The State May 26, 1906 Negroes Hanged in Williamsburg - Epps Snowden and Arthur McFaddin Pay death Penalty - both Convicted of  Murder - Five Legal Executions in Williamsburg County Since the First of the Year Kingstree, May 25 - Epps Snowden And Arthur McFaddin, the two negroes for whom petitions for a commutation of sentence from death to life imprisonment were recently refused by the Governor, were hanged here today by Sheriff Graham in the execution chamber of Jail. The crime for which Snowden has just paid the penalty happened last June at a small negro store in the lower section of the county. With several other negroes Snowden had met on this night at the store of Bob Brown and after having partaken liberally of mean whiskey offered a wager that he could drink eight bottles of soda water. After he had finished the last bottle a quarrel arose as to the money and resulted in the death of Brown, the keeper of the store. snowden was tried and convicted at the next term of court and sentenced to death but his attorneys appealed, which appeal was declared abandoned at the last term of court and the death sentence was again passed, May 4 having been fixed for the execution. In the meantime a petition for commutation of life imprisonment was presented to the Governor who granted a respite until the board of pardons could be convened to consider the matter. The respite granted by the Governor expired today and as the petition for commutation had been refused, the sentence of the court was fulfilled. Arthur McFaddin was tried and convicted at the last term of the court for killing another negro, George Burgess, on the night of the 25th of last september. McFadden and the murdered man had had an altercation several weeks prior to the crime of Cades and in the fight which followed Burgess was severely cut. The proof against McFadden was entirely circumstantial, as there was no eye witnesses to the crime. Burgess stepped from his house out into the plazza and as he turned to go back into the room the gun fired; he staggered back into the house fell on his knees and was heard to exclaim: "Arthur McFadden shot me." Although it was a dark night a party was soon made up and proceeded to the house of McFadden several miles away where he was found in his bed but with his clothes damp and his gun appeared as if recently shot. He was tried and convicted at the spring term of court and the sentence of death passed by Judge Gary. A petition for commutation of the sentence from death to life imprisonment signed by quite a number of citizens of the vicinity where the crime was committed and also by nine of the jurors who sat on the case was presented to the Governor, who as in the case of snowden granted respite until May 25th, so that the petition could in the meantime be considered by the board of pardons. The governor also refused this petition and advised the sheriff to proceed accordingly. Shortly before 11 o'clock Snowden was led from his cell to the execution chamber where everything was in readiness. In his remarks made before the cap was adjusted, he expressed his regret that he should have to meet death in this manner but he stated that he was ready and had made peace with God. He stated that he had no intention of killing Brown and has no recollection whatever of the fatal fight, but that the whiskey and soda water had so clouded his mind that he did not remember any of the details of the crime. Sheriff Graham pulled the lever exactly at six minutes after 11 o'clock and the body was cut down at 11:25. As soon after as possible McFadden was brought from his cell to meet his awful end. He appeared cool and collected, as did Snowden, evincing very little fear and uttered his last words in a steady and deliberate manner. He protested his innocence to the last moment, asserting that he was about to suffer death for another man's crime, that he had not been in Cades on the eventful night. He seemed doubtful about his readiness to meet the other life and at his request one of his friends offered a prayer for the salvation of his soul. After this the cap was adjusted and the trap was sprung at 44 minutes after 11 o'clock. His neck was broken by the fall, as was Snowden's, and the body was cut down and turned over to his family at 12:03 o'clock. The executions were quiet and orderly, there being present only the necessary officers and a few witnesses summoned by the sheriff. Since the opening of the present year there have been five executions for murder in this county. Three negroes who so brutally murdered Mr. Julian Wilson, a prominent and respected old gentleman some time last fall, were hand in January and February.

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