Innocent man hanged in the mountains
The trapdoor of the scaffold wasn’t working properly and Sheriff Wilburn Killen of Wise County, Virginia, beat on it for several minutes as Eave Hopson waited on the gallows to be hanged. It was May 15, 1903.
Hopson seemed undaunted by the happenings as he chatted with
a friend, J. F. Fleming, about his impending burial.
“Take me to Preacher John Mullins’ home after I’m dead,” Hopson told him. “I want
to be buried close to my dad in our family graveyard.” Skeetrock is
in Dickenson County.
The events leading
to the hanging began when Hopson, Bob Mullins and Enoch Wright were on an allnight drinking spree. When they became hungry they decided
to steal a chicken and roast it over a fire. Eave climbed a tree to get
a chicken, leaving his gun with Mullins and Wright.
John Salyers, who had recently moved to Wise County from Tennessee, ran outside when he heard the frenzied clucking from his chickens and the shooting soon erupted. Salyers was mortally wounded.
William Dotson, commonwealth’s attorney, talked with the wounded man later that day, and Salyers, before he died, described Hopson
as one of the culprits.
During court proceedings Hopson admitted he stole the chicken but testified that Mullins and Wright had the gun and did the shooting. Mullins and Wright accused Hopson.
“It is hard for me to go through this because I am innocent,” Hopson said later
from the scaffold prior to his hanging. “This whole predicament I am in just doesn’t seem real. It seems like a dream, but day after day I just can’t wake up. In only a few minutes though, I will be with my Lord God in Paradise. I am not uneasy about it because I will meet God in peace. Then there will be no more trials or trouble.
“I warn all young people to shun bad company,” Hopson continued.”
I warn all old people, men and women, to shun bad people. You can’t tell what’s inside the heart of another person. Take it from me, they can lead you astray. You can’t look in a man’s face and tell what’s in his heart. My mistake was falling in the hands of bad company.”
C. H. Patterson and J. A. Hughes, Hopson’s attorneys, remained at his side while Sheriff Killen worked on the death gallows.
Ironically, the sheriff had known Hopson since he was a baby
and had tended him at times. Hopson asked that Deputy Sheriff Renfro perform Killen’s duties to relieve his long-time acquaintance, but Renfro refused.
When the repairs were completed, Hopson shook hands with everyone standing on the scaffold, including the brother of the murdered man. Hopson was heard to say he was sorry that it had happened. He then stepped onto the trapdoor without hesitation, fear or weakness.
Sheriff Killen adjusted the noose around his neck and asked Eave Hopson about the murder and if he had any final words.
“I’ll only say that
I’ve done things in my life that I’m not proud of,” Eave Hopson, replied, looking haggard. “When Salyers was shot and killed I had been drinking a lot but I didn’t have the gun and I didn’t shoot nobody. God knows I am innocent. I did not shoot the man. God
is with me. I hope to meet all my loved ones and all of you again in Heaven because you’ll know then that I was innocent. Goodbye.”
“Eave, may God have mercy on you and your soul,” Sheriff Killen said as a hood was placed over his face.
Hopson’s body plunged downward suddenly jerking to a stop.
His neck wasn’t broken from the snap of the rope and the hood fell aside. An agonized look on Hopson’s face pleaded for relief.
The sheriff asked Dr. Miles to replace the hood. After it was replaced, it soon fell again from the struggling man. Finally Dr. Miles pinned it in place.
It took 36 minutes before they pronounced Hopson was dead.
The body was turned over to J.F. Fleming who took it by wagon from Wise to Dickenson County.
