The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-04-17
STATE SPECIALS.
--oF-
HANGING YESTERDAY At CALVERT
-aSH-~H
mn walker, FOR The Murder ~ James
Monroe, ENpiaies the Grim" o."
the GniIows-Iire ~ Ar
Iiugton- various Tex
~ TeIegrans,


Special 10 the Herald,
Calvert April ld,--At sunrise this morn
ins men, woman and children came into
Calvert by crowded wagon loads, from every
direction, to witness Mo execution of Bill
Walker, the negro murderer Of Major Nun
roe Az o'clock there were about live thou
sand pcuons surrounding tho scallold which
was erected Just out Of the corporate limitf'
TO tho southwest Of town.
Walker refused to eat ANY breakfast this
morning md WIS engaged I'LL morning In
singing and praying with DR.. W. d, Morrow
and Rev, A. NJ, Gregory (colored).
At half-past one o'clock he asconded the
scaiiold when Rev, Mr., Gregory made II few
remarks.
DIR. Morrow read the last confession of
Walker, which corresponds to the one below,
made to your correspondent four days ago
Walker owns to having assisted in the MUIR
der of Monroe. Parson Gregory read chap
ter from the Bible, and Dr. Morrow offered
up a prayer. Then Walker said that he
would DO In heaven in five minutes.
lie said no wanted TO meet them all there.
At this junctuTe quite II number Of negro
men and women set up II bowling and wall
ng that could be heard mile
THE sCAFFoLD,
Al five minutes past 2 o'clock he assembled
the scaGold and bid farewell to all. Tho
black gown and cap were then drawn over
him, covering his entire person, and the drop
fell. The fall was six feet three inches.
In twelve minutes Walker was pronounced
dead by Drs. McCenden, Fancher and
Britt with the crash Of the fall about three
hundred negroes set 10 shouting and wuiling,
some singing and some crying. The crowd
was so dense around tho gallows that when
| the hack arrived with the prisoner the Sheriff.
| had to call out two detachments of tho Mill
! tarv companies 10 push the crowd back with
bayonets and stand with fixed bayonets until
the execution was over.
| Every tree in sight OF
the gallows was literally covered
with men and boys. There was one shame.
FIJI occurrence Mr.. Lester, of
Bremond, walked up to within three feet of
the swinging corpse, and said
"By Cd, il is my ieryent hope that Bill
Walker is damned and delivered in hell"
1t has been so long since the murder that
the execution seems to be without moral
effect.
THE MURDERER.
Bill Walker was full .booded negro OF
medium size, with cunning, though some
what pleasant look. He could rarely ever
be induced to talk about his case and even
while it was pending in court he would never
conlide to his attorney the true nature OF the
evidence against himself RE killed negro
on Wash Hegrn's place in this country about
six or seven years ago; was convicted under
the name of Williams, and sent to the peni-
Tertiary for ten years, tut after u short CON
tinement he succeeded in eluding the vigi-
lance of his guard and for time breathed
the pure air Of universal emancipation"
In his statement Walker admitted
to have killed the negro on Wash Hcurne's
place, and to have committed several robber-
les. and also TO have been implicated in the
killing of James Monroe. for which he was
hung to-day. He made some effort to Sc
cure executive clemcncy, bat was advised by
his attorney that his published statement cut
him off FROM all hope Of pardon or commu-
tation.
THE CRIME.
The circumstances of the murder Of James
Monroe are about MS follows; On Sunday
morning August 20, 1876, Munroe was found
in his own house ON his bed, covered with |
blood, in an unconscious and dying cond-
ton, having been struck on the head with q
blunt instrument He had wife and some
crown-up children, but they had gone on on
visit and the old man was at his home all
alone on the night of the murder He was
about sixty years of age, and of peaceable
disposition. He was found by his servants.
who lived on his farm, and came TO the house
to attend to his stock, as usual, that, ms every
morring. The citizens of the neighborhood
were soon notified of the murder, and quite II
number of them turned out TO hunt the
murderer They arrested several persons,
but turned them all loose except Bill Walker.
There were several circumstances that led to
his arrest. He had been living on Guss
Graves place, about two miles from the
scene of the murder. On Thursday before
the murder he had left there, stating that he
was going TO Bryan. He came back on Sun
day morning, not having gone there. When
he left he had on shirt and pair of pants
much soiled, with certain kind of clay from
A well which he had been digging, and on
Tuesday, after the murder, shirt and pair
of pants which mad
THIS CLAY ON THEM,
And several small spots of blood also,
were found in the woods near his house. |!
These were recognized as articles ofhis cloth
ING and he wss at once arrested and taken to |
Bremond. He was there identified by
Mrs. Marstran ms negro who came to her !
store about sunrise on Sunday morning with !
dirty clotles on, aud bough. u shirt and n |
pair of pants from her He had on his new
clothes when arrested. Some tracks were
found uear Mouroes house, which, when !
measured, were found to correspond with |
Bill Walkers step in some sand and ashes
In the Justices court room. That night !
there was quite mob of citizens raised who
took Bill Walker out Of jnil, whipped him
severely and hung him up by the neck. He
confessed that he and another man killed
Mr.. Munroe. That they went there
TO ROB THE HOUSE
And when Munroe raised up in bed he kille ! |
him with n gruhbing hoe. On the next day, |
while in the Justice court the accused told |
.nsiice Joiner that he wanted TO confess, and !
the Justice told him that he would not be
compelled to say anything and that what he
L.. ,,ea1 ouoipat hin, UTa thau /