The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-09
THE FIVE WILL DIE.
Continued from rwenty-fourth Page>

stable. 1t was dreadfully mutilated, the
iron slugs and bits of telegraph wire,
pounded rUdely into the shape of bullets,
with which some of the weapons of the
murderers had been loaded, had torn
away his heart and dishgured beyond rec
ognttion the whole upper portion of his
body and his head.
Following the little rivulet that led
away from the spring, the party, led by
a trail of blood, came upon the body of
Harrington. 1t was mutilated by bullets
and slugs like that of Mears, but evil
IDENTIFY the wounds that had been inflicted
were not SO quickly fatal, for the body
was still warm.
Capt Wade was taken to a hospital in
Augusta, where for a month and more
he lowered fitfully and uncertainty be-
tween life and death. At last, as much
almost to his own amazement as to that
of his friends, he recovered health and
strength.
The few hours that had been lost be-
tween the commission of the homicide
and the arrival of the posse at the scene
of the crime had sufficed for the escape
of the murderers, and they were not to
be found. For days and weeks and
months the search for them continued,
and one after another five were arrested
and placed in Jail at Sylvania. These,
Arnold Augustus, Andrew Davis, Rich
ard Sanders, William Hudson and Sam
Baldwin, are the ones who will pay the
penalty of their crimes on the gallows
next Friday.
The others. including Mckinney, and
the real leaders of the knights of Arch
err" successfully effected their escape,
and have never been captured. Through
woods and swamps that abound in Screv-
en- county, across the river in South Car
DINA, in every lumber and turpentine
camp in four states, in the slums of every
Southern city-everywhere in short, that
desperate negroes with a halter about
their necl1s, might be expected to seek
refuge and safety, they have been sought
for, but never captured. Dozens of times
officers in one place or another have
thought they had Mckinney in their
clutches, but in every such case the man
arrested has managed to disprove his
identity with that celebrated and des-
perate criminal.
The five men who were caught were
placed first in the jail of Screven county,
at Sylvania, but it was feared that an
outraged people would seek to wreak up
on them summary vengeance for the
crimes they had committed and they
were brought to Savannah for safe-keep-
ing and held for months in the Jail of
this county.
They were carried hence back to Syl-
vania, where they were placed on trial
for the murder of Harrington and Mears
Despite the earnest efforts Of learned and
eloquent and conscientious counsel, they
were found guilty and sentenced to ex-
plate their crime on the gallows. Their
counsel filed Immediately motion for
new trial and, when this was overruled
by Judge Evans, en- appeal to the Su-
preme Court of the state.
Meantime, the convicted murderers were
brought back to Savannah. When the
day approached upon which the execu-
ton, by the terms of the original SEN
tence of the court was to take place,
Sheriff Thompson of Screven county ar
rived in Savannah and announced that he
was going to take the prisoners back to
Sylvana and hang them, in accordance
with the arrangements he had previously
made, and on schedule time. This, not
withstanding the fact that the tendency
of a motion for a new trial, in the Su-
preme Court of this state, acts as a su-
persedeas and of its own force postpones
the execution Of the sentence of the law.
The sheriffs attention was called to this
fact by counsel for the defendants, who
are members of the Savannah bar, but it
had no effect upon him. The judge, he
said had ordered the execution for the
day following, and he had never been Of
ficially notified of any change in the ar
rangements. He intended, therefore, to
carry out the mandate of the law, as it
had been given to him in the first in
stance.
For time it looked as though he would
make good this threat. He had brought
a force of deputies with him to Savannah
and he took his prisoners from the jail,
loaded them aboard the train and carried
them back to Sylvania, where he lodged
them over night in the Jail and told them
he was going to hang them in the morn
ing.
Meantime there was all sorts Of excite
ment Counsel for the defendants were
keeping the wires hot with messages to
the Judge and solicitor general of the cir
cult in which the men had been tried and
convicted and to the Governor of the
state. A great crowd had come into Syl-
vania from the surrounding country to
witness the execution and it was feared
that when the mandate of che court or
the Governor came, directing that the
hanging should not take place, there would
be trouble certainly and possibly a lynch
ing.
The military was ordered out and that
night the Jail was guarded by two com
panies. Maj. w. l.. Grayson of Savan-
nah was sent from here by the Governor
to take military charge of the situation
and an additional Naturalization of infan-
try was IN readiness 10 move 10 oyiNdHld
from this point 1t was not needed, for
either the military already on duty or
the better instincts of the people of
Screven county prevailed to insure quiet
and there was no outbreak of animosity
against the murderers. The Judge of the
court directed as of course everybody ex-
pected he would, that the execution, pend
ing the decision of the Supreme Court,
should not proceed and the negroes were
returned to Savannah and placed in jail.
In spite of all the apprehensions that
had been entertained, there was no vio-
Ience attempted even and practically no
excitiment.
Then came the decision Of the Supreme
Court, overruling and denying the mo-
ton for a new trial. Again, this time only
three weeks ago. Augustus, Davis, San
ders, Hudson and Baldwin were taken
back to Sylvania, and for a second time
they were sentenced to die on the gallows.
The date of the execution was fixed for
next Friday and on that day 1t will take
place.
Every possible appeal has been made
for executive clemency. but Gov. Gambler
and the Pardon Board have steaefastly
and determinedly declined TO interfere. The
negroes are now in Jail at Sylvania. and
there with prayers and hymns and the
constant assertion OF their repentance,
they feel for their sins and Of their assur-
ance Of divine forgiveness they are
awaiting the swift doom that approaches
them nearer and nearer. Everything has