Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

/# ©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 ,