Hamp Nethers Execution as taken from the Atlanta, Ga Constitution April 25, 1885

On April 24, 1885 the first hanging that had occurred in 6 years in Union County, SC took place. The grim ceremony was preformed privately. Less than 30 persons being permitted by our worthy Sheriff J. Gideon Long to attend the performance. Nothing noteworthy happened in connection with the hanging. The executioner discharged his duties with skill and nerve. The gallows paraphernalia was not unlike that used in Yorkville two weeks ago for another hanging. The rope was the customary size and texture-small and strong. The fall was something like four feet. The hanging caused no excitement in Union, although crowds came to town. Everybody felt like the murderer was guilty and richly merited his extreme punishment. Hamp Nethers was a bad fellow. He murdered in cold blood Adolphus Abrams. The crime occurred on the 24^th of last January. The court of sessions, Judge Cothran presiding, met the first Monday in March. All other cases on the calendar were overshadowed by the case of the State vs. Hamp Nethers, indicted for murder. The prisoner was arraigned and pleaded not guilty. An admirable jury was empanelled. The following facts were disclosed:

Dr. H.S. Beatty, sworn:  I am the physician who made the post mortem examination at the coroner’s inquest over Abram’s body. Death was caused by a gunshot wound inflicted in the back of the head, the bullet passing through both lobes of the brain, impinging against the inner table of the brain, and rebounding to the base. This is the ball I found, caliber 32.

James Wallace sworn:  The evening of the killing Abrams came into my store about 7 o’clock, and was soon followed by Hamp, the prisoner. Hamp called Abrams aside and asked:  “did you say so and so to my sister Charlotte?” Abrams replied that he had, but had asked and received pardon. Hamp said she had told him differently, where upon Abrams said she had lied. Hamp then cursed Abrams, but I ran to the door where Hamp was standing with a knife in one hand and a stick in the other, and told him to go away. Bill Crawford then took him away. As I went back, my pistol, which I had been greasing, fired in my pocket. Hamp shouted back, “ You shot at me. I replied, “ No, that was me, and it was an accidental fire.” About forty-five minutes afterwards Abrams left the store with Jim Beverly, and immediately I heard a pistol fire, ran to the door, and saw Abrams lying dead on the snow.

Will Crawford, sworn:  I was in Wallace’s when Hamp came to the door with a hickory stick in his hand and called Dolf out, telling him that Charlotte had informed him (Hamp) that he (Dolf) had called her a brute. Dolf said, “ It is a lie,” and Hamp pushed him back and cursed him. Just then I grabbed Hamp and Wallace grabbed Dolt, and I carried Hamp across the street and he said, “ Let me loose. I ‘ll kill him.” He jerked loose from me and ran home. Soon after Dolf started home with me with his arms locked in mine. Jim Beverly called to us from a short distance: “ Look out: here comes Hamp.” But Hamp was right on us, fired his pistol, and Dolf fell. Hamp went off with his pistol in his hand.

The Judge sentenced Nethers to be hanged today, and the sentence was properly executed.

The prisoner manifested no sorrow for his crime, and although he was attended to the last by his spiritual advisors, he professed no change of heart. He seemed to meet his fate without fear. His neck was broken, and life was pronounced extinct in twenty-one minutes.