The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-08-02
BAILEY AND SHELTON
PAY THE PENALTY
MURDERERs OF PETTleREW
FAMILY EXECUTED.
Trap Sprung at sos o'clock Friday
Morning, July 26th-Tennessean
and American Tell of their
Last Hours-Our Blacklist
Crime In History State
Avenged


jamin Pettigrew and his two children,
one a little girl, John Bailey and
George Shelton, two white men, were
hanged last Friday morning. Mr..
Pettigrew was a prosperous farmer
in Decatur County, and Bailey and
Shelton had been picking cotton for
him on the day of the murder. The
Nashville Tennessean and American
tells this story Of their last hours:
Cool and collected, John Bailey and
George Shelton, the murderers Of Ben
Pettigrew, a colored farmer of Deca-
tur county, and his two children,
were hanged at the state penitentiary
Friday morain jrrise. The trap
was sprung at sos o'clock and in
less than fifteen minutes both men
were dead Bailey died in nine min
utes, while Shelton's heart beat for
fourteen minutes.
All during the night the young men
kept their nerve and talked freely
with their spiritual advisers. When
they walked out on the trap with a
firm tread, they shook hands with the
small knot of guards, ministers and
doctors, saying they were very glad
to have met them and without an.
other word placed themselves in read
mess for the rope.
During the early part of the night
the men ate light supper and after
lengthy chat with their spiritual ad
visers, Revs. B. G. Regen, Harry Wise
and A. Ross Pittman, they sang a
few hymns and prayed. BY 10 O'CLOCK
they were asleep. About 1890 O'CLOCK
Bailey awoke with a start. He sa
up in the bed and ate some frui
which had been procured by Rev
Regen.
Outside the death house, fouI
guards. armed with Winchester rifles
kept watch, while inside were tw,
: others, who had left their guns OIL
} the outside for fear in a moment o
J speration, the prisoners might grail
, one and cheat the law of its rightfu
toll
{ About 1870 o'clock Shelton awak
= ened. Rev. Regen went into the run
: way in front of the cell and had
/ long conversation with him. It wa
carried on in an undertone, but tn,
general trend could be easily read il
the earnest eyes of the condemnet
youth.
Before the bars of the cell on tn,
floor was spread gray blanket whicl
covered the trap, which a piece o
sheeting used as a curtain separated
the nOosed ropes from the prisoners
views. The ropes had been twistet
up so the ends would not show.
About o'clock, Shelton, who Garlic
in the evening had shown signs O
weakening and who had caused mucl
CONSERVATION among the officials TO
fear he would collapse at the last me
ment, called an attendant to his Gel
and in firm voice said. 81 know yoI
have come out here for a story ant
you are going to get it. The paper
have treated us very nicely since w
nave been here and we thank then
for it.
At daylight Warden Rimmer ant
the guards detailed for the occasion
arrived at the death house. TIL
black clothing furnished by the stat
were carried into the cells, Shelter
being the first to dress. While h
was clothing himself, aSsistd by
guard, Bailey sat calmly on the sid
of his bed staring out at the small
knot of men gathered in the chamber
Now and then he would flick small
speck of dust or a thread from hi
trousers. He could neither read no
write, so the Bible that had been lei
in his cell by a minister remained III
touched.
When the doors of the death hous
were again opened the remains ha
been laid out on table. A guard wa
placed over them. Later they wer
turned over to a friend, who shippe
them to Pastor, Tenn, the homes o
the men.