The last two of the Stevens murderers were executed here today. These were named Henry Cannon and Taylor Palmer and they make twelve altogether who have suffered death for the murder of George Muttison Stevens on the 31st. December last at 8 pm.
The history of this foul deed is already familiar to many of the readers of the Herald. About dusk on the last day of 1870 Stevens who was a wagoner, accompanied by Ben Robinson, a driver started from town in Steven’s wagon to procure a barrel of whisky. Having accomplished their mission which took them about five miles from town, they were returning here by the Spartanburg road, and had proceeded only a short distance, when about eight pm they were halted by a squad of armed militia, variously estaminated at from twenty to thirty. They were drawn up in a line across the road and were under the command of Sylvanus Wright. It was bright moonlight and their winchester rifles and other improved arms glittered as they were moved in the beams of the Queen of night. At the command Stevens halted. Several of the sable militiamen at once demanded whisky and Stevens kindly responded by handing them his flask. This was soon emptied of its contents and they demanded more. , when Stevens informed them if they wanted more they would have to pay for it, desiring Robinson, his companion to drive on. The wagon went forward and had scarcely gone fifty yards when Wright, the commander of the squad exclaimed, “By God ! Kill Them !”.
With bloodthirsty alacrity over twenty shots were discharged at the wagon, missing the two men, however, and both of them jumped out and ran for their lives. Robinson ran into the pines on the right side of the road and Stevens sought refuge in a cabin on the left side of the road. A number of the militia among whom were the two men who died today pursued Stevens, but the woman who owned the cabin resolutely shut the door and refused to let them in. Again they demanded to be admitted, and being refused they fixed bayonets and swore they would go in or kill somebody. Threatened by this the poor woman opened the door, when the murderers rushed in; they seized Stevens and dragged him out. The unfortunate wagoner began to expose himself from the woods and said boys “I’m alright, don’t hurt me,” upon which one of them, Andy Thomason by name, struck him in the mouth. Then to conciliate them, Stevens said in a most beseeching manner, “you can get what you want, take the whiskey.” Seeing they took no heed of his efforts to appease them, and in judging from their usage of him and their manner that they incaut mischief, Stevens appealed to one of them, named Jim Hardy, to do something for him; but Hardy was kept back by the others, and was not permitted to get near him. He was then marched back to his wagon, and from there he was taken to the woods by Isaiah Nolan, Henry Cannon and Taylor Palmer. Stevens asked, “What are you going to do with me?” “We are going to give you 500 lashes and then turn you loose,” replied Nolan. It is believed that when some distance in the woods from the road, Stevens may have made an effort to escape, for soon after they were heard running. Sylvanus Wright, the commander said, “Boys they are running, he’ll get loose.”
Following this expression several shots were heard and the running ceased and after that three or four shots more and all was silent. Soon after the men who went off with Stevens returned to the road where the wagon was still standing surrounded by the militiamen drinking whiskey, Wright advanced to meet them and said, “Did you let him get loose?” To which one of them replied, “No by God! We killed him.” Each one of the party claimed to have the honor of murdering the poor wagoner, and Cannon said after he fell, “I thought he was not dead, so I stove a bullet through his head.” And then addressing the commander directly he said, “Wright, you could not have picked three better men to shoot him.” Wright then said he wanted some whiskey and they all helped themselves. After which, they came on toward town leaving the barrel with the tung out. On the way, while passing the house of the two white gentlemen, not more than a mile from the scene of the murder, Nolan purposed to take one of them out and kill him as he felt in the humor, but Wright said, “enough for tonight.” A number of the murderers then went and spent the remainder of the night dancing until midnight and making horrible allusions to their bloody work. Upon the evidence of Robinson, the driver, the whole gang who were present at the time of the murder were arrested and confined in the jail here. Of those, twelve were known to have been directly or indirectly concerned in the murder, and they were accordingly indicted. Not long afterwards, Judge Thomas issued writs of habeas corpus in their cases which required their bodies to be produced before him in Columbia. Among the people who were greatly excited over the murder, this was believed to be a dodge having for its object the ultimate escape of the prisoners from justice. But not to be bailed, a body of five hundred horsemen all disguised, appeared at the jail in February, demanded the keys from the jailer, took out ten of the prisoners and departed silently as they came.
The next day it was found that six of them were hung, two were shot, and two were “lost” (a term synonymous with hanging), having never since been accounted for. Cannon and Palmer were left in jail, and were tried at the last term of court and were sentenced to be executed today. All the testimony at the trial left no doubt on the minds of the people of the guilt of anyone. The evidence of Cannon and Palmer was very strong, and their terrible sentence was generally commended by the entire community. Both the condemned men appeared resigned to their fate. They were under the spiritual guidance of the Reverend Golden Foster who visited them regularly for several days past and they seemed to have made their peace with God. Like all of their brethren who have graced the gallows, the condemned men appeared to have had a glimpse of paradise immediately before their exit from this life. Soon this morning all the preparations for their death being complete, the two condemned men were escorted by a troop of U.S. Calvary which has been stationed here for some time in view of the Klu Klux militia disturbances, to the gallows. This structure had to be erected especially for the occasion though it was located at the place which from time immemorial has been devoted to public executions. It was one of the ordinary machines, rude in appearance, substantial in its build and thoroughly effective in its operation. There was an ample fall allowed to ensure death, and the surroundings of the place were as ghastly and horrible as could be desired. Owing to the extended notoriety that this murder had obtained, and the popular excitement it had engendered, there was a large crowd present to witness the expiring agonies of the two wretches, agonies which the entire community not only endorsed and approved, but which they were in a degree grateful for. Specimen sprigs of the chivalry and countless array, with suggestive features, flowing hair, black slouch hats, and with their britches stuffed in their boots, mounted on horseback, were present on the outskirts of the crowd. About midday, the two condemned men marched from the midst of their escort and steadily ascended the steps leading to the trap of the scaffold where they took seats. Here, after a prayer which the preacher feelingly offered they volunteered a confession, which was delivered by one assisted by the other, who assented to and endorsed by all that was said. The spokesman who was very calm under the trying circumstances asserted the innocence of both and stated they had died innocent men. While acknowledging that they were in the party that murdered the poor wagoner, they denied any part of the crime. The theory of the affair was that a plan was agreed upon among the militia that they were to go to a place called Jonesville to fight the Klu Klux, but finding none of the weird and mysterious craft, they had resolved to return home and take somebody’s head on the way. Unfortunately for poor Stevens, he made an acceptable victim, while these loyal militia were in that blood thirsty frame of mind, and he was sacrificed merely for want of a more worthy subject. As they concluded their confession, which had little effect with the surrounding crown the soldiers included, the Sheriff and his assistants, took charge of them, pined their arms and ankles and the black caps were pulled over the faces of each. At about half past twelve o’clock, at a given signal, when every eye was riveted on the two living effigies, when the crowd held its breath and a death-like silence prevailed, the bolt shot back and two bodies were hanging and revolving in mid-air. They fell with a jerk that strained ropes to their utmost tension and the inclined position of their heads justified the belief that the necks of both had been broken. Cannon scarcely struggled, but Palmer exhibited symptoms of terrible agony for a number of moments including convulsive involvements, heaving of the chest, and twitching of the lower limbs. Cannon’s neck was broken, but Palmer’s was not, probably because the former was the heavier man of the two. After hanging about thirty minutes, during which time the crowd began to disburse, life was declared extinct by an attending physician, and the bodies were cut down. The death of Stevens has certainly been terribly avenged, ten men illegally murdered and two (some say) legally murdered.