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©he Herald and Jpuertiseu.
Newnan, Ga., Friday, August 12tn, 1887.
AN ENTIRE FAMILY MURDERED
Ire-
Nine Members of Richard F. Woolfolk’s
Family Butchered—Details of
the Horrible Crime.
Wpeclal'to Atlanta Constitution, 7th Inst.
Macon, Ga, August G.—This morning
1 he city was electrified by the arrival
• Of a negro named Sanford, from the
farm of Captain Richard F. Woolf oik,
bearing a letter addressed to “the pub
lic at large,” stating that Captain
Woolfolk and his entire family had
been murdered at their home, twelve
and a half miles from Macon.
So soon as I heard the report, I start
ed with Captain W. A. Davis to the
scene of the tragedy. We drove out on
the Thomaston road twelve miles, then
around to the left through a lane and
approached the tine old country home
of the Woolf oiks. The house is of the
old-fashioned Southern build, seated
on an eminence overlooking the spread
ing fields of the plantation. The ap
proach is through a grove of ancient
oaks, that seemed to droop their bran
ches in a solemn hush in spmpatliy with
t he dreadful tragedy that had been en
acted within. The grove was filled
with horses and vehicles of every de
scription, but the crowds that hovered
about the mansion spoke with bated
breath in the presence of the horrible
death fiend that had left such a bloody
wreck behind. The house is nearly
square, with five rooms, a long piazza
in front and an ample hallway running
between the four main rooms.
Within those rooms lay an entire
family, save one, weltering in their
blood—the murderer, who was closely
guarded in a vacant room. We enter
ed the house and with bowed heads
were conducted into the bloody
chamber of death. The house faces
eastward and the first front room on
the south side showed no signs, at a
casual glance, of the ghastly scene to
which our startled eyes were soon to be
come accustomed. This room was oc
cupied by the boys and the room ad
joining, looking toward the southwest,
was the sleeping room of Captain and
Mi-s. Woolfolk, and the younger child.
Opening the door we beheld a scene
that the most stout-hearted among us
will not foget till his dying day. On the
bed lay Captain Woolfolk, next the
wall, his feature and limbs naturally
composed, but with the whole corner
of his head burst m and the brains
scattered on the bed, floor and walls.
He had been struck just over the left
ear with the eye of an ax, in the left
eye with the same part of the ax and
oil the forehead in the same manner.
II e looked as if he had never moved, even
in the wild agony of the death strug
gle. On the same bed, with her form
doubled up on that of her dead hus
band, lay Mrs. Mattie Woolfolk, his
wife, with her long hair all dabbled in
blood. She looked =no had
bc .en stricken in the act of rising and
just fell dead on the body of her hus
band she sought to shield from the
murderous blow. She had been strick
en down with a single blow that was
delivered on the back of her head with
the eye of the ax.
But the crudest sight of all were the
bodies of a young lady and a little babe
lying dead by their parents, who loved
them so fondly. Miss Pearl At oolfolk,
a young girl of seventeen, had appar
ently been thrown across the bed after
her poor young soul had taken its
flight.
Indications point to the fact that she
had run from her room opposite, across
the hall way, and just at the door of
her mother’s room had encountered
the bloody fiend who was dealing death
with such a fatal hand. A large pool
of blood on the fioor in the hall and
crimson spatterings on the wall told
the tale. Her head, with its blood-
matted crown of silken hair, rested on
the bodies of her parents and her feet-
bung off the foot of the bed, almost
touching the sea of blood that u as- rap
idly coagulating on the floor of the
large room. Her face bore a look of
angelic serenity, bhe had been dealt
one blow, crushing in the left ear; an
other crushing in the left eye; another
on the left side of her face; another
slighter blow on the right side of her
forehead and another still crushing in
the back of the skull, all done with the
poll of the ax.
By the side of its fnutilated father,
almost in the cold embrace of its poor
dead mother, lay little Mattie, a sweet
little suckling babe of eighteen months,
apparently sleeping sweetly. Just one
wicked stroke with the blunt part of
the ax seemed to release its cherub
soul from the tender body. It was so
pathetic to see its flaxen locks all mat
ted in blood, and its little night clothes
all stained to a dark crimson with the
life blood of its parents, that men of
iron soul were melted to tears.
On the floor near by lay Richard F.
Woolfolk, Jr., a young man just in the
dawn of useful manhood, his face all
cloven and distorted with the murder-
ours blow of the assassin. He had ap
parently ran from another room to his
father’s assistance, and was met with a
blow from the eye of the fatal ax.
This probably knocked him down, as it
crushed in the skull over thm right eye.
Another blow on the back of his head
crushed his skull, and two other blows,
©ne over the right eye and another in
th CloT ! by hi* side little Charlie
WttdfolWW five years old next week,
Soelay him the murderer
resorted to the wicked blade of the ter
rible instrument, already soaking with
blood. His little skull was cloven deep-
ly from the top, and to make his work
sure the murderer struck another blow
with tin; poll of the ax on the lit tie
fellow’s right temple. The bedding
dripped with blood; the floor was a
pool of gore; the walls were all bespat
tered with the same dark stains.
Across the hallway is another room,
which was occupied by the girls. In
there slept Miss Pearl, little Annie
Rosebud, and an old lady visitor, Airs.
Tempie AVest. After the slaughter in
the flrst room, the murderer entered
the northwest room and there little
Annie, aged ten, had been awakened
by the noise and ran screaming with
fear as if she would have escaped by
the window. She was dealt a ruffianl}
blow behind the left ear, followed br
others on the left temple and on the
neck. There was a dark bruise on her
back, probably caused by a blow in
tended to stun her and keep her from
leaping out of the window. Hei face
was horribly distorted, as though she
was in the act of screaming when-strick
en down.
On a bed adjoining lay little Rosebud,
aged seven, as if she had ne\ er been
awakened by the entrance of the fiend.
A slight stroke on the shoulder showed
where the fatal ax had glanced, and a
terrible blow behind the left ear. show
ed how well the weapon had done its
work. Not content with robbing the
cradle, the villian must needs rob the
grave, and by the side of the little ghl
fay Mrs. Tempie AVest, eighty-four
years old, with her withered features
distorted by two ugly wounds, one be
hind the left ear and the other in the
left temple. All these were dealt with
the poll of the ax and the wounds were
most horrid. From all appearances,
neither the old lady nor the little
girl with her, ever knew what struck
them.
Miss Pearl was recently a pupil of the
LaGrange Female College, and was
one of the most lovable and accom
plished young ladies in the country*
Mrs. AVest arrived at the AVoolfolk
home on Thursday last. She is a sister
of Dr. R. C. Black and Mayor AV. A.
Black, of Americus. She was also a
relative of Mrs. AVoolfolk and had come
to spend some time with the family.
INVESTIGATION BA' THE CORONER.
Those who arrived first at the scene
of the tragedy found everything in such
a shocking condition that they decided
to notify the coroner and other officers
at once. After Tom AVoolfolk, the onlj
survivor, had been locked in the room
and a guard placed at the door, the
neighbors sent for the officials. Coroner
Hodnett arrived and the following jury
was sworn in: AA r . L. Hughes, AV. A.
Davis, M. M. Folsom, AV. H. Jones, L
M. Halsey, T. II. Clay, H. J. Brown,
AA r . J. Moseln, J. C. Kailey, Henry Par
ker, R. M. Gilbert and X. A. Powers.
The first witness examined was An-
dershn James, colored, who lives on the
place. He swore that at about two
hours before daylight he was awakened
by Tom AVoolfolk calling for Green
Lockett, who lived near, and saying
that Captain AA'oolfolk and all his fami
ly had been murdered. Anderson arose
and ran to Lockett’s house, where lie
found AVoolfolk in his night clothes,
barefooted and bareheaded. After a lit
tle stay, AVoolfolk went up to the house,
stayed some ten minutes and returned
and asked Anderson to go for assist
ance. Anderson did so; met AV. II.
Smith on the'way and carried the news
to other neighbors. After he returned
lie found AVoolfolk sitting near the root
of a tree, talking with Mr. Smith at the
AVoolfolk house.
Green Lockett, colored, was sworn,
and he said he was awakened by Tom
AVoolfolk calling him. The latter said:
“Father and mother are killed and I
want you to go up there and see what
is the matter.”
Lockett was too badly scared to go,
but AVoolfolk went up to the house and
returned, begging Lockett to send word
to the neighbors. Lockett sent two
little boys to notify Mr. Yates and Mr.
Smith of the tragedy. They went and
Air. Smith came in response. AVhile
Tom AVoolfolk was there lie sat at the
root of a tree a little distance away,
cursing and groaning and muttering to
himself. He had been cutting white
oak the day before, witness said, and
afterward engaged in making baskets
with the others up at the house. AA T it-
ness knew of no special ill-will, except
that the young man had been rather
disobedient to the family and it was
common talk that he and his step
mother did not get along well together.
Luanna Cooper, colored, was sworn.
She lives a mile from the AV oolfook
house on the Yates place, and had got up
to doctor her husband, when she heard
a terrible commotion over towards the
AVoolfolks. She heard people scream
ing, dogs barking and cows bellowing
as if they smelt blood.
Emma Jones, colored, lives three-
quarters of a mile in a northerly direc
tion, and she and her husband were
aAvakened by sounds of wailing in the
direction of the AVoolfolks. They heard
two women screaming, one coarse and
other shrili, and the first cried ou
“Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord!” Then all w
still and in a short while they heard a
man’s voice calling Anderson James.
AV. H. Smith, white, was sworn. He
said that when the boys from Lockett’s
awoke him, at about 2:30 o’clock, he
came immediately and found Tom
Woolfolk at Green Lockett’s, two or
three hundred yards from Woolfolk’s
house. Tom seemed cool and collected
and said that somebody had killed the
I whole family. lie and Tom went on
1 to the house and Tom walked right on
in. After a few minutes he came out
on the piazza and asked fora match, as
he could find none inside and the lamp
was out. He went in and stayed a few
minutes and again came out, Air. Smith
remaining outside. Smith asked him
how he knew they were dead, and Tom
replied that he had been around and
felt of them. He said he had laid his
mother and .sister on the bed, having
: found them on the floor. His only ex
planation was that he heard the blow
| that killed his father; heard his broth
er Richard, who with the younger
| brother, Charlie, were sleeping in the
j same room with Tom, run into his
| father’s room, and. Tom heard him
struck down. Then he jumped from
| the window and escaped.
When Tom Woolfolk was brought
into the room where the father, mother
and four children lay, he pointed non
chalantly to the dead bodies, describing
the position they were in when he came
and felt of them. There was not a
quiver in his voice as he spoke of lin
ing his mother and sister on to the bed.
In the jury room he broke down once
or twice, but finally became self-pos
sessed, and reiterated the story of the
murder as told to the witnesses. He
first said he heard no outcry, but af
terwards said he heard the children
crying as he ran off. He told lion he
had returned alone, and felt of the
bodies to see if they were dead, and
how he afterwards went out and washed
the blood off his face, feet and hands,
where he had got it handling the bod
ies. He had evidently studied his part
well, as he repeated the statements by-
rote like a school boy saying his lesson.
He told how they had retired about 0
o’clock and he had washed and shaved.
When allusions were made to the blood
found in the rim of his ear this morn
ing he tried to explain it away, but he
used the significant expression:
“How could I miss it, when blood
was spattering everywhere ?”
On re-examination he was stripped
and the faint outline of a bloody hand
was discovered on his thigh. He said
he probably got that .when he changed
his clothes. Attention was called to some
dark stains On the fioor of the room he
occupied, which hail been partially
scoured out with soap and watei. He
said he had turned a cup of salts on the
floor on Thursday night. Tom said
that he did not think there was any
thing in the house to tempt lobbeiy
and his father had no enemies. The
lamp was burning when he went to bed,
but was extinguished when he returned
to the house after the murder.
Samuel Chamberliss, white, was next
sworn and testified about tlie same as
Smith did. lie described the appear
ance of the floor early in the morning
when it hail first been rubbed, show mg
that the murderer had tried to obliter
ate the stains. Tom AVoolfolk had re
peatedly remarked that the bloody foot
prints on the fioor were his, for lie had
bloodied his feet in his father’s room
looking at the bodies. Mr. Cliambei liss
heard him when he went to the well
and drew water to wash himself.
R. H. AVright keeps a store about two
miles from tlie AVoolfolk’s and he testi
fied as to Tom purchasing a one cent
stamp for cash and a two cent stamp
and a drink of whisky on credit Friday-
evening. Airs. AVoolfolk anil Tom
didn’t get along well, but for her hus
band’s sake slie tolerated him, but he
and the children, especially Richard
and Pearl, frequently disagreed.
John Owens, colored, testified to
hearing Tom AVoolfolk remark that the
property belonged to him and he meant
to have it.
Some little effort was made to prqve
a conspiracy between Tom AVoolfolk
and Anderson James but it fell through.
Solicitor-General Hardeman waited on
the jury and advised them as to render
ing the verdict, and they then cleared
the room and without discussion unani
mously agreed on the following:
AVe, the jury empanelled to hold an
inquest on these bodies, find that the
nine persons deceased, viz: R. F. AVool
folk, Sr., Mrs. Alattie AVoolfolk, R. F.
AVoolfolk, Jr., Pearl AVoolfolk, Annie
AVoolfolk, Rosebud AVoolfolk, Charlie
AVoolfolk, Alattie AVoolfolk and All*.
Tcmpe AV est, came to their deaths from
blows delivered by an ax, anil in our
opinion the wounds were inflicted by
Thomas AVoolfolk and the same is mur
der. AV'. J. AIozelev, Foreman.
EVIDENCE CONCLUSIVE.
Before the verdict was announced
Sheriff AVestcott, with a small posse,
had hurried Tom AV oolfolk off to Ala
showing that there was no robbery.
Turn AVoolfolk’s sisters, Mrs. Cuwran.
'' of Hawkinsville, aud Airs. Edwards, of
East Alacon, were notified of thetrage-
dv. Mr. Thomas AVoolfolk, of Jones
; county, arrived on the scene to-night,
; sadly grieved at the death of his broth-
; er and family. Old Air. Ben Howard
| sat heartbroken in the hallway of the
desolate home to-day contemplating
the death of his daughter and his grand-
i children.
About two thousand people visited
the scene to-day, many of them from
Alacon. This afternoon a large crowd
of young ladies visited the house, all
playmates of AIis> Pearl, and their grief
and* lamentations were heartrending.
Captain AVoolfolk had a large planta
tion, running about ten plows. That,
| with his city property, was worth about
j twenty-five thousand dollars.
! This evening at six o’clock I ndertak-
! er J. .T. Clay sent out five hearses and
! two delivery wagons to bring in the
i nine bodies. The procession has never
i been paralleled in Alacon. They' will
' bring-the bodies to Alacon during the
: night to be interred in the AV'oolfolk
j burving-ground in East Alacon to-nior-
i " • 3 c
! row.
After the bodies were dressed this
evening they were laid out in the hall
way- and in rooms, and a .more heart
rending sight was never witnessed.
They had bled so much that they look
ed more like wax figures than human
beings.
TIIE DEAD.
54.
Captain Richard F. AVoolfolk, aged
Airs. AVoolfolk, aged 41.
Richard F. AVoolfolk, Jr., aged 20.
Pearl Woolfolk, aged 17.
Annie AVoolfolk, aged 10.
Rosebud AVoolfolk, aged 7.
Charles AVoolfolk, aged 5.
Alattie AVoolfolk, aged 18 months.
Airs. Tempe AVest, aged S4.
OBSEQUIES OF THE MURDERER’S
VICTIMS.
AIacon, Ga., August 7.—Before sun
down, Undertaker J. J. Clay-, to whom
the interring of the bodies had been in
trusted, sent out seven hearses, all that
’were in the city, to bring the bodies in
to town. The intention was to reach
the city- by midnight, but as that time
arrived, and the procession did not come
iu sight, your correspondent resolved
on a trip to the scene, accompanied by
lido Ramsdell, the Constitution artist,
and AI. M. Folsom, the Constitution's
Alacon correspondent. The moon - was
shining brightly, illumining the road
way- as it passed through open field and
woodland. The absolute stillness of
the night and the horror of the mission
conspired to make the journey one of
silence. It was not until the broad
Acres of the AVoolfolk’s was reached
that a sign of life was seen. It was just
an hour before daylight as the travelers
turned into the settlement road which
led up to the home place. Glittering
between the trees could be seen the
lights from the windows of a house in
the distance. A nearer approach re
vealed one of those elegant Southern
homes, whose hospitality has traversed
the circuit of the world. The grove,
set upon a knoll which sloped on all
sides, was of native oak, which stood
upright in their massive proportions as
the moonbeams revealed their grand
eur. In the center of the grove was
set the house, prominent in front by
reason of the six pillars which held the
roof. There was the aroma of flower
and shrub, betokening the refinement
of its owners, but the horrible stench
of human blood soon overcame it, and
well nigh rendered further approach
impossible. Scattered about in tlie
grove were perhaps a hundred vehicles,
while every tree held a horse ora mule.
Prominent among the equipages stood
Clay’s magnificent hearses, whose nod
ding plumes of black contrasted st range
ly with the brilliant trappings-of silver
and old gold.
TRULY A DEAD HOUSE.
‘ soothed dying pillows and given com-
. fort to aching hearts. As she ascended
j the scale of years and then began to
i descend again, her silvered- hairs be-
I came a glory to those who had grow n
up around her. Four-score years had
been vouchsafed her, and yet fourmoie,
! anil she walked among her kinspeople
j a welcome guest. Thus it was that she
had traveled to see her niece. Airs,
i AVoolfolk. And because of this visit
| she sleeps to-night in Rose IliU !
In the second coffin reposed the stal-
! wart form of Captain A\ oolfolk. A
i strong face, well covered with ilaix
whiskers, broad shoulders and powei-
ful frame, he was such an one as would
! l>e a tower of strength not only to his
I family but to his community. His lips
| were closed, his eyes were shut, hi>
J hands were clasped. His work was
done. ..
By him reposed the body of his u ife.
i The face was not pretty, but it was
| strong and dutiful; such a face as one
i might look for in a woman who had as
sumed control of another woman s chil
dren, only to receive in return for her
pains and self-sacrifice, reproaches-and
ingratitude. But she has fought the
tight of duty; if her work is not graven
in the hearts of those for whom it was
performed, it is at least recorded in the
Great Book ’ wherein the Almighty
notes the names of those who serve
him. Her lips are closed in determi
nation; her hands, as they lie crossed,
are large, and show that they have not
been afraid of work. They have toiled
and toiled wearily for the very wretch
whose bloody ax crushed in her braid.
Smiles wreathed the faces of the chil
dren, but the hard lines of duty had
made the mother’s face plain.
Then a look was taken at the row of
white coffins. There laid the six chil
dren, from eighteen months to twenty-
years, and a prettier family group was
never seen. Aliss ■ Pearl, robed in im
maculate white, was the picture of
youth and beauty. Her eyes were
gently closed as if in sleep; her lips
were pliant and almost seemed ready
to speak.
“There is a girl,” said a broad-shoul
dered countryman, “for whom any man
should have been willing to die; of
whom any brother might well lie proud;
and yet she was slain by a brother’s
hand.”
Little Annie, who was chopped in
the back of the head as she attempted
to escape, was placed upon her side, in
order to hide her disfiguring wound.
She looked as if she had just turned
over to go asleep, and her golden ring
lets fell carelessly down her shoulders.
Upon Rosebud’s lusciotis red lips there
played such a smile as would tempt any
woman’s embrace. But it was tlie lit
tle baby’s face which received most at
tention. It was named for its mother
—“Alattie.” Attempt to describe it ?
Every happy house has had just such a
baby; every fond mother has pressed
such an one to her yearning heart.
AVho can describe the soft blue eyes,
the lips of velvet touch, the outheld
hands’? It was “mother’s baby” which
laid there, and through whose brain
the ax had cleaved !
aged man,-scarcely able to stand, was
THE JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE.
The air was fresh and cool, and the
i road along which the funeral proces-
' rion sought its way to the grave was
alomr a road which led through de
lightful stretches of cultirtited lands
and forests. The credit for the work
I of getting started off so wed belongs to
Mr. Clay. When the entire household
was found dead, Air. Clay was put in
THE LAST NIGHT ON EARTH.
It was well they did, for while the ju
ry were investigating the surroundin
a number of men, with pot-hooks, drag
ged the well, which was very deep, and
brought up the shirt that was worn by
the murderer last. It was a fac simile
of a shirt belonging to Tom AVoolfolk
in the possession of the jury, and was
all stained with blood.
AVhen Tom was examined he had on
a shirt too large for him, evidently his
father’s, the sleeves of which had been
bloody, but the wearer had tried to
wash the stains out. AVhen this was
found in the well the indignation knew
no bounds and men publicly expressed
regret that they had allowed Tom to be
taken away. Several persons had drank
freely from the well during the day,
having no idea of the ghastly garment
hidden therein.
On looking through the house the
bloody towels were discovered that the
murderer washed himself with thrust
under the bed where the four dead
bodies lay.
In Richard Woolfolk’s pants pockets ;
seventy cents.in change were found, j
As approach was made through one
of the front walks, laughter was heard
on the front veranda. It suggested that
even in the presence of death life w ill
assert its buoyancy. The watchers had
sat through tlie long hours of the night,
keeping the last vigil of the stricken
house.
“Do you want to see the dead' peo
ple?” was asked.
“Yes,” was the laconic response.
The door was thrown open !
And we stood in the presence of the
dead!
Three large black coffins rested on
stools in one end of the room, while
six white coffins were placed in a row
on the. other side. Their very number
removed all sense of solemnity. One
coffin, or two,' would have suggested
death, but nine Coffins, of assorted sizes,
could not fail to suggest an undertaker’s
establishment.
A look through the open fronts show
ed that the coffins had inmates, but
here again solemnity was removed for
the sam« cause. There were top.many
bodies for the ordinary idea of death,
and one could not help thinking of a
wax figure show. As your correspon
dent passed between the coffins, he
could not bring himself to realize that
death was here. There was so much of
it that all idea of death was effectually
banished.
And yet, here laid the victims of the
bloodiest tragedy in the annals of crime.
In the first coffin was laid Airs. Tem
perance AV est. She had been but a vis
itor of a couple of days, but such a long
visit has it become that she will never
make another. For 84 years she had
walked her way. In her time she had
been a belle* then a fond young wife, a
mother, ‘a grand-mother. She had
How quiekly the mind ran back to
the night before when the house rang
with the song and laughter of this now
mute crowd! The father sits in the
place of authority, a king whose rule is
love. Airs. AVest, the visitor, sits next
to him, telling of the events of her
young life, and scarcely daring to speak
of the future, so uncertain is her hold
upon it. Aliss Pearl sits at the piano,
running her fingers carelessly over the
keys, while Richard stands besides her,
telling some incident of local note.
Charlie and Rosebud and Annie sit
around on stools, listening to their el
ders or engaged in childish play. Alotli-
er sits to one side “crooning” tlie baby
to sleep. T lie door opens, and tlie fig
ure which appears there casts a shadow
over the whole group. The mother
kisses her babe more convulsively than
she ever did before, though she knows
not why. Tom takes his seat for a mo
ment, with eyes downcast, and answer
ing questions in monosyllables. At last
he gets up and goes to his room, but
the shadow lingers. Airs. AV est looks
at the light as if trying to see beyond;
the father’s flow of conversation stops;
Aliss Pearl’s ffhgers refuses to move;
Richard forgets where he left off;
mother’s face bears a pained expres
sion.
“Papa,” she says, “we will have to
get up early.”
“Yes,” he answers, “there is much
ahead of us to-morrow.”
Soon all are retiring. The children
are in bed, but the mother lingers.
Taking the light she goes into Aliss
Pearl’s room and kisses the sleeping
girl. But she is not asleep !
° “Mother,” she says, “I have such wild
thoughts in my head.”
At last all is still, and in time a
forced slumber has closed the eyes of
all—save one. Tom is awake. AVith
cat-like tread he steps out on the floor.
In an instant (hung groans are heard.
Blow after blow is struck with the
bloody ax, and body. after body falls in
a heap around the infuriated monster
^fho is wielding the ax. Screams,
-groans* contortions, spurting blood,
and in the center of it all Tom AVool
folk danced as the very dev il. Thus
the scene changes from life to death,
and the house of joy is made a.house of
mourning.
the deserted house.
As the sun rose the hearses were put
in order, and the work of removing the
coffins began. Msijor Ben Howard, an
I absolute charge. The work of getting
' nine bodies ready for burial under such
I circumstances was phenomenal. Every
| arrangement was carried out as planned,
! and not a hitch occurred at any time.
| As the procession progressed hundieds
of people congregated at the cross
roads and stood awe-stricken as hearse
after hearse passed by with its freight .
of dead.
“Georgia is getting worse than Tex
as,” saiil one. •
“I never thought I’d live to see such *.
a thing !” said another.
“It’s not safe to go asleep of nights,”
observed a third.
AVomen gathered in groups and
watched the strange spectacle. Chil
dren looked on in wonderment. The
negroes especially were demonstrative,
and in several places set up the regula
tion shout, and their praying voices
eouhl be heard long alter they had been
passed. Cried out one old woman, re
ferring to Airs. A\ oolfolk: ,
“Dar goes Miss Alattie now. I miss
ed her, an’ tuk keer on her when she
was sick. She was always a good wo
man. Lord bless you, Alias Alattie, I’ll
meet you in heaven, but dat boy what
kill you he will roast in hell!”
A'ehieles of all kinds joined in the
procession, and by the time it had
reached the cemetery gates it was a
mile long, while within the cemetery
there were gathered live thousand peo
ple.
THE FUNERAL CEREMONIES.
The vaults were not all ready, so the
coffins were laid out in a group under a
tree. The thousands of people looked
down from the hills with a shudder as V
one after another was taken out and (
laid down. The crowds surged in upon
the enclosure, so that several ladies ^
came near fainting. Rev. I. R. Bran
ham took his stand in the midst of the
coffins. He said he stood verily in the
midst of death. lie recognized the ex
citement which prevailed, and called
upon all to invoke calm by joining in
prayer. Ills prayer was a beautiful ap
peal to God to send comfort to the
stricken hearts here to-day. “But,”
said he, “while we pray for them, we
must not forget him who is in prison.
Prepare him, O God, for whatever des
tiny may be his; turn his heart aright,
that he may yet come unto Thee.” For k
his text he took from Alatthew 25, the
passage, “Be ye also ready,” and preach
ed therefrom a sermon which called up
on all to answer the question.
lie turned aside from his text, how-
present as chief mourner, lie being the
father of Airs. AVoolfolk, and the grand
father of the murdered children. He
sat upon the front porch and watched
the coffins as they were taken out. His
head was bowed, and lie leaned heavi
ly on his stick. The last coffin taken
out, and the old man was gently, told
that all was over. He arose slowly and
with difficulty. He looked out into the^
grove, where stood tlie seven hearses
containing his beloved dead. ’Slowly
turning around, he looked into the (
open hallway. All was empty. Not
an inmate survived to see the others
off. Bleak, and bare, and desolate !
“Farewell ! farewell!” lie cried out .
in sepulchral tones. Ilis whole frame
quivered, and he would have fallen had
not strong arms held him up and led
him down tlie steps. No sooner had
they stepped off, than the six steps
fell with a crash, rendering it impossi
ble to get back into the house. j
“AVliat a strange futility !” was the
significant remark of Air. Clay.
The procession moved off slowly,
leaving behind it the deserted house,
ever, to make a statement which will"
command public attention. “A solemn ^
duty rests upon us,” he said, “to see to
it that the law is executed. This is our
hope. There are too many loopholes
for the escape of criminals. An attor
ney once advised his client: ‘Just
score one point of law and kill your
man.’ The persistence of attorneys
makes human life cheap in value.”
A DRAMATIC SCENE.
“Oh, let me see my father and my
motlier! Let me to them ! Do let me
get near them!”
These exclamations interrupted the
remarks of Dr. Branham. A figure in
black made its way through the surg
ing crowds. It was Airs. Edwards, the
daughter of Captain AVoolfolk, and the
full sister of the prisoner. She had nr _
been in Athfcns and was unable to reaciv,. 0 .
the spot sooner. In view of Tom AVool- iot
folk’s hatred of his stepmother, the ex- P*
clamations of grief for her by his sister ^, Q
were listened to with interest.
“I couldn’t get here sooner,” she said,
as she reached the coffins. “Aly father,
my mother; O God, can you not let me
see them just once !” Her face was %
hidden behind her handkerchief. As .
she withdrew it her eyes fell upon the i
little white coffins. .
“And my poor mother’s little babies, ’
are they, too, dead ? Father, mother,
brothers, sisters, how can I stand,
this!” , . ’
The lady then fell mto convulsive
weeping, and was gently led away by
friends, who tried to soothe her grief.
There was not a dry eye in that vast
audience; there was not a heart which
did not go out in sympathy toward the
weeping woman whose relationships
made the trial so much the harder for
her. It was plain that she loved her
mother and cherished her mother s
“little babies.” . ..
The coffins were committed to moth
er earth; the crowds melted away; rel- f
and then Ae-C -,,
to Hod and V ,
