Webster County GaArchives News.....HANGING OF SUSAN EBERHART May 9 1873
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Phyllis Thompson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002524 July 8, 2004, 12:46 am

The Georgia Enterprise
     On Friday last SUSAN EBERHART was hung at the court house of Webster county
for the offense of complicity in the murder of Mrs. Span, the wife of Susan's
paramour. Most of our readers have heard how Spann attempted time and again
to murder his wife and was as often prevented by this girl whom he had promised
to marry after his wife was dead. Dragging Susan Eberhart from her bed one 
night, he succeeded in murdering his wife, and forced the unfortunate girl to
witness and partly participate in the dark and damning crime. For this they were
both sentenced to be hung- and both have been hung at the same place, on the 
same scaffold, with the same rope, and within the short space of three weeks 
apart. The sickening sight of her death struggles are too horrible for 
description.
     It was a gloomy day in Georgia when this friendless girl perished on the 
scaffold for this crime. A few hours before the execution it is said that the 
heavens seemed to weep at the terrible tragedy that was about to be enacted in 
the South Western portion of the State. The rains descended from the black 
clouds in torrents and all around seemed clothed in darkness and despair. 
Appeal after appeal had been made to the Governor for a respital of her 
sentence. Even the jury that convicted her begged that justice be tempered with
mercy, and the poor creature be spared to live.- But all in vain! The iron heart
of the Governor of Georgia was too hard to be touched by such pitiful appeals,
and turning a deaf ear to all their entreaties, refused to either fully pardon
or commute her sentence, and she was hung.
     If this young girl's confessions and statements just before her execution
can be believed, she was more sinned against than sinning. A brute and half 
crazy demon under the garb of a man forced and compelled her to assist in the
murder. She begged and with tears in her eyes implored him not to kill his wife,
but holding her by the hands he madly swore he would do it if he was  hung in 
five minutes after. The only part she took in the murder was to hand Spann the 
handkerchief when he called for it. She did this through fear and compulsion. 
And what unsophisticated young girl could have refused him anything at such a 
time and scene? But she is dead. Her soul has gone to the great God who gave it;
and idle words can avail nothing now. If we understand the nature of the appeals
made to the Governor from the citizens of that section in her behalf, we must 
say that he exercised the power of a tyrant in refusing to show mercy.
     Her career is ended. Poor, unfortunate, friendless, young and beautiful, 
she has paid now the full penalty for the crime she was charged with. Let her
faults be as countless as they may, they now slumber with her remains in the 
disgraceful grave that she has been compelled to fill.


Additional Comments:
This was in the same edition of The Georgia Enterprise.
     Miss Susan Eberhart was hung at Preston, Webster County, Ga. last Friday. 
She is said to be the second white woman ever hung in Georgia, and we think
it is a stain upon our boasted civilization that her execution should have been
required to satisfy the demands of the law.

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