The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-08-11
On "Black Friday" In
Mississippi Town.
GREAT CROWDS TRAVEL MILES
To See Execution Of Blacks,
Hanged BY Due Process
Of the Law.
NINE HANGNGs ON SAME DAY

Starkville, Miss, Aug 6.-Five
thousand Threats burst forth into the
hymn, There Is a Land of Pure
Delight" as two negroes, Peter Boz
len and Dit Scales, were hanged
simultaneously in the open air to-
day.
The two negroes made the sing
ing request to the throng, which had
made a holiday fthe hanging. ----
The crowd packed natural AM
phitheater between two hills at the
edge of the city.
Peanuts, popcorn and candy"
and other cries of vendors of re-
freshments mingled with the mono
tone of the negro ministers as they
chanted ''The Lord is my shepherd,
shall not want" &C., as the death
march began. Lemonade and wat
ermelon also were sold, the scene
being more like that at a picnic.
The negroes were condemned to
die more than a year ago for the
killing and robbery of an aged negro
in the interior OF Oktibbeha county.
A crusade was instituted by wo-
mems clubs here and taken up by
the State organization of that body,
as well as by other civic organiza-
lions, to have the execution private.
Governor Earl Brewer. although
piled for months to order the hang
ing to be private, remained firm and
said it,was a question for the coun-
ty authorities to decide.
The county authorities decided in
favor of a public. hanging, and so
anxious were they to have the me-
groes made an example of. that they
made every effort to make the. hang
ing as public as possible.
Double gallows were erected away
FROM the jail at the outskirts of the
town, and the hanging was heralded
for miles around to take place Aug
ust 6, BLACK Friday"
Since yesterday visitors from
miles around began pouring into
the little town, and by the time for
hanging two green-clad hills might
have been the scene of the enacting
of a comedy rather than sordid
hanging of two black men whose
pleas for life had been rejected by a
jury, and whose main part in the
play was to chant with the negro
minister at their side and subject
themselves to the black cap and rope
of the hangman.
Scales confessed his part in the
murder, and implicated Bolen. Bo-
lens statement was directly contra
dictory, he disclaiming all knowl-
edge of the affair, stating that he
was going to his death innocent.
They stepped upon the trap. and
asked that their shoes be removed.
Scales then spat out cud of gum
which he had been complacently
chewing since he left the jail. The
straps. were adjusted. the caps ar
ranged and the ropes placed around
their necks.
When ready was announced they
called goodbye" to the Sheriff
and their friends, and the next in
slant they were hurled to eternity.
Pieces Of rope were carried away
by the crowd as souvenirs.
At dusk niRe blacks had been
hanged in the South to-day.
Alabama led the list with four le-
gal hangings. the Governor refusing
reprieves in each case. At Ever
green. Robert Watkins and John
Salter were hanged while squad OF
militiamen stood guard to prevent
disorder threatened by citizens who
wanted the blacks burned flor the
murder and attack OF Mrs. Mary
Lassiter. At cullman. George James
was hung for the murder OF George
Clayburn. who was shot through an
open window while he was reading
a Bible. Willard Carpenter was
hanged at BirmiNSham for the MUIR
der two years ago. of John T. Camp.
a white man.
Bunyan Walters was hanged at
Fayetteville, Miss. for the murder
Of Tom Meals.