The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-13
BOISY BRYANT HUNG
HIS BODY CUT DOWN BY DAUGH-
TER OF VICTIM.
SHE SAVES A SOUVENIR.
REMARKABLE SCENE IN THE
NASHVILLE JAIL.

Mrs. Eta Hall Parker stood by
Sheriff as He Pulled the Lever.
Then Looked Mt Dangling Corpse
and LauEhed-Later She Cut the
Body Down With Her Dead
Fathers POcketI<nife and Saved n
Piece of the Rope "A Keepsake.
Nashville, Ga, Sept. 12.-Boisy Bry-
ant was hung here to-day for the MUIR
der of Marshal w. A. HERS of Adel.
The execution was in private, only
newspaper reporters physicians and a
few by request of Bryant being allow
ed to see 1t. Mrs. Eta Hall Parker
daughter of the murdered man. was
present at the execution and stood by
Sheriff Swndle as he pulled the lever.
Bryant made statement to the pub
lie in which he acknowledged doing the
shooting, generating Berry Walls now
in Jail as an accomplice. He said bad
company was the cause of his action
and babe farewell to the crowd.
The Jail prisoners We're allowed to
sing his favorite song at IL o'clock af-
ter which the preacher offered a long
prayer. The rope was placed around
his neck at 1:4G a. M. and his neck
was broken instantly. His last words
were good bye" He was pronounced
dead In thirteen minutes by Drs. Paulk
Askew and Woodward, attending ply
sicians. He was cut down after hang
ing twenty minutes, by Mrs. Parker.
the murdered mans daughter. with a
pocket knife used by her father She
looked through the trap as he hung
dangling seven feet below and laughed
until the sheriff gave permission to cut
him down. She cut the first piece of
rope for herself as keepsake. Bry-
ants body was turned over to friends
for intern. ent. He had no relatives
present. Five or six hundred people
viewed the body after 1t was cut down.
Boisy Bryant's Crime.
The crime for which Boisy Bryant
was executed to-day in Berrien county
Jail was the murder of Marshal w.
A. Hers of Adel, on the night of May
% Marshal HERS approached Bryant
to arrest him on a warrant for a mis-
demeanor. when the negro, a lad of
only about Is years of age, drew a
pistol and shot the marshal through
| the abdomen He fingered In great
| agony for four days before he died.
Bryant was pursued and captured
near Bayboro by BaiIiff Sharpe ana
landed In Berrien jail There was Sc
rious talk of a lynching, as there was
much public Indignation at the want
on murder, but on promise of Judge
Hansell to convene a special term of
Berrien Superior Court, the talk of
lynching subsidized. A special term of
court was held on Monday, July 81,
and consumed ore day. The jury re-
turned verdict of guilty in the first
degree about 10 o'clock that night.
Judge Spence sentenced Bryant to
hang Friday Sept IL, the hanging to
be private. This sentence was carried
out to-day.
Mrs Ella Hall, the daughter of the
murdered marshal, was reported to
have asked and received of Sheriff
Swindell permission to spring the trap
that would launch Boisy Bryant out
of this world. Mrs. Hall was seen
by reporter of the Morning News
shortly after the negro was sentenced.
She denied that she had asked to
spring the trap. but said that she had
asked permission to cut down the body
after life should become extinct and
that she had the sheriff's promise that
she would be allowed to do it,
Mrs. Hall stated at the time, though.
and also In subsequent letter to the
Morning News, that she felt quite
equal to the task of springing the
death trap and probably would do SO
IL the sheriff would let her. she had
doubts as to whether the law would
permit her to do this, but she was
quite determined to cut down the
body of the murderer. She expected
to be accompanied to the Jail by some
of her male relatives and a number
OF the former friends of her father