Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-11-28
FAIRIES SENTENCED TO Chair
Glover Man Convicted Of MnfdeF
Newton Taylor.
TO Be ELECTROCUTED DECEMBER 29


Verdict Returned Saturday Afternoon
After Jury Had Deliberated to'
About Two Hours--Jurors Went te
Almighty In Prayer Before Consider
ina Case-Motion for New Trial Is
OverruIed, But Appeal to Supreme
Court Will Be Taken.
William c. FAIRIES, 6O-year-old tex
tile worker of Glover, was sentenced to
death on December 90, following his
conviction of the murder of Newton
Taylor, 13-year- son of James NJ
Taylor at Clover on September 6. The
verdict of the jury declaring FARES
guilty of murder was returned at 3:lS
Saturday afternoon, following deliber-
alton of less than two hours. At 1921
that verdict was read and at 5:21 the
defendant was sentenced to death, art
cr Judge Peurifoy had overruled mo-
tiOns for a new trial and a change OF
venue made by ThOs. +. McDow, CHIEF
counsel for the defense. FAIRIES heard
the reading of the verdict, carrying the
extreme penalty, unmoved. When ask
ed by Judge Peurifoy If he had any
thing to say why the extreme penalty
Of the law should not be imposed on
him he replied in a clear voice follow-
ing the prompting Of his counsel:
Nothing further than my counsel mas
already said" Then for eleven min
utes ne stood erect, his black slouch
hat in his hand, facing Judge Peurifoy
as the Judge talked to him before pro-
nouncing sentence. There was no
change in the expression of his coun-
tenance during that terrible eleven
minutes. The prison pallor Of his face,
the result of nearly three months OF
close confinement, did not change the
slightest toward a blush. There were
tears in the eyes Of many spectators.
There were tears in the eyes OF several
of Faries's children who were IN the
court room when the sentence was pro-
nounced. But there were none in the
eyes of Bill FAIRIES. He scarcely blink
ed an eye when Judge Peurifoy said:
your body must undergo the sacrifice
of the law. But your soul is still your
own and may still be redeemed through
the mercy of the Lord and Savior Je-
sus Christ.
"I would recommend to you the
Christian religion which comforted the
saints in the old days. 1t has been the
best comfort I have ever known. You
had a fair trial. Under the testimony
here the jury could have returned no
other verdict, since that verdict was
amply justified by the testimony. You
should receive the extreme penalty OF
the law, although your counsel made
for you the finest and most brilliant ar
guments that l have ever heard in a
South Carolina courthouse. But there
was no testimony in your behalf upon
which to base those arguments.
"If the facts as presented in this
case didn't show murder, then / never
heard of a case Of murder. l advise
you to prepare for death and l wonder
if you would not live differently if you
were prattling about your mothers
knee, a little boy again. / would ad-
wise you to commune with the minis
ters OF the Christian religion who will
visit you in your cell in the state pen
itentiary. The sentence of this court
is that you, William C. FAIRIES, be put
to death in the electric chair in the
state penitentiary in Columbia on De-
cembcr 30, between the hours of a.
m, in the forenoon and 5 p. m, in the
afternoon. And may God have mercy
on your soul. Take your seat"
And "Old Man Faries," as he was re-
peatedly referred to in the testimony
and in arguments, shuffed back into
his seat and put his right hand and
arm up to rest his head again, and a
few minutes later went back to jail.
The big crowd present for the reading
of the verdict and the pronounccment
of sentence shuffled out. There was
no demonstration of any sort when
Clerk of Court McMackin read the ver-
dict and when sentence was pronounc-
cd. Judge Peurifoy had previously
warned against and at the same time
congratulated the crowd on their eX-
ceilcnt behavior during the trial.
Jury Prayed.
From a member of the jury who had