The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1902-07-30
A Man Curses and Raves on the
Scaffold
JUST BEFORE BEING HUNG
For Brutal Murder. A Sad
Warming TO Young Men
to Let Strong Drink

pSPNh lucSu'iy morning ASllley COcKe
aud Tom Lauderdalc, the murdcrcrs
OF Engineer Wrav, expiated their
crime upon the gallows at Grcenville
| Miss.
Cooke died cursing everybody i'm
Grcenville and the officers OF the law.
Lauderdale met his fate calmly.
early dawn great throngs OF peo-
pie began to arrive i'm the city and by
10 O'Clock the place was crowded TO
itS utmost capacity.
Sheriff Hunt had sworn in a large
number Of deputies and every precau-
tion was taken to prevent any possible
trouble. Cooke and Lauderdale, af-
ter good nights sleep, awoke at Z
O'Clock. Breakfast was offered them
but both declined to eat.
Cooke was visited by Rev. Cunning
ham, who tried his utmost to induce
the doomed man to embrace religion,
but all to no purpose.
At IL o'clock the two men were
brought into the corridors OF the Jail
where the last farewells were said.
They were then taken to the scat
fold and in full view OF thousands OF
people both were hanged. Lauderdale
remained firm and quiet throughout
but Cooke raved like madman, ours
ing everything and everybody in
Greenville and finally when the black
| cap was adjusted he uttered fearful
| oath at the sheriff and his deputies.
There was no semblance OF trouble
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Ashley Cooke
and Tom Lauderdale Tuesday paid the
death penalty on the gallows commit
ted on YaZoo and Mississippi Valley
train about 3 O'Clock on the morning
OF December 30, 1901, between the
towns OF Leland and Elizabeth in
| Washington county.
Ashley Cooke, Tom Lauderdale,
Will Blackburn and G.. NJ. Phipps, re-
siding in Bolivar county, boarded
the northbound passenger train at 3
o'clock in the morning for the purpose
OF returning to their home at Shelby.
G. Nj. Wray, an engineer, was pas
Senger on the car entered by Cooke and
his party Cooke and his three COM
panionS were all more or less under
the influence OF liquor. Phipps fell
against Wray who was asleep on seat In
the coach. Wray asked PhippS what
he meant and reply came from Cooke
that it meant that he (Wray) must
leave the coach. Wray having fully
awoke realized that the men were
drinking and told them that it was all
right and that he would leave the car.
AS Wray started to walk out Black
burn said to Cooke:
What shall we do with that fellow?
He says that he has done nothing, but
is willing To apologize"
VOTED TO KILL HIM.
Il vote TO kill him" replied Cooke
PhippS at this time sank into a seat
and was not with his companions.
Cooke, Lauderdale and Blackburn
then began shooting at Wray as the
latter was trying to leave the coach.
Wray was riddled With bullets and
fell dead in the aisle OF the car. While
Conductor MCLAUGHLIN, who hal stop
ped the train, was looking for officers
TO assist him in the arrest Of the three
men, the trio got off and went to the
engine and forced the engineer to un-
couple the engine and proceed at once
TO Shelby and the engineer obeyed the
instructions at the point OF gun.
At Shelby, Cooke, Lauderdale and
Blackburn were arrested and brought
TO Greenville on special train, every
precaution being taken to prevent a
lynching which was threatened by
many citizens. The men were indict-
ed for murder in the first degree.
Cooke ana Lauderdale essayed to be
tried together and after one OF the
| hnt il, l,I
of the country, they were convicted
and sentenced to be hanged on March
2l, 1902. Notice of an appeal was
filed, which stayed the execution.
Later Blackburn was tried found gull
ty. He was sentenced TO impriSon-
ment for life, his previous character
having been proven exceptionally good.
The supreme court reviewed the
case of Cooke and Lauderdale and aftel
an exhaustive examination of the
record affirmed the decision OF the
lower court and fixed Tuesday, July
, 23, as the day for the execution.
GREAT LEGAL BATTLE.
Then began a mighty effort to save
the two men from the Scaffold. In
lluential relatives and friends OF Cooke
and Lauderdale, and especially Cooke,
= who is highly connected In three OF
more states, presented strong petitions
and earnest appeals to Governor
Longino TO commute the death sent
z encc to Imprisonment for life, but the
: governor deeply Sympathized with the
: family and relatives OF the two men
i remained firm and declined To inter.
5 fere. Attorneys at the last moment
went to Narragansett Pier, r. l., with
petition To Mr.. Justice white OF the
supreme court OF the United States
> and begged that the execution b,
" stayed on constitutional grounds
y Justice White, after reviewing thl
= papers, also declined to interfere, anC
: the mandate OF the law was carried
- ont the tMn men diving On the SAM