Sacramento Daily Record Union

SATURDAY'S DISPATCHES
[SPECIAL TO THE RECORD-UNION.
MURDER AND SWIFT VENGEANCE
A Woman's Death Quickly Atoned for in
South Carolina.
CHARLESTON (S. C.), December 11th.-On Sunday last a farmer named Kennedy came home and found his wife lying outside of his front gate mutilated, cold and stiff, her head almost severed in twain. The entire cranium was cut off from ear to ear, leaving the brains scattered around on the ground. Several colored persons were arrested on Monday, but no clue to their guilt being obtained, they were promptly released. On Tuesday a colored boy named Joe Barnes was arrested, and showed so much confusion on being questioned as to his whereabouts on Sunday that only a few questions served to bring out his full confession and his accomplices, who were named Vance and Julia. They, however, on being charged with the crime, denied having anything to do with it, but the clothes which they wore on Sunday were bloody, and had some small particles of brain upon them. The money and pistol of Kennedy, which were found in their possession, were bloody, and on being questioned about the blood upon their clothes, the woman said she had killed a chicken, and the man said he had killed some partridges. On examination the bloody finger prints on the hoe-handle corresponded precisely with those on the shawl worn by the woman on the day of the murder; which circumstance had as great weight to convict her as the testimony of the boy. The horrible character of the murder awakened intense indignation in the neighborhood, and a crowd of 150 white men and 50 colored men assembled to punish the murderers. A further examination established the truth of the confession of Barnes. The negroes begged the whites to permit them to take the prisoners and burn them alive. This was refused, but a vote taken whether they should be jailed and wait the action of the Court or be lynched. Only 21 voted to await the process of law, and it was determined to hang them to the trees nearest the scene of their crime. Halters were obtained and fastened to a limb of a tree, a cart was placed under the limb, and the prisoners ordered to mount. Just then Joe Barnes begged to be allowed to pray, and commenced by saying he had never prayed before and never expected to again. Nothing was said by the others except to groan and "Lord have mercy," by Vance. Handkerchiefs being tied over their faces, the cart was pushed away and the trio soon were left hanging in the air.