The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-03-09


5 Below we give the testimony of the tailor
of Lee county in regard 10 the execution Of
prisoners confined in the Lee county iaiI.5
ON the sixteenth Of February:
az am jAilor for this county. Rev.,,v
Shaw, commonly called Pet Shaw. the ma,
here lying shot. dead, was in my CUSTODY AZ
y prisoner yesterday and last night till be.
tween, twelve and one O'clock. At about
that time l heard footsteps and jumped
up to the window. Just as got TO the
window q man called me by name. I an.
swered and asked who be was he told me
his name was JenkiDs, from Burleson county,
with \ prisoner he wanted 10 lock up in
Jail; that he was very tired. / told him
Rad been looking for mob there and did not
wish to open the door. He insisted that L
should said i knew him. that he bad met
me in Houston sad went from there TO
huntsville withsme.s Itold him that rec
objected going with Jenkins but could not
recognizes his voice nor could recognize
him in the dark and told him l did not
like TO open the door unless could see all
around the house. He then declared that
hei was all right; that there was 10 one
about except himself and his prisoner and
guard. then told him that would open
the door. l went down carrying lamp
which l set .un-the steps, and opened
the door, and the. first man that
stepped IN l found was not Jenkins.
and then l knew that i was sold ont.
Four or five men rushed immediately in.
Hooked at them but did not know them;
told them that would recollect them for
this hereafter; only one man was disguised
that noticed; he had white handker- 8.
chief tied over his face. had the key in
my hand and was backing out to put the
key in q barrel IN the hall, but they sur
rounded me and saw the key and took it
from me- They told me TO be pulet, that
they did not intend to hurt me; | told them
i knew they did not. They told me to
unlock the door; replied to them that I
would not that they might kill me, but
could not make me unlock the door. After
they had caught me, my wife came down
and thought she would come out aud give ,
the alarm they stopped her and made her
60 back; told her they were not going to
hurt me; she, e,insisted on going out aud I :
took her by the arm and led her hack up \
stairs; one man then had hold of me aud :
another followed right Lehind me with a
shot gun. They, then opened the door;
could not see them do it but heard the
click of the lock, After got up stairs
was afraid they would take out the men
they were after and leave the door open, so
that the Others would get out, ami said to
them not TO leave the door npen The man
who had hold ofme replied ''we want five
men," heard them ask David Wilkin-
SON u thiAk they had him in the ball at
the time) if he thought he could be a
good boy hereafter--he told them that he
could and that he had always been n good
boy. They then told him to 90 back.
heard nothing said by the men to Shaw, but
heard him say that If he had done anything
to be killed for he would not mind, but that
he hadn't done anything to he killed for.
After they had got the men they wanted,
they said, "let that man come down and look
his door" / then went down and three
men we're standing in the outer door; the
two men awho had been up stairs with me
stepped in the door and stood there until i
locked the door. started to step out but
they told me'to hold ON and not come out.
One flthem told me TO shut the door, then
took me by the hand and bade me good
night. shut the door, ran up stairs and
got my gun and pistol and shot them of fer
the purpose of giving an alarm. At about
the first or second shot that made heard
shots inJthe direction where Shaw was found
dead this morning, (Witness refuses TO an,
swer the question as 10 whether he recog-
nized any Of the men, Jim Tom Irwin, the
oldest person hanged, had ring on his I'm
fsE RfE 1RaSSt Rtgbeat gbeatnrlsW sWhsR hiR dbis
| finger. The boy who was hung was named
| Tom Irwin, Jim Tom Twins true name is
Jim Irwin. 7'l-'o HugH McKEowN,
40 81 i4ibgdM9 baa Qu edE1a1 Foa Jailor