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ion\d-?thduties incumbent on every husband—on every father. The mother (Mrs. Free, man)—hh mothers ever do—clung to her cniidren, a id used her every exertion to supply them with those necessaries and that education and protection which it was the duty of n father to provide.Freeman would sometimes come and?edofub-ishSt.in-mdn1*thesli-theledin,avutflit-toti-e-5.x-byofith;x-|K-ICSi}ie' take from his wife the younger members of the family; and this would seem to have been done more with a view of har. rowing the mothe.’s feelings than for any paternal affection which he felt for his children.On one occasion he took off the younger children and placed them at the house of a sister of his. Their motherf feeling solicitious for their welfare, sent one of her sons, a young man seventeen yearsold, after them, who brought them backto their mother. They had not long left when Freeman returned to his sister's and found them gone—his mind dethroned by rum. and his soul fired by an unfounded jealousy, (for this cursed passion, too, preyed on him) he hastily seized his rifle, swearing that he would take the life of his own son ! He loaded his piece with two halls, hurried after his children with the , desrgn of spilling their blood, but failed to I overtake them.Having so failed, and having determin-! cd to do a foul and bloody deed, he wont ire | on to the house of hts wife, whom ho found ias engaged at her domestic duties—ho lev*| died his rifio at her, and ere she had jn- j time to say, •• God have mercy on me! he lo Iged the fatal bullets in her body. She lived but a few hours afterwards.This, as we said on Tuesday was on the 10th of June, 1*37. He fled. The authorities of the state offered a reward for him, and he was taken in the state of Alabama. He was sent back and imprisoned in the district jail of Edgefield. From lhn he managed to escape before the time for his trial came on ; and madehis wav through Tennessee and Mississippi to this city. Here, being an activo mechanic, he worked fur a considerable : a j time with Mr. Sewell, the builder, and m-1 iu the construction of the Nashville Rail-on j road. But, though he found employment, ics ( found not peace—:he canker-worm of nt- guilt gnawe d at his heart, and the spirit ij,. | of a murdered wife haunted his walking lo. thoughts and sleeping hours. Urged on, therefore. t»y a spirit of disquietude, ho v\enl lo Texas ; hum thence he travelled x% uti a caravan lo Mexico—worked at va-! rioiM employments (hero, bat still so per* u * tin bed was his mind that the labor ol tho day brought not sleep to his eyelids.In endeavoring to fly, ant were, fromhis own infamy, he camn back to this city remained here wo know not how long-left and was making his way through tho interior of the state, when he was arrested in the parish of Rapides on the 15th instant !And here a now feature in this extraordinary story presents itself to the rcflec* fK| ! live mind, and one showing forth, in col-I nr* *°o perceptible to le mistaken, tho.! retributive justice that belongs to Omni* potencc.At the time that Freeman murdered his wile, she had an only brother, named John Crawford, residing in the State of Air.lmmn. some five hundred miles distant from Edgefield. Having heard of the fatal atf nr and of Freeman’* escape from prison, he left Ins home resolved lo pursue him unto death ami nvcnge a sister’s blood. He followed in his wake in this city, Texas, and elsewhere; but never coul I he lay his eyes on him.Alter a four years’ crusade of tbiaftiM —and a holy one it was—he became broken in spirit and bankrupt in means, and with a view of recruiting both, he offered hts services to Mr. Tanner ol Rapid* sas an assistant or overseer, and in thiscapacity ho was when a providentialhe frt*—•• Hut shipfi ear en'/t,Rou 'h hew them how wodrove Freemen in his path, who was then on his wav to Texas, of j Now we come to a close. Crawford of j saw Freeman pass, but had some doubt of his identity. They soon vanished, however; and taking down his gun, and requesting Mr. Tanner to accompany r- j him, he followed after Freeman, and pr-al | dering him to stand, he added—••Well, is, i VVdey Freeman. I have come up with r-1 you at last! The other, apparently in a stale of paralysis, replied—M Don’t kill me, Jack!—I give tip. I did kill your is ! sister, hilt it was all Tompkins’ fault!”Ho was arrested, and i* now on his of way toSouth-Carolir.a, to make reparation d- to the laws of hi* country for his bloody ly and inhuman deed. VVe wish him a s just deliverance, e---■8*il.-.it vbolo*'ceterice 1icr:o,onvcIn.rn.asgpill*rb-h«ofSre.x-ialasolatatir-
Newspaper Details
Farmers Gazette and Cheraw Advertiser
Cheraw, South Carolina, US
Tue, Aug 02, 1842
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CT, USA 04 Aug 2022
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Cheraw Gazette
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