The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-10-22
SMALL'S SLAYER HANGED.
Barnwell Man Preferred Death to
Life Sentence.

Life Sentence.
Barnwell, October 16.-To-day at
eight minutes after IL o'clock for
the first time in twelve years Barn
well county witnessed legal hang
ing. Elliott Green, alias Bob Green,
q negro, paid the death penalty Tor
the foul murder of Oliver Smalls, an
other negro, on the place of Herman
Brown, near Blackville, last Febru-
ary. The story Of Green's crime for
which he has paid the death penalty
as told by himself to the correspond
ent of the News and Courier few
hours before the execution, is as fol-
lows:
ssSome time last spring, while liv-
ing in Williston, went up to Black
vile. I found Oliver Small (the dead
mani and went with him to his house
on the place of the Browns near
Blackville. There I saw Ed Furger-
son and Cliff Moseley. l did not
know them before. We played cards,
and lost all my money and paWned
my pistol to Oliver Small for three
dollars. When we stopped playing
asked him for my pistol, and when
he did not give it to me 1 hit him IN
the head with piece of iron. then
set the house on fire. There was no
one there but me and him. The
others had gone. did not put kero-
sene on him and put him over the
wood box. 7 left him on the floor Dy
the fire, and set the house on nre. :!
sot the bed on fire that sot the mousse.
Green was tried and convicted at
the summer term Of court Tor tnls
county, Judge Robert Aldrich, pre-
siding. He was sentenced to be hung
on the eighteenth day Of September,
but Governor Ansel upon a petition
signed by many prominent men, the
solicitor and the presiding Judge,
granted him a respite until the SIX
teenth day of October. He has since
refused to commute the sentence, and
the sentence of the court was carried
out. The trap was sprung by SnerlH
Creech, at 12:08 o'clock, and he was
pronounced dead by Dl. E. L. Patter-
son at 1920.
Green stated that he was ready to
70; that he deserved the punisnment
that ne was about to sufer, as ne ola
II without any excuse, except that ne
was mad about the pistol. He stated
that he wanted to die, that he DID
not wish to go to jail for life, as ne
was ready to die; that he had maze
his peace with God, and was afraid
that il he be allowed to live he might
not live right He was very nervous,
notwithstanding what he SAID ABOUT
being prepared and ready to ole. re
further said that Sheriff F. n. Creeeh
had treated him like one OF his own
people, that he had given him every
thing that would help him.
When the appointed time came Tor
the execution to take place, Green
was cut from his shackles and walk
ed out of his narrow cell. He walk
ed fearlessly up the stairs TO the
scaffold. There was never qu1Ver
that showed fear of his fate. He was
praying all the time. When the death
warrant had been read and every
thing was IN READINGS for the execu-
ton, he was asked If he had any
thing to say. He spoke as follows:
eI killed him by myself. killed
him. hit him in the head with an
axe and sot fire to the bed
He then sang Nearer, My God, to
Thee, Nearer to Thee" When the
black cap was adjusted and the rope
put around his neck and everything
was ready, Sheriff Creech said:
screen, are you ready am ready,
let her 60" was the reply, and the
drop followed instantly. The body
was turned over to his relatives for
burial. according to his own request.