The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-20
SAMUEL II. MYERS
The Crime for which lie Was Sen.
fenced TO Death-sketch OF His Life
"A Farewell speech other In
tcrcsting Dnta-Etc., Etc,
HERALD OFFICE, March 20, 2 a. m

Owing TO the fact that no Geographic com
munication exists between Cleburne and Dial
las, and these points being located over fit,
miles apart, we were unable last night to pro
cure any intelligence ms to the execution Of
Samuel II. Myers, for the murder Of hi
step-mcther Mrs. Mary Ann Hester
on the night Of February 81, 1877.
We had ordered "The Dallas HERALD
team" to bring us the information of the
event by overland transit, but after waiting
until this hour, our reporter has not arrived
owing doubtless to the bad condition of the
roads, caused by the recent heavy and con-
tnued rains Previous dispatches, however
from Austin, up TO as late
us yesterday afternoon, had an
nounced that Governor Roberts had
refused executive clemency in the case. AS
suming, therefore, that the execution oc-
CURED, we have deemed it well to give the
subjoined history as furnished by
Samuel II, Myers himself, and other
data procured by ourselves; also
the intended speech from the doomed
man, prepared by him few days since, and
which he expresseda most positive determi.
nation to deliver from the scaffold to the
spectators. We present along with the
sketches of his own and family histories a
wood-cut made by our special artist from a
a photograph last week forwarded to this of
fee by Myers, accompanied by his auto
graph.
The picture is a very correct likeness of
the unfortunate man, who to the last main
tanned the assertion of his innocence of the
crime for which it is reasonably certain he
has expiated the extreme penalty of the
law.
In the event that the execution took place
it will have been the first legal hanging that
has occurred in johnson county.
THE CRIME AND ALLEGED MOTIVE.
The case of Samuel II. Myers, of Gle.
burne, johnson county, Texas, has for the
past, three years engaged probably as
much attention and elected as deep interest
as any criminal matter in North Texas dur
ing that period. The Myers family were
of the earliest to locate in and develop the
rich county of johnson and stood high in their
immediate community. The murder of
Mrs. Hester, the step-mother of a large
number of children of her hus.
band by his two wives preceding her
caused the keenest indignation
throughout that section, and the various
phases of the legal proceedings through the
lower and higher courts of the State, at de-
who were her mur1erers, have lent
an unusual amount of interest to the case.
The youth Of the subject of yesterdays exc
cution, his exceedingly we'll developed early
prior to the murder Of eighteen
years Of age can properly be termed as COM
ing within the circle of mans estate), the de-
termination of the prosecution 10 see that
Justice was appeased for the henous violation
IF law, and the stubborn efforts |
Of the defense in behalf of the accused, and |
his answering, oft-repeated declaration of |
innocence, and that he was the victim of one |
James NJ. Bowden, whom he believed to be |
he real and only murderer, and who had |
against his life that clemency |
night perchance be shown him, (Bowden) !
rave all been given to the public through
he press from time to time. Mrs. Hes
er was shot to death one evening, lust after
lark, as she sat at supper in the
Id Myers family homestead. The motive
# the murderer or murderers in committing
he crime is alleged to have been for reasons
f the following character: Sans father at
lis death villed him an improved farm and
made provisions also for the education OF his