Newspapers / Gastonia Gazette (Gastonia, N.C.) / Gastonia Daily Gazette (Gastonia, … / Jan. 28, 1892, edition 1 / Page 1
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j ll r 7 . rONIA 1 Devoted to the Protection ol Home and the Intreet8 mf the Conty .- y t.- i t - 4 . Vol. XIII. Tb ; C -A M . bolei CAROLINE SHIPP, A YOEXG COLORED WOMAN, IS IIAJGED BY THE NECK IN THE PRESENCE 0F,3,000 SPECTATORS, Mmi. Wnwpn. and cnildren. unite and colored. Tin ead, Dead, Dead! Frlda; ' twenty-second day of January, 1892, was full of scenes wuicn thousands of people in Gaston county f will remember to their dying day. It lis a day from which these thousands ; will date events the remainder of their .1' J lives. For on this day, a helpless hu ' 7j ,jman being wrapped in the black to I' kens of a murderer's death dangled ' from the end of a rope before their tf ': eyes and there swung in mid air chok ; Ing, choking, till dead, dead, dead! " , And these same thousands will be for- ' ever haunted by the memory that they were there for what? only to witness with their own eyes this-awful soul sickening spectacle! The day opened old and cloudy. The ground was damp, the roads were muddy. The cold, heavy clouds lay in dark and mot tled patches here, or iu loug irregular lines there, or again in smooth un broken surfaces against the sky, so obscuring the sky that not a single golden line of sunlight found its way through them to earth during the sol emn day. Men dropped their work, 'women left off their housekeepings children could' hardly betSou trolled. Early In the morning, from every part ,-efthe county, borae back, PietetTack, on foot, on eroehje5T'ia buggy, hack, and wagon JSey thronged to the scene of exticu- ...V. TBK OALLOW8. The scaffold was vex up-H veld one mile from the jaiL It was on y.'tbe county's property and stood about ' a hundred yards from the open grave In the potter's field. Being near the bead of a bottom, with the ground ' rising on three sides, the gallows stood la fall view from the semicircular hills boat it. ' 'Arranged in ranks on this gToand many thousands of spectators eoold have viewed the execution. It is tbred hours before the execution, but people are gatheriug in hundreds. It is surprising how many white wo men were present. Some sit In ve hicles, soma view the grave digger at bis work, some view the death-trap, and discuss its arrangement. There i 1$ stands in its solitude. Two up right posts about . sixteen feet high , and six feet apart, with a cross beam : at the top, make op the frame work. (' Little more than six feet from the ground is the platform, supported be tween the posts by a fixed timber nail- ,ed to the post on one side and by a bigle wooden pin through the ist ' . on the other side. Pull out the loosely fitting pin and down comes the plat form. This pin Is drawn from the outside. It goes through a plank and thm on through the post, projecting r' trough far enough to support oue end t . the. platform. The outer end it the pin is made too large to go JtLrougb the planlr, which is tiea up-'-ad-down to the post. The lower 'tad of this strip of plank has a rope an it with which it is tlJd to the post T&curely. At the proper time, ' the eputy will unfasten this, lower end nd jerk the plank outwards by means t the rope tied to it. The upper end f the plank is against the post, and falling out the lower end draws' the In from the post and thus drops the atform. r AT TH JAIL. a front of the jail there is a great 1 of horses, vehicles, men, women I children. The crowd seems to be ipatient. The people have been surg & through the streets or standing on oold muddy ground all the morn v Eleven o'clock has passed, and live is coming on. The Gaston emeo, tired 'of dreary waiting, a in ranks and drill in the court ire across the' street. Twelve o' Jc is here and the' deputy has not jaaid that everything is ready. It 4 be an hour yet. The reporters go filing off to the telegraph office to . trolly sure tnat tney win have no ouble fa getting quick connection 1th their papers. They return aud allowed W Yisit the oell of the, con fined woman. She says she is ready, ' stands in a long white gown with - ures embroidered over - it. She tprms her innocence, and de fine u n?l axraia to cue. "I did I W. F. MHSHW 1 Eli(r and Proprietor. Bj Law! not poison my baby, and I am not airaia io cue. Aiacs t arrar poisonea my baby." These same statements she made to a reporter two days ljefore her j death, to another on the afternoon be fore her death, and to both of them with two ministers the morning be fore her death, and declared them to the world as her last words from the scaffold a few minutes before her death. Her story of the crime in detail, with a history of her condemnation will be giveu in its proper place further on. The reporters came down aud find the crowds in front ol the Jail stilt impati ent. It is one o'clock and they have but a few minutes to wait, for the ex ecution must take place before two. she comes! ' At six minutes past one, tbe' poiider ous door of the Dallasjallr'swuiig back on its hinges, and Utecondemned wo man in charge ofDeputy Van Sellers met the gasfr the impatient throng. She worea lizht calico bonnet with smablack flowers stamped on it, and aras arrayed in a long black gown of some light fabric. From the gathered folds of the dark gown, a. cold white gleam fell out upon the eyes of the spectators. It was a gleam from the steel manacles upon her wrists. A wagon driveu by two littl white boys stands ready. It coutains'a plain cof fin with a fiat top. The coffin is wrapped in bW iot. nwi-iiooi tad Mt-ttr-wagon by Deputy Sellars into which she easily climbs. Without visible trepidation she sits down on her coffin. The deputy si ts beside her. The two colored ministers are also in the same wagou with her. Iu less than an hour and a half this friendless colored woman will be in eternity. The wugon moves forward, the drum rolls, aud then begins THE MARCH TO DEATH. Sheriff M. H. Shuford in front of the coudemned woman's wagn rides on an iron gray horse. Follow ing the wagon come vehicles and a long cavalcade of horsemen. Flanking the procession it ve hicles and horsemen, are the Gastou Riflemen with bayonetted rifles. They are marching in two s'ngle files, one on either side. Their bright bayonets and rifles gleam with chilling coldness on this dreary clouded day. Capt, W. F. Holland commands; and his youthful son John, the boy drum mer, teats the measures of the solemn death march. Outside of toe Riflemen dies are hundreds of men, women, and children following in the procession as it moves out toward the fatal field. Some one says "Look in that porch at that white woman laughing!" But the march to death went on and the solemn roll of the drum that measured the steps of the march also measured away the moments in the moitallife of every soul who heard it.T hrob, throb, throb-throb-throb, went the drum, never stopping, never faltering; and the friendless colored woman who sat on her coffin listened to its merciless roll tolling away one by one the few short momenta that separated her trom eternity. A black horse, saddled, but without a rider, breaks loose and creates some confusion by dashing hither and thith er on one side of the procession. But the death march moves on, and the solemn roll of the drum that measures the s&psof the march also measures away the moments in the mortal life of every soul who hears it. Throb, throb, throb throb-throb, goes the drum, never stopping, never falt ering; and the friendless colored wo man who sits on her coffin hears its merciless roll tolling away the few short moments that separate her from eternity. A section of the procession Is check ed a few moments iu order that a file of the military company may march through to the opposite side. But the death march moves on, and the solemn roll of the drum that meas ures the steps of the march also meas ures away the moments in the mortal I life of everv soul who hears it. Throb, throb, throb-throb-throb, goes the drum, never stopping, never faltering; ! and. the friendless colored woman who j sits on her cofflu hears its merciless roll tolling away the few short moments , that separate her from eternity, i Some one summons the levity to ; make a flippant remark to a member of ithe military company about marching to Chili. But the death march moves on, and the solemn roll of the drum that measures the steps of the march also measures away the moments in tie mortal life of every soul who hears it. Throb, throb, throb-throb-throb. goes the drum, never stopping never falteriug; and the friendless colored woman who sits on her coffin hears its merciless roll tolling away the last short moments that separate her from eternity. ON THE SCAFFOLD. At 1:35 the march is ended. Trie scaffold stands ready. Three thous- and spectators concentrate their gaze upon the young colored wiman in charge of the deputy now walking to the gallows. At 1:36 J Sheriff M. . II. Shuford, Deputy Van Sellars with the prisoner, Rev. L. C. Ubamlilin and ; Rev. B. F. Martin, two colored min- isters,ascend the scaffold The deputy j nnri assisfitnt urn ariinstincr thft rune to give the proper drop. At 1:38,0. F. MasonEsq. ,one of the lawyers for the de fense, who has worked hard and faith fully, spending time and means to se cure the commutation of the poor wo man's sentence, went up - the steps t weeping freely, aud taking this wo man's band said, "Good iye, Caroline, I have done the lest I could for you." .Sheriff Shuford also bade her good bye. "Give It five feet drop" called out Mr. Mason, "give it good drop." At 1:39J the prisoner, with the manacles still on her wrists, seemed to shiver as if cwld. Her breath came occasionally in a sigh, and she was evidently suffering in spirit what no words can ever tell. But iu a moment the chill passed off and from that time to the end she was perfectly composed. "Give it more drop," called out Mr. Mason to the man adjusting the rope, "give it good drop and break her neck," and with emotion he added, "I've dream ed for three nights that it was a butchered job and she choked to death; do it right, I don't want her olic-o- &axtr.M When nr Tope - was finally adjusted the end lacked about six inches of touching the plat form on which the woman stood. TIIERK SHE STANDS. At 1:42 Caroline was asked if she had any statement to mak", and she said that she did. "Well, tell what you want to say. Caroline; go slow," said Mr. Mason encouragingly. Her calico bonnet was taken off, and she stood there calm and composed before three thousand spectators. And as they looked upon her a husli came over the vast assemblage. There she stands i before them to speak her last words. She seems a girl rather than a wo man. She is barely twenty years old. She has a slight but not a scrawny figure, and is hardly five feet high. Her skin is not very black, yet it is hardly bright enough ' to be called a ginger cake color. She has small hands, a plump, round face, full lips, aud a young, girlish countenance, sad of course, but with nothing about it to suggest an aggressively vicious or barbarous nature. Her low and nar row forehead indicates that she does not possess strong mental faculties or sensitive moral instincts. That is about as true a pen picture as the writer can give of this woman who now stands in the presence of perhaps the greatest throng she ever saw, to make her last statement about the crime for which she is soon to die. HER LAST WORDS She is calm, and in a clear conversa tional voice speaks deliberately as fol lows: My beloved friends, I am accused of murdering my child, which I am not guilty of. I am innocent. Mack Far rar poisoned my baby, Mack Farrar poisoned my baby. I was staying at Solomon Holland's. He hired me to work. The Tuesday my baby died. Mack Farrar came to the house. Aunt Jinny Holland was gone to John Farrar's. Mack says he wanted a drink of water. I told him there was none there, and 1 went to the spring to get some. When I got mighty nigh back. Mack went running away. I say, "what you're running away for?" He says "I'll see you again" and kept on running. That was before dinner time. My child took sick with a "tho'in'up" and died between four and five o'clock the same evening. Unole Solo mon Holland found the box of rat poison in the woods near the house. I j never put it there. Mack Farrar put f it there. I give Mack the poison on j a Tuesday two weeks before, not know- ; ing what he was going to do with it, ! never thinking be was going to give it to my child. Mack Farrar put the box in the woods close to the house so people would think I should have put it there. So afar as my baby being . Gastonia, N. C, January 28, poisoned, I am not guilty of murder. I I know I was convicted of murdering j my child but 1 am not guilty. 1 think ) my friends done all they could to keep me from being here today. I thank 'em for it. But I thank the Lord that he has done more for me than they all. I'll soon be gone to meet my little ba by, beyond this vale of tears. Friends I asfc you all to meet me. Of com so, we won't put here to stay always. If we thought we'd live always, people wouldnt think atout dying ;nd would ut care what they done. We must all die somehow. Every hour, every minute, every second somebody is dying. She is Btill talking slowly without a tre mor. I expected to see my sister here to-day but I don't see none of my peo ple Here one of the ministers asked, with a strong voice, if .there were any of Caroline's frieuds or relatives pres- ' ent who wished to speak to her. Af ter a pause of oppressive silence the ; minister said, "None." It was a ; scene that appealed powerf ullv to the sympathies of every heart in that I presence capable of feeling sympathy for J a ooor forsaken, friendless and heloless coloTed woman. when the minister sorrowfully said "None present," Car oline continued Well, it's mighty bard. May the Lord be with you alL She was still calm, and approached death without a tremor. She had spok en with dehbetation, occupying eight minutes in her talk. SIWGtNG AND TRAYER. Rev. L. C. Cbamblin, the preacher in charge of the M. E. Church at Gastonia, then announced that Caro line wished two stanzas of a favorite hymn sung. He repeated the stanzas. A.fter repeating the stanzas, he with Rev. B. F. Martin, pastor of the Gethsemane A. M. E. Ziou church of Charlotte, sung them: Why do we mourn for dying friends. Or shake at death's alarms? 'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends To call them to his arms. Are we not tending upward, too, As fast as time can move? Nor should we wish the hours more slow, To keep us from our Love! Caroliue began singing, but did not jug tuo .tj, Hirivig'n. Tter Martin now offers the following prayer: Almighty God, from whom we re ceive all good gifts: We thank thee for thy mercy, the Bible in which thou hast revealed thy will to us, and for Jesus Christ, thy Sou, in whom thou ; hast vouchsafed salvatiou to all who - will accept Him, Him whom Caroliue ; hatli accepted and whom she is now i trusting. We wish to blend our praise , and thanksgiving with the saints and ; angels now around thy throne, and pray thee to bless and strengthen Caroline in this hour of sore affliction, i Give to her victorious faith. And O, may she realize thy presence. Thy rod and thy staff may they comfort her. ! presence, that she may, with thy saints redeemed from sin's power, praise thee forever. And us who are left behind do thou perfect in faith and life till we shall be called to join the glorified hosts in thy kingdom above. Grant these our prayers, for Jesus' sake. Amen Nearly all who were near enough to hear bowed their hads during the short but earnest supplication. The condemned woman bows her head prayerfully for a sentence or two, but she then looks out upon the vast sea of spectators. THE END IS NEAR. At 1:54 the Sheriff again mounts the scaffold and with the assistance of his deputy completes the filial details pre paratory to taking the woman's life. Tiie black hood is placed over the pris oner's head. Her light calico bonnet, the same worn when she was brought to jail, worn in court, and worn to her execution, she gave to che sheriff who afterwards took it home under his arm. The deputy unlocks the steel manacles, and as be places her hands beuind her, an observer cannot fail to note how small they are. He biuds them tight with a small cotton rope. Another piece of the same rope is tvsind outside the black robe, just above her knees. The noose is adjusted under her left ear. GOOD BYE. All have told her goodbye. The sheriff shakes her already fast-bound hand. Ministers, officers, all have come down, the useless timbers are cleared away, the deputy unties the rope at the bottom of the strip of plank, and all is still. A dark robed form stands in the chilly air alone. The woman must die the death, but she does not quake or tremble. Slightly stooping, she peers through the thin hood toward the deputy and in a clear voice, speaks the last;wordsof her life to him, words that may possibly sound in his ears till bis dying day in a low clear voice she asked "Are you ready?" "Yes," said the jdeputy. Just at that moment a clean white handkerchief fluttered from her hand down to the platform beside her feet. Deputy Van Sellars gave the rope in his band an awful ehock which drew the supportingpinj 1892. and down came the platform and the hooded figure. With a soul -sickening jerk the dark, hooded form was check- ed in mid air after a fall of about four feet. Not a muscle of the hang ing woman moved, there was not a tremor, not a sound. The crowd sur ged toward the rope pen surrounding the scaffold. "Get back, get back! ex claimed the Riflemen who formed a cordon just without the rope enclos-J ore. And turning sharp around with their bayonets, they forced the crowd back. "It was a good job said one, her neck was broken at once, and I feel relieved" All this occupies bare- ; ly thirty seconds. Here a j horrible sound of suppressed breathing escapes from the swinging body as it recovers from the sudden shock. Her neck had not been bioken! The hooded ', face is turned upward to the sky, the noose is under her chin, the chest is heaving and struggling in a terrific effort of nature to supply the lungs with air. The powerful hand of J the dep uty lays its heavy clutch on the noose and tightens it upon the woman's throat. Respiration is cut off, but the struggle of nature for air continues. The scene is sickening beyond endur ance and the writer turns away and leaves. . DEAD AND BURIED, Dr exanf ed, that mini latioj word deat totti fall 4 ness Tl buriei field gallo Tb was that March! an ille day tt that hild Imvmrl stance! poison some box o 29th on DiJ Mack same with 1 Farra morni first bond for app& u U If-IVO1 be committed to jail. The officers then took the prisoners, Caroline and Mack, to the graveyard where the child of Caroline Shipp was buried. The body of the child was exhumed and Doc tors Costner and Henderson made a post-mortem ex 1 mi nation of it. The testimony of the witnesses and the opinions of the physicians were such as to warrant the coroner's jury in rendering a verdict of poisoning against Caroline Shipp. She was com muted to jail that day, where she re mained until last term of court, which was held in last October, begin mng on the 21st, Judge Graves pre siding. The grand jury found a true bill against Mack Farrar and Caro line Shipp for murder and accessory before the fact. A special venire of 150 men was summoned. The jury was selected and a vast amount of competent testimony taken. Farrar was acquitted, having proven an alibi for the entire day on which the child died. This fact more than any other fastened the guilt upon the mother of the child. The evidence : seemed clear. The case went to the jury, and the verdict was "guilty." This is in brief, a history of the j trial and couviotion of this unfortunate'colored girl. It is useless now to review the testimony in the case. In - anoth er place the writer will refer to certain portions of it. O. F. Mason, Esq., one of the counsel for ; the j defense, used every exertion to secure her com mutation, but in vain. He secured a respite from Dec 18, till Jan 22. The Governor granted this that he might have time to investigate fully. Re newed exertions for a commutation were made, but in vain. Judge Graves, Solicitor Osborne, and Mr. Mason's law partner all refused to sign the petition for commutation. The Judge said: "There is nothing to recommend her to mercy except the fact that she is a woman." The Solicitor declared: "She is guilty of an outrageous mur der and should die." ' t J Governor Holt declared that it was his duty to execute the law in this State, and the law forbade a distinction 00 aoccount of sex. After fully inves tigating, he wrote the sheriff at length, declining to commute her sentence. IMClaii n fYiao a nnef mftrtflm I 1.50 per Annam, lath In Advance. His oath of office and his conscience, he said, forbade it. And the woman was hanged. THE WOMAN'S STORY OF HER LIFE AND THE CRIME. Between five and six o'clock or Thursday the day before her execution the writer was permitted to interview the coudemned woman in her cell. She occupied the middle cell or cage of a row of three which stands between two windows. The light falls on the two cages at the ends, but is cut off by partitions from direct entrance to the middle cage. It is a cold day. : The woman is cuddled up on a hard pallet, or mattress, on the floor to keep warm. There is no chair or stool to sit on. The woman sits up, but does not speak until she is spoken to. When addressed she spoke slowly and in the polite way -common to most colored people. I then told her what I had come for, that her end was near, she ought to conceal nothing, that I want ed the truth of the crime for which she was to die, that I would print it in the paper and the world would then read, it as she told it. She said there was nothing she wanted to conceal and would tell the story as it happened. Of course, many facts were related in answer to direct aud cross questions from me. These were brought out to make her story clearer. I give it in her own language as nearly as I can reproduce it from full notes. Nearly every word she sob e was written down as it was spoken. She said: i I am twenty or twenty -one years old. My father belonged to the Mt. Holly Shipus in slavery time. 'Twas on Tuesday 4iferJMtarch court. Mack r came to my house, l was nv- ith Uncle Solomon Holland and Jin n v. his wife. He (Solomon! ired me to wrk forTinnv.wri'a ay two weeks before, I had got jison and give it to Mack Far- got it from Mr. Charley mom- ck told me to get 15 cents from Solomon Holland and get the on. that he needed it. I Here 1 if she knew what the poison 1 1 ted for. She declared she. did ow. Had Mack ever hinted le wanted it ioirl jno, nejust needed it, and when I kept on him he said MI'm not a gwine nothing to you with it; you J.SrV,SSf ! take vour money to buy poison ick Farrar"? He said he ay the fifteen cents back. On day morning, two weeks before pned my baby I met Mack and im the poison, not knowing was going to do with it. He and went on to bis home, and to mine. On Tuesday tnorn r March court Mack came to be and asked where Aunt Jinny nie. SMe'3 gone to carry some I to Mr. John Farrar's. He pe for a drink of water. I told liere was none there, and I went spring to get some. Time I got r nigh back to the house, he jrunning away. I asked him (you running off for?" He says Pi you again," and kep' a goin. as about ten or eleven o'clock. Jby was playing on the floor; it took sick. It was knocking on or with a little stick, had a the stick. Child was a boy. one month being a year old. Ed Brown's child meaning 2d Brown was the father. loog- befsre- it took aick . with in-up" and then it bad spasms Oho and died between four and five o'clock that : evening. It died with its hands shut right tight together. Now, Caroline, how do you know that Mac Farrar poisoned your child? Well, I'll tell you now,how come I knowed he poisoned it. On the next Friday he come to uncle Solomon's and called me a time or two. Aunt Jinuy says, "Go see what he wants." I says "I don't reckon he wants anything" right that a way, and then went out to see what wanted. He says to me, "'Spose you lost your baby." Yes. And he laugh ed like he was mighty glad of it. He asked me three or four times, "Do you know what killed your baby?" I told him I didn't know. He says "Don't you go tell Aunt Jinny what I'm tel ling you? I know what killed your bahy." Aud be laughed and laughed and said he. knowed what killed it knowed all about it. And he told me "If you go back and tell, I'll kill you." And from that I knowed he give it the poison. Here. I questioned the Wo man closely about saying in court that she gave Mack the spoon and helped to mix the poison. I did not hand him a sHXn. He asked me did I want a dram, I told him no. Mr. Kit. Ham let and Gerard Thomson swore that I told them I helped mix the poison, j They swore it on me and I couldn't ; help myself. But I never to d them so ! and I never done it. I Didn't you tell on the witness stand that you got some ; water ror MacK, neipeu mix tne poison , in spoon, aud then went and looked away because you didn't want to see : the child take the poison? "No, sir," ; she said, "I didn't," Mr. Osborne . asked me if I was satisfied that Mack i Farrar poisoned my baby. I told him, j Yes, sir, I was satisfied Mack done it." Aboutlhis part of her testi mony I cross questioned her. It seems to be in direct conflict with what good men declare that she had told on the witness stand. I asked if she had told anything untrue in court which she now wished to take back. She meditated awhile and said she couldn't think of any thing untrue she had told. She said they - asked her so many questions, she didn't know what all she bad said in court, but she had told Mr. Osborne : she knowed Mack Farrar poisoned the child. Once or twice during the inter view she would repeat to herself in a whisper Uie last words of answer to my questions. This fact with contradic tions named above would seem to in dicate that her mind was not clear. When asked why .Will Davenport and Billy Cuiinou swore that Mack worked for them all that Tuesday when her baby died, she answered that they were mistaken about the day. And in mak ing inquiries we find that several good men think these two witnesses were honestly mistaken about the day Mack Farrar worked with them. No. 4. She added further! I started to tell . -'. at the magistrates trial just how it was.. - t But Mack wouldnt let me. tie says . . "You hush up: the leasfrsaid the easiest mended." I was afraid of Mack. Did ' Mack give you ten dollars to swear him clear? No. The day he left here after be came clear, he handed me ten ' dol- . lars twice but I give it back; told -him - " I didn't want it. He didn't offer me ten dollars to swear him clear. -, I THE BEST SHE COULD DO. ' V That much of her story related lo" , her crime. When asked if she bad ever done any thing real bad in ber:..v lifei she said no.. When asked bow.. f.-.-i many children she had ever bad she said two the first oue died three or four years ago at the age of sir months-. She was a very young - mother. . That ..; child, too, was taken with a i'th'o-in1- . .-. np." It died from a hurt, the doctor.' said. It was jumping in a chair and jumped out on its face. It died bleed- ? ing at the nose, and the doctor Cost- - . ner, I think said it was hurt inside. I asked if any one had ever hinted to her . that she bad poisoned that child,' " too. She answered no. She said that ... . -one was Jack Davenport's child. When asked-wby she threw herself away with , these men, she said it was the best she could do. Her parents died wbenv she ' ; was thirteen or fourteen years .old. , , Her folks were mean to her, and would ... ' take up her wages where she worked, '' not allowing her-to have them. She-'- took np with these -men because- they would help support . her. - .With what: y. 7 they gave her and what she made, she ,.f ... u could make out a living, 1 ' ' ' "JUST LIKE I'M TELLING ' YOTJ ! i - THAT'S THE TRTJTH ' ' ' , She said she had a sister which she ; expected to come to see her' before she was banged. But the sister never l came, and Caroline had already seen K , . her for the last time. On one of the ',' iron bar" lay a small red covered copy ' of the New Testament. "Can you read?" I asked. "I can read a little,' V washer answer. It was time forme to return home.- I told her the time was drawing near for her to die, and insisted that she tell the truth, if she' t' hadn't told it. She declared that just-'.r . like she had told me "that's the way it is that's the truth" I am readyto go.' I am innocent of tonrdetftigmy " Pressed my sympathy for her,aynfc tfc baby. I am not afraid to die." 1 ex;rf r was hard to have to die Innocent, but it was better for her to die that way than to die guilty. She said yes, she was innocent and wasn't afraid to-dia. , , ( "yes, a couple of boxes." -; ; . I then told her I did not. know that I should speak with her again,and asked if there was anything 1 could ao for her before she left this word -anything she wanted. She hesitated, moment while I stood in mosfc-enri- ous suspense, wondering what she ' would ask for. ; VYes," she said, "I'd like to have some sardines." "Is that all you want, just one box or- two or three?," I said. "Well, a couple of boxes, please," she answered. I .prom ised to send them and asked Mr. Campbell, who stood by, if he Would see that the sardines were brought to ber. I bade her good-bye and left. . . STILL; DECLARES HER INNOCENCE. :' The next morning just before the. execution, I saw the open boxes on the iron bars and I remarked that she bad got ber sardines.- "Yes, sir,?', she said, and I am very much obliged to , you." Mr.'. F. King, of the Atlap$ Journal, in the presence of myself and one or both of the colored ministers asked her again, if, as she knew she had to die within two hours, she had told the truth about the murder ot her child. She declared that she had told the truth, that Mack Farrar poia-. oned her child, and that she was ready; to die. Mr. King then asked if there was something she wanted She want ed two oranges and he got them for ber. We again bade her good-bye, and never spoke with ber again. The same story about the death of her child which she related to us sepa rately and together, . she - related -and re-affirmed on the scaffold . a few minutes before her death. Oa , the scaffold she varied the story only by adding the incident of old man Sol omon Holland's finding the box of poison out near his house. , j j GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY? That question was asked many times' : on 1 that hangman's day. , -The jury, . with the evidence before them, had said she was guilty. Standing within, a few moments of eternity the' wo man declared she was innocent. Was she guilty or not guilty?. Mr. Mason,; the most active of the lawyers in ber (lofVtii.oA wflfl of t.tiA nninion that hA was Kuilty an accessory; but that' BQe was a simple minded tool used by i Mack Farrar who was the guiltier of the two Mr. jj. F. Tipton of the Mfc. Holly News, says that in his opinion" sha w;ia entirely iruiltv. He la doubU ' less acquaiuted With facts of her char-, acter and circumstances which justify this belief, as it was in the ML Holly vicinity ; that she lived and was known. 1 . . OUGHT NOT TO HAVE BEEN HANGED. ' 1 For my own part, I do ' not think ' she ought to have beeu hanged. I do not know all the circumstances; I do , not know mat auy one man it ae quaiuted with all the circumstances, ' but from my knowledge of the case I thoroughly believe that she was either innocent or of weak and unsound mental faculties. Both alternatives may be true, I believe the latter it true, that she was a weak- minded easy,,. aud pliant tool in the hands of her par- ; amour, wnat rignt under heaven nad - the State of North Carolina to require ' a lot of men to take this ignorant wo ' man out into an open field and clioke j the life out of her with a big'rope?, Was it for vengeance or far the praven i tion of .crime? If for vengeauce tho. Stateis wrong. If for prevention of : crime, could not something else bare been done with her to conserve the : safety of society? If this woman was guilt, she just got rid of her child be cause it was in her way and she didn't : want jit. That is just about the - way the: State of North Carolina treated Caroline Shipp, , -... - ." i " ! ". ' ' I-
Gastonia Gazette (Gastonia, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Gastonia Daily Gazette (Gastonia, N.C.)
Jan. 28, 1892, edition 1
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