"These two then commenced to beat Thompson and his wife in a dreadful manner. The punishment on the wife was brief though cruel. That upon Thompson was continued until the "executioner" was thoroughly exhausted. He then handed the strap to another member of the band, who renewed the assault with great fury. Thompson, at first, made no exclamations, but on being struck in the more delicate parts of his body, screeched fearfully. He was brought to his feet several times while the punishment was being inflicted, only to be knocked down by the strap, and kicked by those who were standing around him. The members of the band laughed at his agony and said to the executioners: "Give it to the damned radical; learn the son of a b...h to keep his piety and politics to himself; we'll teach him how to lead the niggers." "Thompson finally ceased to scream. His body was a mass of blood, and he appeared to be unconscious long before the beating was through with. I thought he must be dead, but dared not say anything. When the executioners had ceased, he lay perfectly still. One of the members said: "The d....d skunk is playing possum." He then jumped at Thompson, kicked him several times in the side and back with great violence, and turning him over, ground his boot heel in his face. He lay for a long time unconscious, and was several times raised to his feet, but could not stand. His wife continued to pray during a portion of the time, asking God to bring her husband to life, and begging the Captain to spare him for the sake of his family, and let her try and get him home. "The Captain finally said, she might do what she liked. It was easy to see that Thompson could not live, but some of the band were not satisfied. One of them called out: "'Captain Smart, can I shoot the dirty radical?' to which the Captain replied: "'No! the black son of a b....h is dead enough.' The Captain then said to me and the two white men: "'Now, you take this for a warning, and if we ever hear of you divulging anything about this, you may expect the same treatment.' "The white men and myself were then taken to the road, where we were met by another party, also in disguise, making about forty in all. I was then told to go to the Joseph Howell plantation, and remain there two hours, or the rest of the band would take me and put me up the spout. "I done as directed, and returned to my own house about 6 o'clock in the morning; I then went over to Thompson's house, and found him dead. How he came there, I do not know; I heard that his wife got him home, and that he was not entirely dead, when he got there."