Carroll County GaArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for JUNE 2nd thru JUNE 9th, 1882 1882 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: C Gravelle http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00023.html#0005680 April 8, 2007, 10:07 am The Carroll County Times 1882 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE CARROLL COUNTY TIMES", Carrollton, Carroll County, Georgia for JUNE 2nd thru JUNE 9th,1882 NEWSPAPER Issue of Friday, JUNE 2, 1882 COWETA County News Uncle Jeptha Davis is still alive but he longs to die and be at rest and he has selcted his funeral text, " Weep not for me but for yourselves and children." He wishes to be buried in a plain white coffin. ----- Uncle Barney Newton is quite sick but thought to be a little better at this writing. ---- We learn that Mr. Virgil Houston, son of Mr. Ross Houston, was killed on the railroad last Tuesday by the cars running over his body, which cut him in two. He was a young man. We did not learn the particulars. ----- EXECUTION OF MOON AND HANVEY TODAY Today, Friday, the 2nd of June, is the set by the law for the execution of Moon and Hanvey. The execution will undoubtedly take place, as all efforts in their behalf by their attorneys to get the sentence of the condemned commuted, has failed, and now nothing remains but to carry out the sentence of the law. The place selected for the gallows is east of town, just outside of the incorporation, not far from the road leading to Old Carrollton, on a lot of Judge Gilley's, in sight of the little grocery where Hanvey killed McMullin. The gallows is being erected at the time we write, Thursday morning. Hanvey and Moon, so Sheriff Hewitt says Thursday morning, slept well Wednesday night and appeared as cheerful as usual. Up to this time, Thursday morning, 8 o'clock, there has been no apparent depression upon the part of the condemned. A great many visitors, including ladies, have been up to see the prisoners during the past week. We are told, for we have not been at the jail, that over a hundred persons visited them last Wednesday. Religious exercises are held almost daily in the jail, and Hanvey and Moon appear to manifest a good deal of interest in the services. Last Wednesday, the prisoners selected suits to be worn upon the day of execution. They both selected dark suits. ----- LETTER FROM MOON; He writes an open letter to Stephens, the Chief Witness Against Him Just before going tp press the following letter from Moon to James Stephens ws handed us by Sheriff Hewitt, with the request from Moon to publish it. Stephens, it will remembered, was one of the most important witnesses against Moon. He is now, we understand, in Appling county in southern Georgia. With the exception of slight changes in the punctuation, the letter is published as it comes to us: Carrollton, Ga. May 20, 1882 Mr. James Stevens, Sir, I this beautiful evening, take my pen in hand to write to you, as my time on this earth is short, but I feel that I have a home in heaven where there is no hanging nor trials and troubles. Jim, I pray for you every day and night and I want to meet you in heaven where there is no trouble and sorrow there. Oh, Jim, I want you to pray night and day for I know that if you don't you can't get forgiveness for what you have swore against me; you are lost. So as you are not a friend to me on this earth, I want to meet your soul in heaven, is my prayer. For Jim, I thought you were a friend to me until after I got into my scrape, but as you are not a friend to me on this earth, I hope that we will be friends in heaven. Jim, I want you to come and see me hung if it is done and look at me when I am swinging by the neck and think what you have done for me. I want you to see me. I think that it will cause you to go to praying. Oh Jim, if you can't come, I want you to sit down on your knees on the second day of June and look up to God and ask him to forgive you, for Jesus sake. Oh, Jim, do pray and try to meet me in heaven. Jim, I took you to be one of my best friends but I found out that you was the worst enemy that I had on earth. I did not think you would have treated me so. All I wanted was the truth, let it be good or bad, that was all that I wanted, and, if you had told the truth I would have been allright, but as you have hung me, I want you to see my hung. I think it will give you a warning. I want you to see it and think how you would like to be hung that way. Oh, God, have mercy on you is my prayer. Jim, come and see me hung, you wanted me hung so bad. If you had been as good a friend to John Ward, as I was, he would be living today and I would been at work, but you made out like you was a friend to both of us at the same time you were doing everything against both of us, so as you said, that you had one dam rascal out of the way, and you would soon get another one out of the way. Oh, Jim, think where you are going. Just look on the gallows and think what you have done. So as you are not a friend to me on this earth, I hope to meet you in heaven. So I want you to ask God to forgive you and meet me in heaven. Jim, pray, I pray for you every day and night. W.L. Moon ------- IN MEMORIAM OF MRS. ELIZA DUNN Departed this life on the 20th inst., Mrs. Eliza Dunn, wife of Mr. Josee (or Jesse?) Dunn. The deceased was in the 55th year of her age when called to bid adieu to her pleasant home and loving family, but her faith in Jesus enabled her to pass through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil, realizing in that dread hour that his grace is sufficient and her words of confidence and trust in Jesus will long be remembered by those who attended her during the five weeks of her affliction. She had for many years enjoyed hope in Christ, but made no public profession of her faith till the year 1874 when she united with the Baptist church at Hollandville in Pike county, Ga., since which time she has remained a constant member of the church. In December 1881 she moved with her husband and family to his county and soon after united with the Baptist church at Bethesda. Although she had been so short a time in this community, she had by her meek and gentle manner, gained a large circle of friends who share the deep sorrow of the bereaved husband and family, and would commend them to the mercy and love of God, and to the comfort of his word. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." W.W.R. Carrollton, Ga. May 23, 1882 ------ LOCAL News Miss Sallie Gray, sister of Miss Mollie Gray of this place, died at the residence of Dr. Phillips, near Draketown, the first of the week and was buried in the cemetery in this place on Wednesday. ---- We have been presented by Mr. J.B. Stewart the artist, with some excellent photographs of Moon and Hanvey. He has them for sale at 25 cents each. ----- KANSAS District News We had two weddings last Sunday morning. Mr. William Gravet to Miss Cordelia Huggins and Mr. William Smith to Miss Emma Dukes, Rev. J.M.D. Stallings officiating. ---- STRIPLING'S CHAPEL News Mrs. Ann Lyle of Summerville, Ga., mother of Mrs. W.H. Huggins, is visiting in this community. ---- WHITESBURG News Miss Izora Johnson of Carrollton is visiting her uncle, F.C. Johnson of this place. ---- Virgil Houston, son of O.R. Houston who lives at Glover's Ferry below here and who was employed on the North and South R.R., was killed near Birmingham, Ala. a few days ago in a collision and brought home last week to his sorrowing parents and family and buried at Mt. Carmel church in Coweta county. The family has our sympathy. ---- POPE'S MOUNTAIN Community News Probably some of your readers would like to have an occasional dot from this section of the county. Pope's Mountain is situated about three miles south of Villa Rica on the Villa Rica and Moore's Ferry road. We presume it's name is derived from the Pope family living near it. ---- Arminda Morgan of Coweta is at her brother David's of this vicinity, in almost a helpless condition, she having cancer on her right breast. ----- NEWSPAPER Issue of Friday, JUNE 9, 1882 COWETA County News Uncle Jeptha Davis still lingers at death's door. --- Mrs. W.S. Copeland is quite low with dropsy. ---- NEIGHBORHOOD News Mr. Wingo of Heard county is dead, at age 67. ---- Mr. W.E. Brittain, an aged citizen of Meriwether county, died recently. ---- WHITESBURG News Uncle John Houseworth died last Saturday morning in the 77th year of his age and was buried near his residence in the family grave yard on Sunday evening. Rev. W.W. Roop preached his funeral at the grave to a large concouse of relatives and friends. In his death, Carroll county loses a good and upright citizen. ----- Mrs. Hindsman of Meriwether county is visiting her grandchildren, Dr. W.T. Brown and wife and George I. Wilson of this place. ---- LOCAL News Mr. Zed Bonner, son of Mr. John Bonner, has returned from an extended tour of Texas. ---- HANVEY IS EXECUTED ON FRIDAY; Moon attempts suicide and his execution is postponed Last Friday and Saturday of last week, the 2nd and 3rd of June, 1882, are days long to be remembered in Carrollton. Friday was the day designated by law for the execution of James E. Hanvey and W.L. Moon, the former for murdering Arthur McMullin on July 2, 1881 just outside the incorporate limits of Carrollton, and the latter for murdering John B. Ward on January 4, 1881, between sundown and dark, three miles east of Carrollton, near the residence of Jesse Robinson. It being generally known throughout this and adjoining counties, that the execution would be public, and that Friday was the day set for it, a great many people from a distance came in on Thursday evening that they might be present to witness it. But on Friday morning the main crowd came, they came from all directions, from east, west, north and south, so by 11 o'clock it was generally conceded, that the largest number of people were in town that it had ever seen at one time, the crowd being variously estimated at from five to ten thousand. Of course, with so many people gathered together, on such an occasion, there was a good deal of supressed excitement, which was augmented by the annoucement, early in the morning, that Moon had attempted suicide the night before, and was in an unconsious condition and could not possible live. MOON'S ATTEMPTED SUICIDE Investigation soon proved that the announcement as to his attempted suicide was correct. At about 2 o'clock Friday morning, the Sheriff, who was sleeping in the corridor of the jail opposite the cell of the condemned man, heard the difficult breathing of Moon. Going into his cell he found him in an unconscious condition, and soon discovered that he had taken poison. Physicians were summoned and every effort made to revive him, but to all appearance, without success and the doctors thought certainly he would die. This was the condition of affairs at 10 o'clock when the Sheriff, as the time for the execution approached, not knowing what to do, telegraphed a statement of Moon's condition to the Governor and asked what he should do under the circumstances. The Governor telegraphed back for him to suspend Moon's execution and await further instructions, and by the next mail sent, a reprieve for Moon for twenty-four hours. HANVEY'S EXECUTION At 11:10 a.m., Hanvey, accompanied by Sheriff and his deputies and his father was brought down from the jail and put in back to be carried to the place of execution. He was seated on the front seat of the hack, his father one one side, and Sheriff Hewitt on the other. On the rear seat were Messrs. Skinner, Hembree and Bagwell, the deputies of the sheriff. Hanvey was cool and collected when brought down from the jail and also throughout the ride to the place of execution. He held a beautiful boquet of flowers which had been presented to him, in his hands. A guard, under command of Capt. W.B. Huggins, armed with breech loading shot guns, part of them in front and part in rear, guarded the prisoner. At 12 p.m. the gallows was reached. The condemned man, still accompanied by the Sheriff, deputies and his father, mounts the scaffold with a firm step. By request of Hanvey, Messrs. Barrett, Bryan, Roop and Speers, ministers, were with him upon the scaffold, for the purpose of administering to him the consolation of the Gospel in these last sad moments. After the religious services were concluded, the noose was adjusted around Hanvey's neck preparatory to the execution. He then with a firm stride stepped to the front of the gallows and spoke in substance, as follows: " What has brought me to this place? It was whiskey and bad company." He warned the young men to avoid these things. "Eleven months ago", he said, "I came to that grocery up there and bought the whiskey, which brought me to this place." He felt that he was prepared to go, that although the Bible said that no murderer will enter the kingdom of heaven, he thought that referred to when there was malice in the heart. He referenced feelingly to the scenes of the night before in the cell at jail when Moon attempted suicide. How terrible they were to him. Moon he said, took deadly poison to end his existence, which he advised him not to do. Would not have done what Moon had done for anything in the world, and if he had known he was going to take poison he would have asked the Sheriff to have put him somewhere else. Moon had told him some time ago that he would do this. " God grant that I may be able to stand firm". According to the Bible, where was Moon today? What caused him to take the poison; because Moon said that he didn't intend to be a pattern for Carroll county. Hanvey said that if his execution would be a warning to the rising generation, he was glad he was here, instead of making away with his life as Moon had attempted to do. He again warned the young men to shun bad company and whiskey as they saw what it had brought him to. He said that he felt that his sins were forgiven and that he was at peace with God. He left many friends here but had more beyond. The Bible teaches what a friend we have in Jesus. May my fate be a warning to the young men of Carroll and adjoining counties. Again referred to the fact that whiskey and bad company had brought him to his untimely end, with now only a few more minutes to live, when he would pass from this life to happiness. He had no malice against anyone. Spoke of his kind treatment by the sheriff and his deputies with whom he had been for the last eleven months. Eleven months ago when he came to Carrollton and was lodged in jail that night, being unconscious until the next morning of what he was there for, when he asked a fellow prisoner who told him that it was for cutting McMullin, a man with whom he had no acquaintance and against whom of course he entertained no malice. He closed by saying that he had some of his pictures for sale and hoped that all of his friends and everybody else would come forward and buy them, as he had nothing else to leave his wife and children. He spoke for about 15 or 20 minutes, clearly and distinctly, though with a good deal of emotion. A great many went forward and bought copies of Hanvey's picture, the sale of them being continued for some minutes. He was apparently very much interested int he sale. During this time the deep solemnity and great excitement which seemed to pervade the audience was somewhat relieved and a buzz of conversation was heard throughout the large crowd, where all before was as still as death. But the fatal hours approached, and now but a few minutes remain between the condemned man and eternity. The time had come for him to bid farewell to his friends and those around him. He calls for Sheriff Hewitt's little boy Reub and tells him goodbye. He then bids the Sheriff and his deputies and the ministers good bye, when the latter leave the stand. Many others go foward and bid him farewell by shaking his hand. Last of all, his father, who had stood faithfully by him throughout his trial and had made every effort possible to secure the mitigation of his sentence, advanced to take a last parting with his son. The interview was an affecting one. What was said we did not hear, but have heard from others and we think it best that the sanctity of silence should be thrown around it. The father after bidding his son farewell, leaves the scaffold and nothing now remains to be done but the Sheriff to perform his duty. The condemned man man is placed upon the fatal trap, he legs and arms are pinioned and the black cap, ominous of death, is pulled over his face. The last moment has come, the Sheriff seizes the ax to cut the rope and in a clear and distinct tone, says " In the fear of God and the name of the State, I now execute the law". As he says this the ax descends, the rope is cut and the spirit of James E. Hanvey goes to its maker. In 19 minutes the body is cut down and turned over to his father. The execution took place at 1:15 p.m. MOON'S CONDITION Upon the return of the Sheriff from the execution of Hanvey, he found Moon much better, being conscious, and during the evening he had so far rallied as to call for some food. When first he became conscious, he asked as to Hanvey's fate, and wanted to know how he had met death. When told that Hanvey had been executed at the appointed time and his troubles were at an end, he exclaimed "I wish mine were too; I wish I was with him." MOON'S EXECUTION During Friday night, the Sheriff and his deputies remained in the cell with Moon. He talked freely with them, telling them why he had attempted suicide and what he had taken. He wished to make away with himself, he said, because he did not want the citizens of Carroll county to see him hung. He also said that he did not want to be buried in this county, as he thought everybody was against him. He said the poison he had taken was made by putting the heads of matches in a bottle of liniment which has been obtained for him some time ago from Dr. Fitts, for heart disease. He suffered a good deal during the night from paroxysms of pain, but at times he would drop off to sleep. He was not told till the next morning that he would be hung, and by then he said to the sheriff that he thought he ought not to hang him that day, as he was not well enough. At 12 o'clock Saturday he was brought down from the jail and placed in a hack to be carried to the execution. In the back with was Sheriff Hewitt and his deputies. He looked much better than it was exepected he would under the circumstances. He sat upon his seat quite erect, and as he was carried to the scene of the execution he would first look at one side, then the other, at the crowd. He appeared as one resigned to his fate, nerved to go through the last scene with a bold front. He spoke only once, on the way to the scene of execution, and then it was to request the sheriff not to bury him in the county. At 12:55 he ascended the scaffold supported by Sheriff Hewitt and deputy Sheriff Skinner. He was accompanied upon the scaffold by the Rev. J.S. Bryan and Rev. E.B. Barett. Rev. Barrett said by request of Moon, he would speak a few words. He then explained why the execution had not taken place the day before, and that Moon requested him to say that he was sorry he had attempted to commit suicide, and that he had confessed his sins and he hped that God had pardoned them. That he didn't think that he killed Ward, and that it was an error that he had bought the gun to kill him, that he had no malice toward anyone. Said that he had committed himself to God and had hopes that his prayer was heard for the sins of his life as well as of yesterday. When prayer was offered by Rev. Bryan, which closed the religious exercises, Mr. Barrett then stated in behalf of the prisoner that the reports in circulation about his having committed other crimes elsewhere, were false, that Mr. Moon made this statement in the presence of death. The ministers then left the gallows and the officers prepared the condemned man for his execution. After the noose was adjusted, a good many went forward and told the prisoner good bye. Everything in readiness at 1:20 p.m. the ax of the Sheriff desends and in the twinking of an eye, the soul of W.L. Moon is launched into eternity. He was dead in 13 minutes. Moon wanted to be hung without the black cap over his face. Thus ended the last act in a scene which we trust we may not see in Carrollton for a many a day again. The lives of four men gone, in the prime of manhood, and all on account of whiskey. -------- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/carroll/newspapers/newspape2190gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 21.2 Kb