The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-11-18
(Staff Correspondence.)

Elizabethtown, n. c., Nov. 16, 1904.
While one frantically cried goodbye
10 things earthly and the other almost
inaudfbly chanted a prayer to God,
Neill Sellars and Dave Brown, negroes,
rapists and murderers, met death here
today about noon. Side by side they
stood on the same scaffold and the fall
ing of one trap sent both I other DOOM.
Thus did the law avenge. as far as
possible, the horrible crime perpetrated
hear Clarkton the 3rd Of last September
the ravishing and staying Of Mrs.
Blanche Packer, a young wife on the
verge of sweet motherhood.
The negroes left this world protest
ing their innocence and went before the
Highest Court for trial. Regardless OF
the strong circumstantial evidence,
which fixed the negroes with the com>
mission Of theFcrime. it was hoped that
Cne or both would make a confession,
but none came.
Sellars from first to the very last
maintained that he was innocent, as did
also Brown. During the past week
both received visits from ministers OF
the gospel and both declared that they
were prepared to die.
WHERE THEY WE'RE HANGED.
The scene OF the execution was laid
almost within the shadow of the jail
about one hundred feet from this struc
ture. 1t was down in a glade and ar
forded an excellent view place for the
hundreds of spectators. The natural
picturesqueness OF the place softened
to some extent the horror of the scene.
SAW THEIR DEATH SPOT.
The gallows was in plain sight from
the window of the cell in the prison oc-
cupied by Seilars and Brown, and TO
their hearts, as it loomed up at the
peep Of day and faded from sight as
darkness niantled the earth, it must
have sent anguish more keen and Bit
ter than the torch would have done.
The contemplation. too, that each thua
of the carpenters hammer carried ID
their souls must have been agonizfnS.
ONLY PARTLY SCREENED.
The scaffold was of the usual type,
but lot enclosed, save for a curtain Of
sheeting that surrounded the lower
Rart and a similar curtain-nearly four
feet high-that masked the lower part
Of the platform of death. None of this
deprived the eye from beholding the
grim scene.
HUNDREDS WE'RE HERE.
People by the hundreds beheld the
lawful tragedy. Probably twelve hun.
cred saw and shuddered as the two
black robed brea thing figures fell sud
denly through space and were trans
formed almost instantly into inert.
lifeless beings.
People came a-foot, astride Of mule
and horse and in large farm wagons,
converted into wagonettes by the use
of six or more plain chairs. AS early
as 7:30 o'clock several of these vehicles,
loaded down with men, women and
.choldren, rolled into the place. By 10
o'clock the few and short streets OF
EliZabethtewn were alive with people
of both Sex and of both races. Around
the rough scaffold most of the crowd
quickly gathered, but the remainder.
knowing that the hour of execution had
been appointed as noon, loitered around
elsewhere. It was plainly apparent
that the ghastliness of the near-at-
hand hanging was but mist beside the
fresh remembrance of tfsRt deed of hor-
,or that transpired near Clarkton last
September. On every hand was heard
the grim:
I've come to see 1T well done.''
ABOUT THE SCAFFOLD.
As noon approached the crowd gath.
cred thiclSly around the rope fence tha
surrounded the gallows and would have
crushed its way up to the very step:
o. this instrument OF death but fol
the repeated warnings Of the guard
who did armed picket duty. AS it wa
she people jost!ed each other continual
~ Ind surged time and again agains
the ropes. Pressed close to the rope a
several places were a number>of young
.sters, while not many feet away moth