The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-03
WITH FIRM TREAD
GEORGE MITCHELL MARCHED TO
HIS DOOM.
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN.
CRIME AGAIN BEFORE HE
WAS HUNG.

Fell at 1On7 O'CIock-visited by
but His Mother staid Away-was
with the Greatest Effort That He
| Maintained His CompOsure After
Being Tied and Placed on the De-
ceptive Cell FIoOr-His Nerve Came
Near Failing Him, but He Braced
Himself up and Met Death BrnveIy.
| Spoke as the Trap Doors Parted.
| George Mitchell, the confessed negro
rapist, paid the penalty for his crime
| in the Chatham county Jail yesterday
morning. The drop fell at 1917 o'clock,
and seven minutes later County Physi-
clan Keller, Police Surgeon Osborne
| City Physician johnson and DR.. Hess
announced that the mans pulse had
stopped. A few minutes later the body
was cut down and taken by Undertaken
Dixon to Laurel Grove Cemetery,
where it was buried. Mitchelrs neck
was broken by the fall. and death must
have been instantaneous. The execu-
ton was without the slightest hitch.
1t was with the greatest effort that
the doomed man maintained his COM
posture. and his strained features show
ed that he must have been suffering
untold misery, while the final prepara-
tions were being made. When the rope
was placed around his neck, and the
knot was drawn up under his ear, and
the black cap was adjusted, Mitchell
nearly lost his nerve. and the blood
vessels on his neck and hands seemed
as If they would burst. For a moment
| it appeared as If he were going to fall,
and one of the officers had to support
him. This was only for second. how
ever, and recovering himself, Mitchell
stood erect while the death warrant
was read.
May the Lord have mercy on your
SOUL" said the officer. There was a
tremor in the muffied voice as it came
| through the black hood. my poor
SOUL At the instant the hangman
on the floor below pulled the spring,
| the deceptive iron floor gave way
with crash. The last of the three
| words spoken by Mitchell was uttered
after the doors had opened, and when
he was within less than a hundredth
of a second from eternity. He may
had stopped falling before the world
| soul had fairly left his lips. If he
desired to say anything more his words
were spoken in another realm.
Ready to Pay the Penalty.
| At Gas o'clock one of the deputies
went on the floor where Mitchell was
a prisoner, and asked If he wanted to
die at any special time. The negro was
slightly nervous. but spoke in a firm
Il AoIo - - 81 H.
made his peace with God and that the
execution could not take place too
soon for him. He was ready and anx-
ious to meet his Maker at the earliest
| possible moment.
A representative of the Morning
| News was in the corridor, and Mitch
ellis last talk was with him. The ne
gro stood erect and talked clearly for
several minutes. II confessed my
crime to you some time ago, and since
| then / have been confessing to God. /
did assault the two women, but not
| in the way they said. l have no COM
plant to make now against any one.
and forgive all of my enemies. l have
called upon the Almighty, and I be-
lieve that he has answered my pray
ers. I have not given the jailors any
trouble, and l will not worry them
when 1 go to the gallows. expect to
| go straight to heaven, and this night
1 will be in the happy land, where
| there is no trouble"
This was the last statement Mitchell
made, and until the arrival of the
physicians and officers in the corridor
| he paced up and down the floor. 1t
was 10 o'clock when the deputies ar
rived with rope to tie the condemned
mans hands and feet. He had already
donned a suit of black. and wore a
pair of new shoes and a white shirt.
His coat was buttoned by one of the
officers, and the rope was wrapped
around his arms and hands. Mitchell
held his head up, and the silence was
ominous. The breathing of the prison
ers at the other end of the corridor
could be heard distinctly, and the at
mosphere was cold and clammy to
those who witnessed the scene.
Before the work of tieing the unfor
tunate man had been finished Rev.
Prince Black offered the last prayer
With his hands bound tightly behind
him Mitchell kneeled by the side of
the minister. and those whose duty
called them to the jail uncovered their
heads. Rev. Black offered a prayer
similar to those heard at the gallows
in the past. When the minister had
concluded Mitchell fervently answered
amen" Then it was that the work of
binding him was completed. His feet
the false doors. .
A Restless Night.
Mitchell slept but little and was up
at daylight. He ate a. hearty break
fast. and seemed to relish the meal,
which had been specially prepared for
him. Rev. Prince Black, faithful to
the last, arrived while Mitchell was
eating, and a few minutes later the
service was begun. 1t consisted of the
usual prayers and the singing of
Gospel hymns, and lasted for
over an hOdr. At the request of
Mitchell Rev. Black sang why Do
We Mourn a Parting Friend" The
condemned mans sister and cousin
called upon him and bid him a fond
farewell His mother had seen him
the Afternoon before. but did not feel
able to talk with him while he was in
the very shadow of death. He needed
encouragement, and she was afraid
that she would cause him to break
down. The cousin and sister were per-
mitted to go on the second floor, and
there they kissed him good-by. A few
minutes before 10 o'clock his brother
in-law spoke to him for only a mo-
ment. He told Mitchell of the arrange
ments that had been made for the fu-
neral. and although strong and healthy
the domed man could see the open
grave waiting for him. He shook hands
with his relatives. and in a husky tone