The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-07-21
SCOTS DARK DAY OF DOOM.
WIFE MURDERER TO EXPIATE
HIS CRIME ON THE GALLONS.

Preachers. He Was baptized Yes
terdny and Views His Approach
ing End with StoicaI Composure.
Regards the ScaROId Merely as n
step TO the Hereafter-StOry of His
Crime, Pursuit and Ultimate Sur
render to the Police.
Some time to-day, between The hours OF
10 and 4 O'Clock, Isaiah Scott, convicted of
wife murder and IN the manner OF con-
Quoting himself at the time of the murder
ard for a day or two subsequent thereto,
one Of the most remarkab bic criminals ever
brought 10 justice in Chatham county
will suffer the extreme penalty of the
l-w.
IL is probable that The execution will
take place soon after The earliest hour at
which the law permits the warrant of the
court - be carried into effect, 10 O'Clock.
This has been the case with the fast four
murdorers who have en- executed in this
county Ale Small for the murder Of Po-
Lceman Neve, John Char.on for that Of
Food Inspector Harry Mcleod. Frank
Wright for killing mis- SON .n-law, Amos
Moy, and Toby Bowens, for the murder of
his wife. Rosa BoNens.
The execution Of Scott will be the fifth
that has taken place in the JAN since jan
uaIy, when Small was hanged. Prior to
his execution the murderers had been al
lowed TO select the exact time between the
legal hours Of execution when they would
make their departure from the world, but
Small chose to go at the earliest possible
minute and since his execution the custom
has been continued
When il is deferred to a time later in
the day crowds of negroes and curiosity
loving white persons somehow get wind
of the fact that it is to take place at
a particular hour, and congregatng out
side the enclosure, attract others, to the
disturbance Of the peace and good order
that should, Of course, attend these sol
emn occasions. when a murderer's guilty
soul is TO be separated from his body.
such reasons as this impel the sheriff
and his assistants to get over with the
matter as soon as possible, and to this
course the condemned men rarely inter
pose objection. Indeed, they are usually
as anxious as the officers of the law who
have the execution in charge that there
should be no unnecessary delay and that
they shall not be kept longer than as is
essential in the awful suspense which they
must suffer at such times. Generally by
the time tie day Of their execution has
come they have been wrought up by their
spiritual advisers to such a pitch of re-
ligious enthusiasm and fanaticsm that
they view the prospect of approaching and
shameful death with a composure that
is not equaled by any one else in the Jail,
and as step, merely, from the present
to the glories of the hereafter, where all
their sins win be forgiven and an eter-
This is the case with Scott. For some
weeks he has been attended by a num-
Der OF negro preachers, who without great
trouble succeeded In getting him interest
ed in the salvation of his soul something
that until the time he was arrested tried
and convicted of murder he probably new
er realized That he possessed. They were
with him almost daily and he became ac-
customed to join in the devotons The
preachers, as Is usual, were led by Rev
Prince Back, sef-constituted spiritual adj
wiser to the condemned murderers Yes
terday Scott was baptized in the Jail
Rev. Black and his assistants officiating
and announced that he believed that his
sins had been forgiven and that he had no
fear of his earthly end.
me preachers passed the greater part
OF the day with the condemned man. pre-
pairing his mind TO face the execution with
the religious composure or fanaticism or
stoicism that their teachings seem effec-
tually TO instiH Scott Is calm in the face
of approaching death, keeps to himself
and with the exception of the preachers
refuses to see anyone or have anything to
say.
The murder for which ne Is to be exc
cuted was a particularly atrocious one
that excited the Indignation of the white
people of the city and aroused the color
ed population to such pitch of wrathful
int
on the night of the murder or soon there
after he would undoubtedly have been
lynched.
Scott had been married for some few
months to Marie Lee, a daughter of Henry
Lee, a venerable negro, who commanded
NE respect and esteem of everyone with
whom he was thrown in contact He is
a negro of the Old school, courteous and
dignihed, and it was considered by him
that his daughter had made a grievous
error when she married Scott, quite a
different sort of an Individual on the
night Of May D. the mother of Scott re-
turning to the house, in Duffy street lane
occupied by her son, his wife and herself
found the dead body of The wife living
upon bed in an inner room, in pool of
blood. The girl had been struck in the
head with an ak, evidently while she slept
ana had been Instantly killed Scott was
the last person who had been in the house
some time previous TO the return of his
mother, leaving the key of the house with
a neishbor next door, and saying chat his
wife had gone 10 visit her mother
The ma of the body excited intense in
diSnation among the co,ored population
of the section of the city in which the
crime had been committed, and threats to
lynch aud burn Scott IN case of his cap
ture were freely made. The lane was
thronged with a dense mass Of persons, all
bowling for vengeance and swearing that
they would have it. The murderer, how
ever. could not be found
The noice and detectives were put on
The tran at once and the Gordon of armed
ard determined vigilance that was thrown
around the city prevented SCOTS escape
lie mode an attempt TO get away on a
train cf the Plant System, but was thrown
off at Burroughs The authorities in every
county in the state through which there
was any possibility that he would pass
were notified to exercise unusual vigilance
ana of these facts Scott was evidently
aware. Houude1 down. closely pursued