Black Sheep of Newberry County, South Carolina

The State March 19, 1897 Talk of Lynching - A Negro Ravished a Young Woman in Newberry Newberry, March 18 - Tony Lyles, colored, is in jail here charged with committing a criminal assault on a Miss Willard near Whitmire's this county, Monday evening. Lyles waylaid the lady on the public highway and committed his foul deed. Sheriff Buford will protect his prisoner, as there is some talk of a lynching bee. The State July 16, 1897 Sentenced to Die in One Month - Tony Lyles Convicted of Criminally Assaulting a White Woman in Newberry Newberry, July 15 - On the 15th of March Tony Lyles, colored, committed rape on the person of a Miss Jane Willard near Whitmire's, this county. He was captured, but subsequently escaped, but was recaptured and has been confined here. His trial came off today, the judge appointing R. H. Welch to defend him, which he did ably, but the verdict was guilty. Lyles was sentenced to hang on the 20th of August. The State August 21, 1897 A Legal Hanging - Tourney Lyles Pays the Death Penalty - Cool and Collected The Second Execution for the Crime of Rape That Ever Took Place in South Carolina Newberry, Aug. 20 - Touney Lyles was hanged here today. The march to the scaffold began at 12:03. Prayer was offered in the cell for the condemned man by Revs. Reeder and Williams. Upon arriving at the scaffold the noose was adjusted abut the negro's neck and the death warrant was then read by Sheriff Buford. After prayer by his pastor, Rev. A. McNeil, he was asked by the sheriff if there was anything he would like to say before being executed. He then spoke a few words asking the mercy of God upon his soul and said he was ready and willing to go. He asked that all would meet him in the hereafter and prayed that the Lord would have mercy upon all. He never once touched upon his crime upon the scaffold. While the rope was being tightened he asked the sheriff to fix it so that he might die easy and not let him suffer. He was attired in a neat suit of black with a black box and plain black shoes. After saying good-bye to all, the drop fell at 12:16, and he was pronounced dead at 12:30 by Dr. P. G. Ellisor, the county physician, and Dr. Van Smith. The body was cut down at 12:33. His neck was broken by the fall of abut four feet. He was hanged in private, in the jail building, the trap being so arranged as to throw the body through the third story floor down near the floor of the second story. There were only a few witnesses present besides the newspaper men. A crowd of perhaps 500 people, black and white, stood in the jail yard from where they could see the body after the trap had been sprung. Story of the Crime The crime for which Lyles was executed today was committed in March of this year. The white woman upon whom the outrage was committed was on her way home from the town of Whitmire in this county. It was after dark and she was alone. Lyles was arrested the next day and was identified by her as the guilty man. There was talk at the time of lynching but he was taken in charge by the officers and carried by Clinton. On the way from Clinton to Newberry he made his escape from the guard and jumped from the train while running at full speed and was soon out of sight in the woods. In two or three days he was recaptured and safely lodged in the Newberry jail where he remained until the July term of the court when he was put on trial and convicted and sentenced by Judge Buchanan to hang on the 20th of August. He had no counsel to defend him and Judge Buchanan appointed Mr. Robt. H. Welch, who did his duty and made the best defense that it was possible to be made under the circumstances. The case is remarkable in this that so far as I know it is the first legal execution of a negro for the rape of a white woman in the annals of the State. There has been no delay about it. He was put on trial at the first term of the court after the crime was committed and convicted and sentenced and executed. I had a talk with the condemned man the other day at the jail. He substantially admitted his guilt and said that he had made his peace with his God and had no fear of death. He has not a bad face and does not look like a bad man. He talked of his doom as coolly and calmly and with as much unconcern as if her had been talking about any ordinary matter. When he was first arrested and put in jail there was talk of forcing open the jail and taking him and lynching him, but no effort in that direction was made. The citizens of the community made up their minds to let the law take its course and it did with the result as shown in his execution today. E. H. A.