motion was not granted and this formed the basis for an unsuccessful
appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court. When the sentence of
death was passed on them, Davis wept openly while both Andréws and
Carlton appeared ummoved, . Petitions for executive clemency were cir-
culated and the men hoped until the last that. their lives wuld be
spared, When word was received on the morning of the execution that
the Governor would not intervene, Davis harrangued the crowd outside
from the window of his cell, condemning the Governor as a man who
"would receive no mercy in Hell when, he got there,"" They were pub-=
licly hanged before 5,000 spectators who squeezed into the enclosure
and sat on the walls and in trees at Hillsbore on May 16, 1879, The
crowd, in a festive mood in spite of the fact that the execution took
place in a blinding rain and thunder storm, waged bets as to which of
the condemned men would die first.
RALEIGH OBSERVER, May 16, 1879, Page 3.
NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE, May 10, 1879 (10-h); May 31, 1879 (<1) and
(11-1);
80 NORTH CAROLINA 112
motion was not granted and this formed the basis for an unsuccessful
appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court. When the sentence of
death was passed on them, Davis wept openly while both Andr@ws and
Carlton appeared ummoved. . Petitions for executive clemency were cir-
culated and the men hoped until the lest that. their lives wuld be
spared, When word was received on the morning of the execution that
the Governor would not intervene, Davis harrangued the crowd outside
from the window of his cell, condemning the Governor as a man who
"would receive no mercy in Hell when, he got there." They were pub-
licly hanged before 5,000 spectators who squeezed into the enclosure
and sat on the walls and in trees at Hillsboro on May 16, 1879, The
crowd, in a festive mood in spite of the fact that the execution took
place in a blinding rain and thunder storm, waged bets as to which of
the condemned men would die first.
RALEIGH OBSERVER, May 16, 1879. Page 3.
hee POLICE GAZETTE, May 10, 1879 (1O-l); May 31, 1879 (h-1) and
ll-1);
80 NORTH CAROLINA )12
notion was not granted and this formed the basis for an unsuccessful
appeal to the North Carolina Supreme Court, when the sentence of
death was passed on them, Davie wept openly while both Andr@ws and
Carlton appeared unmoved, Petitions for exectitive clemency were cir-
culated and the men hoped until the last that their
spared, When word was received on the morning of the execution that
the Governor would not intervene, Davis harrangued the crowd outside
from the window of his cell, condemning the Governor as a man vho
"would receive no mercy in Hell when he got there," They were pub-
licly hanged before 5,000 spectators who squeezed into the enclosure
Hillsbore on May 16, 1879, The
crowd, in a festive mood in spite of the fact that the execution took
place in a blinding rain and thunder storm, waged bets as to which of
the condemned men would die first,
RALEIGH OBSFRVER, Nay 16, 1879, Pag
NATIONAL POLTOE GAZETTE, "May 10, 1879 Got) May 31, 1879 (h-1) and
11-1);
NORTH CAROLINA 112
4 AC MWA bags
Werkethit HC~ MUU bes
ANDREWS, Henry A., CARLTON, Louis and DAVIS, Henry Alfonso
Davis, a white native of Chapel Hill, N, C,, had acquired a degree of
self-education and for a time worked as a hotel desk clerk, Hen then
formed a gang of which Andrews, also white, and Carlton and Albert At-~
water, KXAH both blacks, were members, In 1877-1878 they terrorized
Chapel Hill be a series of night time burglaries during the course of
which a nugiber of women living alone were assaulted, There were no
clues as to the identities of the gang members who were known locally
as the "The Chapel Hill Burglars.'" On the night of June 15, 1878,
they broke into the home of a widow, Mrs. Martha L, Hernddn, Mrs.
lerndon managed to scream before Davis struck her on the head with an
axe and all four burglars fled when they heard neighbors approaching.
While Mrs, Herndon was seriously wounded, she subsequently recovered,
Atwater was arrested in the course of a burelary which he attempted
alone and promptly confessed that he was a member of the gang and
named Davis as its leader and Andrews and Carlton as the other members
At the trial, he turned State's evidence in exchange for his life and
tetailed the group's operations, saying that he and Carlton always re-
mained outside as lookouts while Davis and Andrews would actualy
enter the residences, After the trial had been completed, the attorne
for the prisoners asked for a new trial on the grounds that he had
just discovered evidence that one of the jurors was an athiest, The
ANDREWS, Henry A., CARLTON, Louis and DAVIS, Henry Alfonso
Davis, a white native of Chapel Hill, N, C,, had acquired a degree of
self-education and for a time worked as a hotel desk clerk, Hex then
formed a gang of which Andrews, also white, and Carlton and Albert At-
water, KXAX both blacks, were members, in 1877-1878 they terrorized
Chapel Hill be a series of night time burglaries during the course of
which a nugiber of women living alone were assaulted, There were no
clues as to the identities of the gang members who were known locally
as the "The Chapel Hill Burglars." On the night of June 15, 1878,
they broke into the home of a widow, Mrs. Martha L, Hernddn, Mrs.
Herndon managed to scream before Davis struck her on the head with an
axe and all four burglars fled when they heard neighbors approaching.
While Mrs, Herndon was seriously wounded, she subsequently recovered.
Atwater was arrested in the course of a burglary which he attempted
alone and promptly confessed that he was a member of the gang and
named Davis as its leader and Andrews and Carlton as the other members
At the trial, he turned State's evidence in exchange for his life and
tetailed the group's operations, saying that he and Carlton always re=
mained outside as lookouts while Davis and Andrews would actualjy
enter the residences, After the trial had been completed, the attorne
for the prisoners asked for a new trial on the grounds that he had
just discovered evidence that one of the jurors was an athiest, The
ANDREWS, Henry A,, CARLTON, Louis and DAVIS, Henry Alfonso
Davis, a white native of Chapel Hill, N, (,, had acquired a degree of
self-education and for a time worked as a hotel desk clerk, Hem then
formed a gang of which Andrews, also white, and Carlton and Albert At~
water, MIX& both blacks, were members, tn 1877-1876 they terrorized
Chapel Hill be a series of night time burglaries during the course of
which 2 nugber of women living alone were assaulted, There were no
clues as to the identities of the gang maibers who were known Locally
as the "The Chapel Hill Burglars,” On the night of June 15, 1878,
they broke into the home of a widow, Mrs, Martha L, Hernddn,
rs.
Herndon managed to scream before Davis struck her on the head with an
axe and all four burglars fled when they heard neighbors approaching.
While Mrs, Herndon was seriously wounded, she subsequently recovered,
Atwater was arrested in the course of a burglary which he attempted
alone and promtly confessed that he was a member of the gang and
named Mavis as its leader and Andrews and Carlton as the other members
At the trial, he turned State's evidence in exchange for his life and
tietailed the group's operations, saying that he and Carlton always re~
mained outside as lookouts yhile Davis and Andrews would actualy
enter the residences, After the trial had been completed, the attorne
for the prisoners asked for a new trial on the erounds that he had
just discovered evidence that one of the jurors was an athiest, The
