shot the woman. She
! fingered until the next day.
! Cyrus surrendered to the police imme-
| diately afterwards and made no effort to
| save himself when arraigned for trial.