The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-21
ALLEN WRIGHT.
The Condemned Man fcrthe Murder OF
Jesse Wisks Respited One Week
"A Motley Crowd OF spec
tators to witness His
Taking off,

pie from the country began to flock into the
city, afoot, on horseback and in wagons to
witness the execution, and by 10 o'clock the
streets were thronged with people. A crowd
numbering some four hundred persons con-
gregated about the gallows, which is stu
ated some thirty yards north Of the Texas u
Pacific bridge, in the Trinity bottom. They
had secured there reserved seats and anx-
iously awaited the scene which their morbid
appe,ites so craved. This crowd, it is sad to
state, was composed OF not only men, but
there were number of women and children
present to witness the taking of mans life.
The best citizens who beheld this curious
crowd condemned il as disgusting in the ex-
IRENE. What fascination hanging has for
women is more than the average reporter can
tell, and the only excuse Tor their presence
on such an occasion is attributable perhaps
to want of judgment or common sense,
whichever one might choose to term it.
Tho remainder of the morbid crowd wal
using every exertion to get into the Jail to
get glimpse of the condemned man, but
failed, for Sheriff Moon had instructed the
guards not to allow show
to be made of the prisoner.
Yet they hung about the Jail and the
scaffold until the guards, and the prisoner as
well, expressed themselves as heartily dis.
gusted with the wo kings of the curious
throng. After the news spread that respite
had been granted by the governor until next
Friday, the crowd, some of whom had come
nearly Fifty miles to witness the banging, dis
persed for their homes The following is a
verbatim copy of the telegram from the gsv-
ernor, which arrived at II M:
AUSTIN, August 20. 1850.
To the Sheriff of Dallas County;
A reprieve is this date issued for Allen
Wright, a negro, until the 9th of this
month, August, 1880, at the request of the
citizens and at his request to enable him to
make better spiritual preparations. The re-
prieve signed and sealed will be sent to you
by mail. Answer if you get this in time.
o. NJ. ROBERTS.
The crowd was greatly disappointed on
the receipt of this news, and took their depar-
ture for home much disguised at the turn
matters had taken.
Yesterday morning Wright received the
following letter from his sister, who re-
ides at Minsola
LETTER FROM HIS SISTER,
MINEoLA, Aus : lSSO.
Ny dear brother Il have Us lived
your kind, good letter few momeL &c.
| feel so thankful TO our Father in tl /
for his kind mercy in hearing and auswess
ing your prayers for forgiveness. Your sir,
as you say, may be great, yet he is so god
he will hear and answer the prayers of all
Of his erring children, and my dear brother |
hope and pray that the great God will, in
His providence, allow us to meet again on
earth; will allow you yet to live many yeas
to do good on this earth, and prove by your
life that you have repented of your sins.
There may yet be some hope, but should
there not be, and you must meet your doom,
dear brother, meet it brayely, and mtet it
with prayer to God to receive your spirit
unto Him in land where there is no more
sin nor sorrow, and will strive to lead such
life that l may become purer and better,
SO that when the Lord shall see fit to take
me away, too, shall be prepared to go and
me st you beyond the skies. will do all you
ask me to. will pray to God for you and
m self.
No, brother, if you must go now
the separation will not be
long; only few more years,
and we will all 60, and, oh, the few years we
havo to live on this earth we ought to be
preparing for the next. Brother, as l do not
know anything Of Harriet, and It might be a
chance, if get one of your picturers from
her, | want you to get one from her If you
can and send it to me tomorrow, and If you
find YOU can't get one in time from her,
please 20 and have one taken tomorrow for
me and send 1t to me. My dear brother,
feel if could see you could say SO much to
YOU, but If we meet no more on earth may
the Great God, who knows all things, receive
your spirit unto Him in heaven. Fs'swell,
my dear brother. From your sorrowing
sister, POLITE.
During the morning hours, up to the time
of the arrival of the telegram bearing the
governors reprieve, the condemned man
was visited in his cell by large number Of
citizens and nearly all the newspaper re-
portera in the city representing the local and
metropolitan press. II was evident that the
great current of sympathy from all classes
was with the prisoner, moro on account of
his general bearing and conduct since his in
care ration than from conformation Of his
crime He app cared resigned to his antici.
pa,sd fate, and was cool and collected
and conversed freely. he had no
word of censure for any one except Moses
Perkins, whom he had undoubtedly been
PAL .ial 10 in friendship during the days Of
his better circumstances lie maintains that
Perkins swore his life away, but that he had
fully forgiven him and had sent him word to
come and see him and pray with him, and
that Nose had refused to do so, and said he
would have nothing to do with him, as he
was CONDEMNED to hell fire for all eternity.
Nose also swore that he, Allen, made up
| friends with Jessie Wicks Just before the
killing. Allen said, few minutes before
| the reprievs was received, that
he did not expect to live
much longer, but lift was the last words he
should ever utter, he would declare that he
never shook hands and made friends with
Jessie Wicks, and never would had Jessie
| lived; but since he had had time for reflection
he regretted what he had done, aud had be
taken more time TO think about the matter
be would not have killed him. They had
been partners for nearly Ave years and no
trouble had come between them until he was
taken sick, and then he said Jessie conspired
against him.
Through the kindness Of Sheriff Moon
TAILOR Dean and their subordinates
la neat new suit had beer
bought for the prisoner. He was cleanly
| shaved. and WA dressed in this suit and al