The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-09-05
GOV. BLEASE ATTENDS
DOUBLE ELECTROCUT|ON
Of Alleged Murderers of Liquor
Constable.
CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND.
Chief Executive Witnesses EXecu-
ton of Two Negroes Convicted
in Beaufort County.

temDer Atm:
Governor Blease was a witness of
the first double electrocution ever
held in the State of South Carolina
this morning at the penitentiary
when Jasper Green and Davis Rev
nolds, negroes, paid the death penalty
for the murder in March of this year
of ]. X. Cooler, liquor constable for
Beaufort county. After the executions
he gave out a brief statement as to
why he attended, saying that the
man murdered was a friend of his
and he felt no compunction in wit
Messing the death of the negroes.
The executions were also witnessed
by the father and three brothers of
the murdered man, as well as a num-
Der of citizens of the county of Beau
fort including the sheriff.
Green was the first of the alleged
murderers to be electrocuted. He
was strapped in the chair at 1851
and after a brief statement denying
guilt the current was turned on.
Death was pronounced at 1859. I'm
mediately his body was removed from
the chair and Davis Reynolds enter
ed the death chamber at 11:03. He
too, in a few words denied that he
knew anything of the crime and the
current crashed through his body at
11:O5 Death was pronounced at
11:O9 Green appeared slightly ner-
vous in the chair, tapping with his
/ hands against the arms, but Reynolds
: showed no emotion.
GREEN THE FIRST.
The witnesses to the electrouction
assembled in the death house at
/ 1O:45 and after the usual tests of
the power of the current had been
made by State Electrician BooZer,
Jasper Green, sentenced to death as
accessory to the murder, was brought
into the room by two guards and i'm
mediately strapped in the chair. He
closed his eyes before the straps
were adjusted and never opened them
again. Governor Blease sat in one
corner OF the room, perhaps five feet
from the chair, but the negro did not
see the chief eXecutive-pcrhaps did
not know him-who alone could pre-
vent the execution of the laws fatal
decree.
Capt. Griffith asked the negro if he
wished to say anything mo, sir"
he said, "cept 1 didn't kill that man
fore God didn't kill him. don't
know nothing bout it," A minister
stepped forward and shook hands
with the doomed man and a moment
later at IL: SO so the current was
turned on, running for one minute
through the body of Green. Two 9TH
er shocks of IL and seven seconds
each were given and an examination
by DR.. r., T. Jennings, the prison
physician, showed that Green was
dead.
i REYNOLDS DEATH.
Davis Reynolds, principal in the
rIn G,t
Immediately after the body of his ac-
complice had been removed from the
chair He was absolutely composed
and talked in even tones when given
the opportunity to make statement
81 done said all got to say" he said
81 amt done 1t and don't know moth
ing bout the killing"
At 1:05: so the current was turn
ed on and at 11:09 death was pro-
nounced Tree shocks OF the current
were used in his case.
The negroes have been in adjoin-
ing cells of the death house since be-
ing brought there some weeks ago.
Green's cell was close to the electric
chair and the guards brought him
first into the room. Neither of the
negroes said a word as Green was
led to the chair. In less than ten
minutes Reynolds followed his al
legged companion in crime into the
eternal future.
GOVERNORS STATEMENT.
Governor Blease gave out the fol-
lowing statement as to why he at
tended the executions:
Yes. l attended the execution of
Reynolds and Green, two negroes. at
the penitentiary today. l made some
investigation into the question of
capital punishment, and il was upon
my recommendation to the general
assembly that the electric chair was
substituted for hanging in this state.
Ever since the change was made, I
have been wondering in my mind
whether or not we had adopted the
most humane method for reliving So
ciety of those depraved and unfortu-
nate human beings who were convict
ed Of such heinous crimes that the
punishment therefor was death. l
have talked with different people who
have witnessed death by this chair,
and they vary greatly in their opin-
ions as to whether or not this is a
more humane method than the old
form of hanging, and 1 have been
wanting to go to see for myself about
the matter personally. / have seen
people hanged, but / have refrained
from going to see one electrocuted
because, having the power in my
hands to direct that II be stopped, I
was not sure that 1t was the best
thing for me to do.
But in this instance, these two