The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-05-20
LOVE ROBINSON HANGED.
Negro Executed at Yorkville fol
Murder of Little Girl.

OF April OF laSC year, kllleu ILltS
negro girl in Fort Mill township
named Lima Watson, paid the pen
atty of his crime yesterday by being
hung by the neck until he was dead.
The hanging took place in the
debtors room of the county jail, IN
strict accordance with the law, in
the presence of number of wit
nesses. The drop fell at 11:07, and
death, which resulted from strangu-
latioh, followed within fifteen min
utes, although to make sure, the
body was allowed to hang for about
fifteen minutes longer.
The instrument of death consist
ed of scaffold, supported by tour
legs, with a platform on top, sup
ported on one side by hinges and on
the other with rope. The moose
was suspended from the ceiling over
head and after it had been adjusted
around the condemned mans neck
the trap was sprung by cutting the
supporting rope with hatchet.
Led by Sheriff Brown and Deputy
Sheriff Quinn, Robinson came from
his cell with a firm, unwavering step,
and climbed to the position that had
been provided for him on top of the
death platform. He gave no sign or
fear or other emotion, but on the
contrary appeared to be the coolest
man in the room. The work Of tying
his legs and adjusting the black cap
consumed something like minute,
and during all that trying period the
prisoner stood firm.
After all the preliminaries had
been arranged, Sheriff Brown said
to the negro in kindly tone: Nov,
Love, if there is anything you want
to say, you shall have an opportunity
to say it, The condemned man
hesitated a moment, and then said:
Il want to thank the sheriff and
all the rest of you for being 80 kind
to me, and I want you all to see
where I am for what l have done,
and 1 want you to meet me in glory
Then after pause he said to the
sheriff:
Il am ready to co..
With hatchet in hand, Sheriff
Brown said, Goodbye, Love-"
Goodbye, sheriff; goodbye all"
returned the negro.
There was brief silence. 1t was
evident that the condemned man had
nothing more to say This silence
was interrupted by the sudden
"swish" of the hatchet, and the ne
gro's body shot down through the
trap. 1t was perfectly still at first,
but, later there were a few contor-
tions of the body, and these were fol-
lowed by absolute quiet until life
finally f1uttered out, when DR.. Miles
Walker, the county physician, pro-
nounced him dead.
There were several hundred peo-
ple, both white and colored, about
the Jail on account of the hanging.
They were allowed to go up into the
Jail before the hanging, but just be-
fore the time for the execution ev-
erybody was asked to get out except
those to whom the sheriff had pre-
viously extended a special invitation
or permission. After the body had
been hanging for some minutes, the
door was opened and the crowd was
allowed to come in, view the hang
ing body and file out.
The whole thing passed off in a
decent and orderly manner. Al
though it was evident that the job
was a very distasteful one to the
sheriff, he showed no signs of ner-
vousness, and omitted no detail OF
his duty, from the reading of the
death warrant to the cutting of the
rope and to treating the curious
crowd with all due and proper cour-
tesy. .
During his long imprisonment,
Robinson had the ministration OF
Revs. E. E. Gillespie and R. E.
Sharpe, but for weeks past has re-
ceived closer attention at the hands
of ministers of his own race, Revs.
J. B. Middleton, M. A. Murray and
G. w. Jennings. He was able to
read and at the instance of the col
ored preachers, has repeatedly read
the 14th chapter Of John. The col
ored preachers say that he had quite
an intelligent idea Of what he read,
and they believe that he was truly
repentant and entirely reconciled to
his fate.
There were no friends of the ne
gro to take charge of his body, and
it was buried on the county home