Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-16
First Woman Hanged
In Georgia in 1872

From all parts of the State have come
stories of the two cases previous to this
when women were sentenced to hang.
| The case Of Susan Eberhart, who was
hanged in Preston, Ga, in 1872, shook
the entire State, cost Governor his
seat and brought down the excoria tions
of virtually the whole populace upon the
court, sheriff and law
| The woman is said to have plotted
with her sweetheart to kill the latter's
| wife. On three occasions, it Is said
! her nerve failed her and the plot was
unsuccessful. At last, however. the
crime was perpetrated and the woman
was convicted and sentenced to hang
with the man.
The details Of the execution are q Dit
hazy and statements regarding It are
a bit counter. However, all agree that
Susan Eberhart was the first and only
woman to hang in Georgia.
Another case which ended with n
commutation of sentence was that of n
Mrs Nobels, then Kate Southern, Her
sentence was committed after the gu.
preme Court had refused TO interfere
The story of that case is told by a cor
respondent to an Atlanta newspaper.
w. A. Covington. of Moultrie. Ga.
a very celebrated case in the Grim
inal history of Georgia was that of Kate
Southern, who killed a young woman
~ country dance at the foot of Sharp
Mountain, east Of Jasper. in Pickens
l0unty, Mr.. Covington writes,
'Roughly. should say, this happeneJ
in the year 1877. | was n very small
ctild then. living in Upper Cberoiee
county, not far from where the killing
occurred.
p AS | remember the circumstances
BOP southern, the husband of Kate
u.t,h
heart. His wife stepped into the ward
asked her father for his pocket knife
ana returned TO the dancing room. where
sue TOOK the offending girl 5y the hair
puI'd bark her head and cut her iusu-
Iar YEN by ono stroke of the knife.
,Nhc was tried and convicted under
JHdEe '''orge y. Lester, a one. armed
- ~ hon'Tmerat% veteran, who was Judge of
LW' hIIc Rldge Circuit at that time.
IN" women of the whole country intor
cHted th"mSc Ives in her case and nre.
S"hted petition to Governor Cojonit,
VINO rommutcd her sentence TO life I'M
prisonment. '' '"'
since Georgia was then under tbe
l'uS" system, he took her to his house.
ana presently gave her n pardon
!, hIIIk Sh" lives in the same community
~ ~, ,,l ii'NcIS county to this day. ] was
nl hrr having accidentally shot one of
h'r daughters about ten years ago.
thought perhaps some one might
D" Interested in this account, In the
l,eant!me, of course, we will not hang
Mrs. Ninson." ' """s
n SE"leton motion for n new trial
lnS been filed by counsel for Mrs
InS"n. This win, of course. pre.
cent tn" hanging on July 2S as oris.
nally set. No technical pronnd.
or new trial have been made puhIic
" IN" defense, and unless something OF
surprising nature Is shown. thu
General opinion is that Governor Hard.
rick will be called upon to decide The
ate of the woman. '"'
In the meanwhile the public will IN
large extent, forget what has han
ened, ana when the time comes FOR ths
maj decision, it is freely predicted
rhdition will prove stronger than
echnical justice.
And also In the meanwhile tho
ill hang. '""' '"'
Il am woman" she keeps rene...
,g. They don't hang women IN
$50 lrt