The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-12-29
HANGS FOR AWFUL CRIME
MINUS HIGHTOWER EXECUTED
FOR CRIMINAL ASSAULT.

Freely Admitted His Guilt-Trap
Sprung in Richland County Jail
Yard Last Friday.
Minus Hightower, alias Ed Byrd.
a negro boy, was hanged in the Rich
land county Jail yard for a criminal
assault upon;a white woman which
he committed last October. He was
pronounced dead from strangulation
10 minutes after the trap was
sprung.
The scaffold was erected against
the southside of the jail building.
Two canvas flies we're stretched on
each side of the scaftold, shutting OF
the view from the crowd of morbidly
curious on Lincoln street and on the
buildings and fences around the Jail.
Approximately half a hundred people
witnessed the execution in the. Jail
yard.
Before the physicians had pro-
nounced the negro dead, broad
shouldered white man elbowed his
way through the group surrounding
the scaffold.
81 just wans. to touch him." he
said, "and get souvenir
':Stand back" ordered Sheriff Cole
man; 1--WE are not barbarians.
The>broad shouldered man did not
get his souvenir.
Prays for Condemned.
At 9:55 o'clock Minus Hightower
was taken from his cell on the first
floor Of the Jail to room on the sec
ond floor. Here M. G. Johnson, pas
tor of the Ladson Presbyterian
church, prayed with the condemned
negro.
After the prayer was said, Sheriff
Coleman read the death warrant to
Minus Hightower at 1902 o'clock.
He was taken out Of the jail into the
yard and up the steps of the scanold.
The negro's hands and feet were
bound and the black cap adjusted.
He did not move q muscle or show
any signs of emotion while this was
in progress.
At 10:07 o'clock the trap was re-
leased by Sheriff Coleman. The me-
gro fell seven feet. His body twttched
spasmohcally two or three times and
then swung rigid. In 10 minutes the
physicians in attendance pronounced
him dead from strangulation. The
body was lowered into a basket and
carried to the hearse from a negro
undertaking establishment which was
waiting in the Jail yard.
Makes No Speech.
Minus ,Hightower did not make q
speech on the scatfold. He said af-.
ter the prayer by Rev. Johnson in the
jail that whiskey and bad company
had caused him to commit the crime
for which he paid the death penalty.
He admitted his guilt and declared
that he believed that he had been for
given. Rev. johnson stood with,
Hightower on the scaffold until the
trap was sprung.
After the body was taken to the
undertaking establishment of Hardy,
Pinckney & Biggs, several hundred
curious negroes gatherd, all anxious
for a look. So insistent did they be-
come that a squad of policemen was
called to disperse them.
First In Five Years.
The hanging is the first in Rich
land county during the past five
years. The last execution was that
of Marion Parr, white man, found
guilty of numbering white boy
with hoe on the Congaree river
near Cranky. Eight years ago Win
ter Cantey, a negro, was hanged for
killing a negro, woman.
Minus Hightower, the 19-year-old
negro boy, committed the crime for
which he was hanged about 4 o'clock
on the afternoon of October 1S. The
negro stole a pistol from cab in the
Seaboard yard. After leaving the
yard, he went toward the northwest
ern section of Columbia, entered a
house and committed the assault at
the point of pistol.
About 20 minutes afterwards he
was arrested by Policeman Hite on
Park street and carried before his
victim, who identified him. The ne
gro was taken first to the police sta
tinn and then to the State ,Deniten-