GALLOWS PICNIC.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1915, Page 10 (Supplement)

GALLOWS PICNIC.

REMARKABLE SCENES. It is doubtful if, in the history of the gallows, such remarkable scenes have ever taken place as those which occurred at Starkville, in the State of Mississippi, where two negroes paid the extreme penalty for killing a railway porter. Here ia the account of the affair which appeared in the Toronto Mail: "While five hundred farmers, whites and blacks, their wives, children, and employees, ate water-melon and picnic lunches, sang hymns and listened to the speeches of political candidates, two negroes, Dick Seal and Peter Bolen, accused of murdering a railroad. porter, have been hanged. The affair, which had been extensively advertised, partook of the nature of an old-fashioned barbecue, at which everybody present had a good time. "The proceedings were started with the free distribution of sandwiches and lemonade, after which several candidates for office at the approaching county elections took the platform, or rather the gallows, and delivered themselves of their best oratorical efforts. At times the applause was deafening, the condemned negroes all the while occupying places in the rear of the speakers and joining in the appreciation of the latter's remarks. As the time for the executions arrived, ministers ascended the scaffold and took their places beside the negroes. The Rev. M. Winbush invoiced the. Lord's blessing, in which the murderers joined, and then the hymn, "There is a land of pure delight. Where saints immortal feign," was sung with great gusto. Every one of the 5000 present, including the. two negro murderers, yelled the last lines at the top of their lungs: 'Not Jordan's stream, n<r death's void flood, {Should frighten us from the shore.' ''Overnight the condemned men ate several water-melons with relish, in addition to other delicacies which had been sent to them by friends; The dual hanging had been arranged by the authorities with an eye to the spectacular, Tile spot selected resembled a natural amphitheatre with sloping sides, in tlu: centre of which stood the gallows, Many of the spectators looked upon the instrument with awe, but the majority of those who had come long distances to see the spectacle felt never a quiver until the traps actually were sprung."