The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, March 29, 1877, Image 1
Ala.
VOLo VIi. PICKENS, S. C., THURSDAY2AC 9 87
THE1 SENTINEL
D. F. BRADLEY, Editor.
18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY.
BY D. F. BRADLEY & CO.
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The Quadruple Hanging.
A FEARFUL AND SOLEMN SCENE AT
AmzN.
AIE, S. 0., March 16.-The ter
rible tragedy is ended, four sonle
blackened with crime have been
launched into eternity. Two min
isters were present with the culFrits
t1lis morning, and administered spir,
itual comfort. Two of the prisoners, (
Johnson and Brown, formally mar
rod the wives with whom they had
been living for many years, and re- t
ceived the rite of baptism.
'in preparing the gallows Sheriff
Iolley, who planned it, tcok every
piecaution to prevent any mishap.
The scaffold was orected in the Court
iHouse yard, just outside of the jail
enclosure, but in full view of its
whole eastern side. It was construct
ed on a new, plan. The main trame
was of solid eight by eight timber,
twenty four feet from end to end,
and the cross piece filleen feet from
the ground, and it was braced and
Ssupported oni every side. Through
five holes foLir feet apart were sus
pended the ropes. Inside of this
frame was the scaffold, the top of
* which was six feet from the ground
The prisoners stood in a line facing
the. eatst upon a trap door running
from end to end, which was kept up
by supports under each man, all
connecting with a rolling beam inI
front of the scaffold. This beam
Spassed ulnder the stairs leading from
the scaffold, and at a signal from the
sheriff the whole beam, removing the
sulppOrtS, fell, giving all tbe prisoners
a fall of at least fonr feet. It was
surrounded by State militia, called
out by the sheriff, and formed ini a
sqnare.
About 11 o'clock Adam Johnson,
Nelson Brown, Lucius Thomas and
John Henry Dennis, bandcuffed in
pairs, were brought out, clad in 1long
gowns of white longeloth, and in
their stocking feet. They were aur
rounded by a special guard of six
members ot the Palmetto Rifle Club,
the sheriff and two colored preachers
leading the way, and they advanced
singing hymns, and when 'they
mounted the gallows they were re
leased.
One preacher lined out the by mn
"Come ye that Love the Lord,'* and
,,all joined in. The other parson read
the service. Each of the condemned
men then addressed the assemably.---.
There were over 4,000 persons pres
ent of all colors, ages and sexes. The
prisoners were all remarkably self.,
possessed, and spoke with perfect
acomposure. Thomas and Dennis
laughed a great deal as if to impress
n-ponl the multitude their readiness to
die, the former in a nervous manner
" holding the rope in bi8 hand and
kceeping time with the singing. Their
Sspeaking occupied a half hour. Adam
uredne all hisabeaners to lead good1
lives. Johnson insisted on the son of
his old master standing by him to
the last. Brown said be did not
dread death, as be felt that he was
going right to- glory. Dennis said
that whiskey caused their sin, and
laid the blame on Johnson. He
spoke in a tone of bitterness towards
the whites. Thomas, the youngest,
spoke last. He said that he was con
verted four years ago, and was com
manded to preach God's gospel and
failed to do so. He described the
murder, confessing for the first time
his participation in the killing. He
said that brother Adam had struck
the first two blows, and that brotherI
Nelson went in and struck two also.
He, influenced by the great adver
sary, stiuck only one. Ile then spoke
about the fire, charging Adam and
Nelson, but they contradicted him,
and Dennis interrupted, saying "I
did that." He bade adieu to the
crowd, praying that he might meet
all in the paradise of God.
The whole scene was intensely
3olemn, and every one seemed to feel
it. The utmost quiet prevailed fromi
Brst to last throughout the large as
jemblage. When they had finished
.heir remarks their arms were pin
oned and the black cap drawn over
,heir heads. The sheriff, who showed
great emotion then descended, and
Itepping on the pedal at the foot ot
he stairs, launcbed the for men into
-ternity so suddenly that few were
Lware how it was done.
Your correspondent is informed
hat no evidence of suffering was
iisible in the faces or limbs of the
rictims, Johnson and Dennis only
lightly mving their lower limbs,
Lid in ten Winutes all were entirely
lead. The bodies were given to
heir friends tor burial.
The sheriff received this morning
jovernor hatIloin's reprieve of
hirty days for Sieve Anderson. He
was not brought out. It is doubtful
whe:her his sentence will be con
nuted or unot. McEvty, the mur
lerer ut Col. Gregg, now under seni
ruce of death, but whose case is be.
or e the Supreme Cour t, witnessed
he whole scene from his cell. The
cene was terrib)ly imnpressive throu
hbout, anid the effect will be salutary.
?air Trials the Right Even of Illicit
Distillers.
The illicit distillers of whiskev in
he mountain slope of South Carolina
Lbove Greenville, when convicted by
ne process of law are guilty of a
tatumary crime and are liable to the
)enalIies of the violated law. But
a this crountry no man is guilty in
lie eye of the law, util be is conm
rier ed by the unanimous verdict of a
uiry of his fellow citizens. And, in
>rde3r that men charged with crime
xnay have the benefit of the charac
:ers they have earned by their lives
and the aid of friends, they are en,
itled to be tried as near as may be
where they live.
We call public attention to these
mxatters, because in the arrest and
rial of mni charged with this crime
great abuses have taken place, ac
3ompanied by gross tyranny and
>ppressionl. The unreliability of the
mnbordinate revenue officers by whom
sitizens are arrested, and whose tes
t~inony convicts thoem, is notorious.
Despicable witnesses whose heads
and stomachs depend upon01 their
conviction are used. Poverty strick
an and ignorant men and boys are
arrested, twenty five and thirty miles
above Greenville, handcuflfed, tied,
and forced to walk and double-quick
n toot, with soldiers in front and
rear, to that place, getting there sore
and broken down, often old men,
aursed, derided and put into jail.
Instead of' being tried in Greenville
in August when the United States
Court sits there, they are bound over
Lo tihe April term of Charleston.-I
I'he conseq nence is that thnse cr..- j
tures are taken two hundred and
seventy five miles away from their
homes and friends, counsel and
ifteans, and tried before negro Radi
cal juries in a region to all intents
and purposes unknown to them. We
are told that last April a large per
tion of these men, old and young,
went to trial without an attorney or
Iriend. Judge Bryan contended in
:pen court that they should have
been bound over to court in Green
ville instead of Charleston. Judge
Bond went so far as to reprimand the
jury for recommending one of the
Lirst cases to mercy. The effect upon
bia packed juries may be judged.
[f acquitted, toot sore and heart sore,
inoneyless and friendless, they are
'urned loose two hundred and tevenn
-y five miles away from home.
Besides the injustice to these pris
mers, the expense to. the govern
nent of transporting prisoners,
ruards and witnesses to Charleston
a considerable. Judge Bryan stated
n open court that the juries in
areenville could not be excelled, and
Ihis crying evil should be corrected.
Judge Bryan, no doubt, will con
1ur in these views, for when William
E. Earle charged a mercenary mo
ive upon the Commissioner of Green
ville, Mr. Symmnes, for binding over
t case to Greenville instead of Char
eston, and Judge Bond said the
Jomn1issioner should be discharged,
Judge Bryan caine nobly to the res
!tie, and said that the Commissioner
was right aud deserved credit.
Law should be law, and justice
-hould be justice. The charge of
-rijie is not its proof. And no mnat
Ler how grave the crime, or how
worthy of punishment, every inai is
entitled to a fair trial, according to
the rules of law and the forms of as
ertaining justice, whether retribu
tive or otherwise.-Journal of Com~1
merce.
Thoughts for Saturday Night.
Our heart is its own grave.
'Things past may be repented but
lot recalled.
So sad, so fresh, the days that are
io more
Passions are easily evaded as im
>ossible to moderate.
Pain addeth zest unto pleasure and
eaches the luxury of health.
The air is full of farewells to the
lying and mournings for the dead.
Opportunity is rare, and a wise
nan will never let it go by him.
Passion costs too much to bestow
t upo'n every trifle.
The mindl revolts against certain
pinions as the stomach rejects cer
ain food.
The public man needs but one pa.
ron-namely, tbe lucky moment.
The only sin whieb we never for'.
give in each other is difference of
>pimn t.
Predominant opinions are gener
tIly the opinions of the generation
hat is tanishing.
Necessity is cruel, but it is the only
est of inward strength. Every fool
~an live accor ding to his own likings.
We cannot conquer fate and neces.
mity, yet we can yield to thorn in such
iway as to be greater than if we
~onld.
Every man has something to do
which he neglects, every man has
anlts to conquer which lhe delays to
~omnbat.
Thou tool! Nature alone is antique
uid the oldest art a mushroom; that
idle crag thou sitteet on is Six thous
ind years of age.
National progress is the sum of in
:lividual industry, energy and up
rightness, as national decay is of in.
chvidual idleness selfishness and
vice.
The happiness of life is made up of
minute fractions-the little, soon for
gotten charities ot a kise, a smnile, a
kindl look, a heartfelt compliment in
the disguise of a playful raflery-and
the countless other infinitesimals of
nplnasant thought and feeling.
Jack DuHet's Broken Heart.
A hundred men were digging for
gold, and they had named the place
"Joe White's Dream."
Singular name, but they were sin
gular men-brawny, rough, grizzled
and some of them wicked. They
were men from the east, digging, del
ving, in a sort of mad frenzy, for the
golden wealth of California.
On this day all work had ceased.
The men formed in a circle on the
grass, and in the center was Jack
Bullet. Ilis bands were tied behind
him, there was an old blood stain on
his face, and from his wolfish eyes he
sent murderous glar ces from one face
to another, and at last called out:
"I wish I had knifed some of yel"
None of the men replied. Some
were pale, others nervous, and none
seemed to relish the business on hand,
which was the hanging of Jack Bul
let. By and bye a meek and humble
looking man named Elder Graves by
the boys, entered the circle, and,
standing with one hand on the pris
oner's shoulder, he began:
"Jack Bullet, this is a solemn
morning for us all I Uero is tho rope
-there is the limb-and we are
gathered to hang you ! You caine to
Joe White's Dream weeks ago, poor,
hungry and ill. We fed and nursed
you, and when you were well enough
to work a full claim was staked out
for you. How have you repaid us,
Jack BulletI You have stolen dust
from the ien, brought discord and
jealousies among us, incited rows and
riots, and last night you were detec
ted when about to murder your part
ner and steal his few hundred dollars.
We try to be white in this camp, and
to use all men right, but we cannot
turn you loose to prey upor some
other party. The mn arc going to
hang youl"
"Let 'em hang-I can't die but
once!1" sulkily replied the prisoner.
"Jack Bullet," said tho elder, "I
am a praying man, and I want to
pray with you before you swing! I
am sorry for you. Yon are a strong
man, and yon are to die like a dog.
maybe you have a mother in the East
or you may have a wife and children.
God help them!"
The elder sank down on his knees
before the prisoner and prayed such
a prayer as the rocks have never ech
oed again. Before he had finished
there were tears in the eyes of half
the men, and Big Sam bent over to
Cnrly Jim and wvhispered:
"Now that's what I call roligium
the real old bang-.up religum such as
we used to git way back in New
Hampshire!"
When that prayer had ended a now
epirit came to the men. They scan.,
ned Jack Bullet's face and saw t,hat it
had softened, and as Elder Graves
stepped aside the president of the
camp cut Jack's bonds and said:
"We don't want your blood, though
you sought onrs. You are froe to go,
Jack .Bulle, but don't you ever entor
Joe White's Dream again!"
The reprieved man moved away
without a word, nor did ho look back
as long as he was in view. When he
had disappeared from sight the mins
ers returned to their work, each one
so busy with his thoughts that but
few words were spoken. That day
two weeks a man came up from
"Cardboard City" and reported that
Jack Bullet had been eaten up by a
grizzly, Every man in camp Celt glad
then that his*,town had escaped the
disgrace of a hangingr, and in the af
tornoon we sawElder Graves shoulder
a spade and turn down into a little
valley. It was a beautiful spot, al
ways full of the nvllowecst sunshine
and the prettiest flowers. When the
boys had knocked off work for the
day they all descended into the place,
for what reason no one knew, b)ut by
a sort of common consent. In the
center of the valley the earth had
been heaped up like a grave. At its
head was a board-at its foot a wild
rose. On the board Eldineresad
out with his knife:
JACK BULLET,
A9ED FORTY.
Mon may not have given him
a chance.
BUT OD WILL!
You wouldn't think those rougi
#non had sentiment in their heartt
but they saw through the elder's mo
tives in an instant, and the roughes
man in the lot stooped down and care
fully rearranged one of the sods.
Three weeks more went by, and on
evening Jack Bullet came into Jo
Whito's Dream, alive and well. H
stood on the little squaro in the cente
of the town, and he said not a wor(
till the wondering men had gathoi-o
about him. Then he pointod to th(
grave in the valley, his eyes fille
with tears, and he ohokingly said:
"Boys, I sneaked back hero thle
morning to kill some one in revenge
but I cum across that-that grave
down-down thar, and-and"
He held out his hands to the mer
and the tears blinded him so that h(
could not seo a face. Elder Gravee
went down on his kneos again, evory
man with him, and there woro mor(
tears and a prayer so beautiful an<
tender and true that Jack Bulle
sobbed like a child. His heart wat
broken, and all the satan in his natur
was driven out in a moment.
Joe White's Dream was a mininj
camp for many months after that, an
Jack Bullet was one of tho best met
in it. Tbo headboard grow gray a
the rain beat down and the sun shone
and the wild rose grow till it covere
all the grave, but no one disturbed j
sod. Tho grave was a sign-a beacoi
light, as it were, and perhaps minor
were right when they said of ou
town:
"They've had a revival up thar, ar
they are the best chaps an' the hard
ost workers on the slope."-M. Quac
The Newspaper.
I am a farmer. My farm is name
Pasturefleld. I take great pride ir
it and work as steadily as I. can, fol
I am sixty six, and was not inure
to farm labors in early life, bul
trained to the dry goods business.
Well, no matter for this. -I worli
and enjoy it. Then I get tired, ther
I smoke, arnd then -1 sit downm to tbi(
newspap)er. A b, then my fatigue il
forgotten, and I revel in enjoyment
and am recreated. Tbo great, good
newspaperi I used to read gooc
books, but neglect them now. W hal
becomes of all the books p)ublishIedl
I used to take agricultural journals
but there was too much agriculture
I get hints enough in the home news
paper to satisfy me. All around m<
are men who who work hard, ani
are honiest and faithful in their aiim
and ways, who take no newspaper
How do they live? I should haLv<
died twont years ago without them
I lend and give mine to imy neigh
bore.
And the neOwspaperC grows, an<
will continue to grow. Better ani
better men continue to go into iti
labors. The best only will live. 0
men of the newspaper, great teacherm
of the people, accept the law "tha
honesty is the best policy." Casi
out the cowardly, the weak, mean,
and wrong headed; and let the brave
the manly, the clear-eyed and cour
ageous help in making this grea
and glowing gosp)el-this big book
this darly teacher, this househoh
preacher, this hope, comfort, help
and enjoyment of the common peo.
pIe-the American newspaper.
Make it clean and true and faithful
As I believe the newspaper ba
already lengthened my lile, I doub
not that it will lengthen it to the ex
tent, probably, of twenty five years
which will give me quite a respecta
ble0 span. And I think of what it
character must be to me! But thei
I know the true, the brave, will liv,
and flourish, and that puerile, th
foolish, and false will soon die,
Circular.
Losses by'fre
A tabulated statement ofall 1besi
by fire In the United States and Oud
ada during the yeal 18f6'has beet
prepared. The tabalations show that
in the period mobtioned 9,801 fires
were observed' and reported' ib the'
two countries, or more than one per
hour. The value of the' property
destroyed was $7,775,800. In the'
year 1875 there were fewer fires but
the aggregate los Was $80,828,085e
of that class of property known as
'specials' 4,586' were burned against
r 3,652 in 1875. The total' losses by
i specials in 1876 were $45,976,700.
I in 1875 they were $55',878-,900. The
difference in the records of tbe two
years is attributable to the large fires
of 1875 in Virginia City,- Nov.,- an4
Oshkosh, Wis.
The lose to insurance companies in
the past year Was $38,262,100; in
1875 it was $43,681,100, the propor
tion of insured lose to the- total loss
being, therefore,-greater in 1875. Tl
loss to insurance compalies by spe
cials in 1870 was $23,341,400, and in'
1875 $28,051,890.
As between the two ountries of
a Canada and the United 8tates the
fire losses of the former were $9,145,.
200, and of the latter $64,6'6,600.
O the specials burned during the
year there were 145- drug stores, 214
grocery stores, 318 hotels, 145 liquor
stores, 118 livery stables, 153 restau-r
rans and 107 saw mills.
Of the twelve months Pebruary
proved the most d4sasterous, losses
therein amointing to $8,706,700 in'
Canada and the;JUnited States. Ice
tie month of December the losses
weto $7,790,400.
In the State of New York losseW
for the year amounted to $14,000,--e
000, of which the losses to- the insu
rance companies were- $8,48 ,500;e
The total losses in Pennelvania were
$5,871,700; in Massachusetts, $5,481,.
400; in Ohio, $3,685,700, in Illinois,.
$3,0- 3,100; in California, 2,979,700;
and in Mich iga'n, $2',896,500.
In some cases of specials there is'
a str iking coincidence between glieg
records of 1876 and 1875. Thus,
seventy seven flouring mills are
burned in the United States.
in 1876 and the same number
in 1875; in canada ten were
burned in 1876 and eleven in 1876,
In some other cases the difference; be.
tween the two years is notable. For
instan ce, twenty th~roe "fireworks
stores" burned in 1876 against only
five in 1875. Of cotton gin houses
only ten barned in 187h against nine*
ty nine in 1876.
A citizen of Eureka (Nev.) having
occasion to go home rather nexpect
tedly a night or two since, caught ae
gent lemen~ acquaintance in the act of
kissing his 'wife. On relating the
circumstance to a friend, be was ask.
ed if he punish)ed the guilty couple,
and replied: "No, not exactly; but
they must have soon from the way t
slammed the door that I was not sat.,
is fled."
The number of sheep In Anstralia
at the close of 17175 was 03,845,719,
or more than double the number in
Great Britain. The cattle were 6,4
884,527. The horses bad increased
to a million, and three millions and
i a half of acres wore under cultiva-s
,tion.
Cincinnati merchants employ band-.
some lady collectors with gr'atifying
results.
t A bill to establish a new oounty, to
- ho called Wade Hlampton County, has
,been introduced into the Legislature
Sof North Carolina,
S "Who was the meekest mnan?" asked
a Sun dy School teacher. "Moses."
"Very well; who was the meokest WO
man?" "Never was any."
L~ogal cquality of human beings,