The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1907-03-30
HANGING AT MAGNOLIA.
Charles Coleman, Colored, Pays Ex-
IRENE Penalty Of the Law.
Magnolla News. March 2ath.l ]

treme Penalty Of the Law.
Magnolia News, March 2ath.l
AS early as 8 O'Clock vast
crowd began to congregate around
the court house and when at $50
Sheriff Lee mounted the scaffold
and fastened the rope to the top
beam it had swelled to at least
$500, most Of them negroes. At
1886 the sheriff, accompanied by
DR.. G. w. Robertson, Photogra-
pher j. [. Odom and r. B. May,
II. e. May, j. A. Doval and +.
e. Austin, representatives Of the
press, entered the jail to where
Coleman was being prepared to
meet the final end by MILFORD
Washington and A. j. Scarbnr-
ough, negro preachers from Nc
Comb. In reply to questions of
Washington he repeatedly assert
ed that he was ready to meet God
and that he had killed no man.
After much exhortation by the
ministers, during all of which
Coleman remained perfectly calm,
the ministers decided to pray,
kneeling on the concrete floor Of
the jail. just on the inside Of
the massive steel cage stood Elijah
Cooper, who was sentenced to
hang and whose case was sent
back for new trial by the Su-
lpreme Court and George Swear
engen found guilty Of murder and
sentenced to death: hardly half a
dozen words had flown from
Washington's mouth when both
Cooper and Swearengen went
down on their knees.
Coleman requested that his pic
ture be taken, and it was accord
ingly done, after which the news
paper men interviewed him for a
/ few minutes. He said: 'GeEtle-
linen, ] am here in this place, but
honestly, ] never killed anybody,
but / was there, and being in bad
company is the cause of my being
here today, God has forgiven
me and | am ready to die He
said he wanted to talk to his race
outside. Sheriff Lee read the
death warrant and then the march
to-the scaffold was begun, after
Coleman had told the other in
mates of the Jail goodbye. His
pulse was taken by Dr.. Robertson
and pronounced 40, whereas ~
lis normal, revealing much sup
Ipressed excitement. He walked
to the scaffold with firm tread
and mounted it unassisted, smiling
| all the while. He remarked while
Egoing out that his wife and sister
were there, and that his home
/ was in Madison Station, Miss,
and that ne Wanueu ~ Ue buileu
there. On the scaffold he told bis
race to beware Of bad company
land that he was going to Heaven,
and if anyone wanted to ask him d
question he was ready to answer.
/ Someone asked if he killed any
one and he replied, mo, but ]
was there. Z Who did the kill.
ing? was the next question, to
which he replied in a loud, clear
voice, Walter Smith" Smith
lis the negro who was tried with
/ Coleman and sentenced to the
penitentiary for life. He then
lstepped back and Deputy Sheriff
! Lee placed the black cap over his
face and adjusted the rope. just
las his hand sought the lever to
lsend the condemned man into
eternity clear and distinct
goodbye" came from under the
black cap, and then, at 1920, the
body shot downward, there not
being a tremor in any limb. The
doctors announced that the pulse
ceased beating in 111z minutes
and that be was dead in Is min
utes. Sheriff Lee then cut him
down and bis body was turned
lover to his relatives who we're
/ present.
Thus the law was yindicated
land it is to be hoped that The wit
Messing Of this BY the large
Ithrong of people may have IFS
leffect on crime in this county.
The crowd was extremely orderly
and no disturbance Of any kind
occurred.