Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-06-20

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The switch was held for one minute.
The body was examined and the doc
tors requested another shock. The 1900
volts were again sent through his body
and five minutes after the first shock
the leader of the murder gang was de-
clared dead 1t took ten ampcrcs to
kill Kirby.
Kirby's body was brought out and
stretched on the table in the ante
room, where the bodies are always
strapped that the limbs may become
straight after the effects of the electric
shock. The witnesses were then cs-
cncc was ushcred in. In the little au-
ditorium were half hundred faces,
waiting to gaze for the last time on
the living form of young Jos3e Cap
pins.
With tears in his eyes, tho young
man of the trio entered the death
chamber, and was strapped to the
chair, at 6:32. Superintendent Sanders
then asked him if he had a statement
to make:
Gentlemen, all young men and old
ones too" began the young criminal, Il
advise to keep good company. am
here today to die, for keeping bad
company. If the truth were known,
and God knows il, i would not he here
to die today. If it had bcea left to me,
youns Brazell would have been living
today Let this be a warning to every
body. You may not believe what say,
but before God it's so; Jesus knows my
heart know lots of faces among
YOU" Gappins said glancing round the
room.
"Sargcant," the young man in the
chair said to Kitty" Sergeant. the
staff photographer of The Record. tell
all Yny friends said goodbye. / have
not Nhad justice. Jesus died, after
perfect life. Goodbye everybody.
Good bye Sergeant" These were the
last words of the young man, except
short and earnest prayer, as he sat in
the deadly chair, and in the eyes of
even the hardest in the audience there
were big tears.
STAND by me, dear Lord, in my last
moments on this EARTH" the young
criminal prayed; and then in a quiet
Tone for a whole minute without inter-
ference from the eXecutioner, who
waited as he prayed, a hand on the
switch, the young murderer poured out
his soul to God, for forgiveness The
officers waited, but the best of earth's
privileges must end, and the hand of
the big prison sergeant threw the
switch, and powerful 13-ampere,
1,9OO-volt current leaped through the
huge frame of the young lad.
1t was two and three quarter min
utes and Gappins was pronounced
dead.
Fox, the man who stabbed BraZell,
of over 200 pounds avOirdupois, dra-
matically entered the death auditorium
at 6:47.
Good morning, gentlemen" he said,
saluting the witnesses who sat in front
of him At GAS he was asked if he
had last statement.
II have very little to say" Fox be-
gan, except that want to warn all
poor fellows out IN the world to live
right; l am sorry l got in bad COM
pany; but I'm not good company. l
bear no malice for any one; L have
nothing to say against the other boys,
and l hope to meet them all in heav-
en-"
At $50. the switch was thrown and
the physicians had to call for second
shock, to make sure that the big man
was dead. In four minutes and seven
seconds the dead" signal was given.
Three bodies were strapped to three
separate tables in the ante chamber Of
the death cell. Three lives had passed
out, in cxpiation of the most dastardly
crime the state has known in years. To
dishonorcd graves were carried three
murderers, and to the people Of the
state a lesson is taught; to the young
manhood of the state is sounded a
warning, by the changing bell on the
pcnitentiary wall, a warning against
violation of law. The just and iron
hand of the law has closed, as it will
close again on him who throws the
laws of man and of God to the winds.
| South Carolina's worst drama Of crime
is ended, and to the great yondcr have
passed its actors.
When c. J. Kirby C. o. Fox and
Jesse Gappins, the famous murder
| trio" went to the electric chair. they
paid the penalty for the most bastard
! ly crime committed IN the state in
many q year the Staying Of al inno-
/ cent taNi-GrivCr. who was murdered in
cold blood ON a lonely highway, his
| body left in the dew, his mprdCr"is
taking his automobile with a view to
it's sale. For the first tim" III the his
| tory Of The electric chair in this state,
three white men went the electric route
the same day, and for the first time
since 1913 white man paid the death