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| Execution of Alfred Mackey for
the Murder of John Stancil Transcribed and Submitted by Natasha Miles January 2023 Columbus County, NC  |
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| Wilmington Journal 3 November 1871 Execution of Mackey for the Murder of Stancil Alfred Mackey, who murdered Mr John Stancil at Cerro Gordo, some few months since, was hung yesterday at Whiteville, in obedience to the judgment of the last Superior Court, held by Judge Russell, in that county. The arrangements by Sheriff V V Richardson were so carefully made that no disturbance of any kind took place, though thousands of people had assembled from many miles around to witness the spectacle. The execution was in the yard of hte jail and the fence had been somewhat heightened to make it as private as possible under the circumstances, but the spectators found places in houses, on roofs, in trees and other positions, so that all who wished saw it. Between the hours of 12 and 1 o'clcok he was escorted to the scaffold and all the usual proceedings went quietly forward to the final end. On the day previous to his execution he made a full confession of the circumstances attending the murder, and fully exhornorated a colored man of the county, whom he had attempted to implicate to prevent his appearing as a witness against him. In order that all may understand why this man has perished on the scaffold, we make a hasty review of the circumstances of the foul murder. Mr John Stancil, of Columbus county, a worthy, quiet, harmless citizen, having a large family of children, who had lost their mother and who were dependent on his labor for support, had been to Wilmington with several friends. The party all reached Cerro Gordo a few hours before daylight, his friends got off and after inviting him to go home with them - which invitation he declined - they went home leaving him sitting in the piazza of a store, on the side of the Rail Road, as he lived a few miles away, he had seated himself to wait for daylight, so as to see his way clearly. He is supposed to have been in the act of lighting his pipe, when Mackey approached him and drove an axe through his head, giving him a mortal blow. Mackey then robbed the murdered man and a shop on the opposite side of the Railroad and went home. During that day he was arrested, and after examination by the Coroner, fully committed for trial. Several parties have had interviews with the criminal lately, and it is currently reported that he acknowledged having murdered his wife before leaving Virginia. Justice has had its course, and the majesty of the law is fully vindicated - which facts are mainly due to the energetic manner in which Sheriff Richardson pursued the murdered and gathered up the links of a chain of evidence which brought him swiftly to his merited doom. Confession I went to Cerro Gordo about dark, and remained until all had shut up. Green and Tursman Carr were the last persons I saw before the murder of Stancil. I went there for the purpose of breaking into Buie & Coleman's bar room. Soon after the train passed up a man came to Cerro Gordo, I was then behind the bar; he lay down in the piazza of Buie & Coleman's dry goods store; he was in my way, and I thought he would prevent me from breaking into the bar room; I went over to where he was and asked: "Who are you?" He said something about being tired; I struck him, as well as I remember, one lick; I then got all the money he had from his person; then went back to the bar room and broke in and stole al lthe things that were produced on the trial; I don't know what amount of money I gof off the body of Stancil; did not know who I had killed him next morning; knew he was a white man when I committed the murder; no one else had anything to do with the murder except myself. The Deed - The Proof As the murder of which Alfred Mackey was hung was committed nearly four months since, your readers doubtless like to be refreshed in regard to the circumstance. All the testimony was circumstantial. John Stancil, the victim of this most bloody crime, got off the Northern bound train at Cerro Gordo, about 10 o'clock on the night of July 5th, and was murdered on the platform of Buie, Coleman & Co's store before 3 o'clock next morning. His body was found by Leonard Williamson. The Coroner summoned a jury. Suspicion was direct toward Mackey. The woman with whom he had lived had washed his pants, upon which blood was found. Stancill was killed with an axe, and Mackey's axe was discovered with blood upon it. The bar room of Buie, Coleman & Co. was broken open with a bloody axe. A bottle stopper was found on the road to Mackey's house, and a bottle was also found in the woods near the spot at which he was arrested. Both were recognized as being in the bar room the night previous to the murder. One piece of a fifteen cent bill, which had been torn in two and placed in the drawer in the bar-room, was found in Mackey's pocket; the other was left in the drawer. Mackey was seen in Cerro Gordo, with an axe, the night of the murder, as late as 10 o'clock, and was heard to say, "I am on picket tonight, and I never lost a battle in Cerro Gordo yet." Mackey was seen by a passenger on the Southern bound train, standing near two trees, about sixty yards from the place where the murder was committed. His tin bucket, which he took from home that night, was found at this spot. On the window of the bar-room was found blood and hair - the hair corresponding to Stancill's. There were the main facts which proved upon the trail, and upon which Mackey was convicted. The Victim John Stancil was born in Wayne county, North Carolina, but had resided in Columbus county for twenty years. He was a worthy and estimable man. He lost his wife in 1862, but left five children - all daughters, the oldest being eighteen, the youngest fourteen. He had been doing business for Samuel Strickland, at Cherry Grove, but was making arrangements to commence business for himself in South Carolina, near State line. |
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