The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-01-13
SENTENCED TO BE HANGED.
NEGRO'S FATE DETERMINED IN
A FEW MINUTES.
Court Room Crowded.-Only Officers
and Witnesses Allowed to Re-
main While Child Testified.

uld1u Willie NllllU 1cSIllcu.
Kingstree, Jan. 11.-Johnnie Rose,
alias John Wood, a negro Of about 18
years, was, upon the charge Of as
sault with criminal intent, this after
noon sentenced to pay the death pen
atty for his crime.
On the 9Th of last December a lit
tie white girl, IA years of age, was
on her way to school with her books
and stalk of sugar cane for lunch.
In passing through track Of wood
en- land she was intercepted by the
negro who asked her for a piece Of
sugar cane. She granted his request
by handing him the entire stalk and
after receiving the remaining portion
from him, when she attempted to
pass, she was seized by the throat
and dragged from the road into the
underbrush. Fortunately passer-
by heard her screams and rushed to
the scene IN Time.
The child, bleeding from the
scratches of her assailant and suffer-
ing from the violent throttling, was
placed in the hands of solicitous
neighbors and an immediate search
was begun for the negro. In a short
time he was captured and after hav-
ing been positively identified was
hurried to Kingstree and placed in
the county jail, and none too soon,
for a mob to lynch him was being
rapidly organized.
Demand Speedy Trial.
On the night of the same day a
body of armed men from the neigh
borhood of the crime halted at the
outskirts Of the town and sent dele
cation to Sheriff Graham requesting
his influence in securing an immedi-
ate trial and threatening an attempt
to prevent the law from taking its
course. The sheriff promised to use
his efforts to have a special term Of
court ordered, persuaded the crowd
to disband and return to their homes
The special term was ordered as
quickly as possible and this morning
the court was opened by Judge T. 8.
Sease. When the jury had been en-
pannelled there was hardly standing
room in the building and the sheriff
and his bailiffs had no little difficulty
in preserving silence
The victim of the attempted as
sault was the first witness called by
the State and out of respect for her
the Judge, upon the motion Of the
solicitor, ordered the court room
cleared, allowing only the officers OF
the court and the witnesses to remain
in the building during the time that
the child detailed her story of the
vicious assault. She unhesitatingly
identified the defendant and told with
considerable clearness the details OF
the crime.
Quick Verdict Rendered.
After examining several other wit
nesses, the State rested and the de-
fense offered no testimony. Upon
hearing the arguments on both sides
and the charge, the jury retired and
returned within 10 minutes with a
vedict of guilty. Judge Sease, after
admonishing the doom ed man with
few appropriate remarks, passed
the death sentence that he be hanged
on the 4th day of February.
When the case was called for trial
this morning the Judge assembled the
entire local bar in the court room and
from the number appointed Messrs.
R. G. Kirk, H. G. Askins, A. c.
Kinds, and J. D. Gilland to conduct
the case for the defendant.
A motion for a new trial was made
and promptly refused by the court
and the fiend, who had throughout
the entire trial exhibited the utmost
Indifference, stood up to receive the
death sentence with equal composure.
AS soon as the sentence of the
court was pronounced, the crowd rap
idly dispersed, apparently satisfied.