Butts-Pike County GaArchives News.....Taylor Delk to Die January 27, 1897 December 24, 1896
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 April 13, 2005, 11:41 pm

Jackson Argus – Week Of December 24, 1896 December 24, 1896
The second trial of old Taylor Delk, one of the murderers of Sheriff Gwyn of
Pike county, was concluded last Thursday.

The jury was out 24 hours and returned a verdict of guilty.  Whereupon Judge
Beck sentenced the prisoner to be hanged January 27 next.   After sentence had
been pronounced the prisoner was hurried to the jail where Tom Delk, his son, is
confined, preparatory to his execution next Friday.

From his cage the young outlaw caught sight of his father.   He yelled out
through the iron bars:

“Pa, is’t over?”
“Last of January, Tom.”

The officers were hurrying Taylor Delk forward to avoid the crowd.  

Tom Yelled out his farewell.

“Goodby, pa; keep your head up an’ don’t let’em bluff you.”
“Goodby, Tom.”

It was a final farwell.  Friday next Tom Delk will be hanged for his horrible
deed.   Next month if the sentence of the court is carried out his father will
meet his doom.

Taylor Delk was hurried on to Griffin and placed on the train for Atlanta.

Attorney C. A. Haden filed notice of a new trial, which will  be heard in
Jackson on January 16th.

Concerning the trial which has just closed Hon. W. C. Glenn, attorney for Delk’s
makes the following complimentary allusion to Judge Beck:

“Whatever grounds there may have been for criticizing Judge Beck in the first
trial of the Delks.” Said Colonel Glenn, “I do not know, but I am sure that
there was never a trial more impartial and must than the last trial of old man
Taylor Delk.   On Monday night, when word was received that mobs were forming
for the purpose of lynching the Delks, Judge Beck was in bed.    As soon as he
heard the rumors he arose, dressed and went to where Delk was confined.   He had
the prisoner secretly removed to the woods, and did everything in his power
conductive to the old man’s comfort and protection.  He went to where it was
said the mobs were forming, and did much towards preventing the uprising.   He
is an able Judge, and thought he may have felt a little of the indignation felt
by others there, at the time of the first trial, he conducted the second one
fairly and impartially.”

Jackson Argus  - Week of December 17, 1896
THEY ASK PARDON FOR THE DELKS

Sarcastic Petition From Pike County Asking the Release of Both the Outlaws

A new move was made last week in the famous case of the Delks, when prominent
citizens of Pike county presented to the governor an application for a pardon
for Tom Delk and his father.

The petition is ironical and takes the peculiar ground that the people of the
county do not propose to spend any more money to hang the Delks, and would
rather see them go free than that the case should be longer delayed.

Col. J. F. Redding, the prosecuting attorney in the case, says the whole thing
is a hoax and a joke.

The people signing the petition said, that they asked the release of both Tom
and old Taylor Delk, because it would not only save the county further expense,
but because the governor had seemed to be in favor of protecting murderers and
outlaws.

The only action the governor has taken in the matter was to reprieve Tom Delk,
so that he could appear as a witness in this father’s Taylor Delk’s behalf who
is to be tried for the murder of Sheriff Gwyn in January.

The petition in full as follows:

To Governor W. Y. Atkinson:

Believing that the people of Pike county have done all that should be required
of a law abiding people in the case of the Delks, and have endured enormous
taxation on account of these cases and seeing that you are determined to protect
the lawless, the desperado and the murderer at the expense of public justice we
most respectfully ask that you liberate both Taylor and Tom Delk, that our
county may be saved further trouble and expense as we have no further hope of
justice being done in these cases.”

The petition was signed a number of persons whose names have not been made public.




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