The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-27
TWO HANGINGS,
JOHN HENRY AND ALLEN TowLEs
The Former ~ Corsicnnn nnd tue L"''
ser ~ Fairfield boih INeeuied Tor
Murder -Uenry "iIas His hins
Forgiven" . Towies seoih
~ Religion,
John Henry Hanged NJ corsic"n"'

~ Heilslo"'
John Henry Hanged 10 'orsichnh
Special to the Herald
CoBieana, March 26,--John Henry col
ored, WIS hanged hero today, for tho muir
deDof Alox Whitman, oolorod, nj Wade
willie, January q, 1879.
At three o'clock, the prisoner was led on
and PLACED undor the gallows. Sheriff " y
Dunn, made u few very timely remarks ans
read the death warrant TO John Horny. TN
prisoner said no was forgiven his sins an'
was willing TO die, llo said ho had noyo
killed but ono man, Rev, Z, T. Pardec' col
orOd, read II few verses from tho fifteenth
chapter Of First Corinthians, sung
hymn and offered n very feeling
prayer. Several shook hands with th'
doomed man. The Sheriff then put on The
black cap and adjusted the moose and gave
signal 10 Deputy Molloy, who cut tho rope
ut precisely half-past three Tho body huns
quietly for three Minutes when he began
breathing louder and louder, which gradually
grow weaker, and In sixteen minutes tho ply
sicans pronounced him dead, and twenty.
nine minutes after tho drop fell
ho was cut down. On examination
il WIS found that his neck ww dislocatod
His body was placed in u neat, plain coffin
and turned over 70 Rev. H. II, Pardoo and
Rev. r. S. Lewis who will oflciate ut his
funeral Mt ton o'clock tomorrow morning
During the ontire day and up 10 tho last mo-
ment the prisoner remained calm aud com
posed. lIo was clad in n plain, black
suit from Kamsler Bros. store
The best of order prevailed throughout
The scsllod was erected in the Jail yard
by John Il, Minor, architect, Of this city, II
was simply square franc work with pull
leys and weight the construction of which
drew the prisoner from the ground upword
Although the hanging was private, many
hundred people locked about tho jail yard
and covered the courthouse and adjacent
buildings TO get glimpse Of the execution:
None but those above named were allowed
in the jail yard.
THE GALLONS
On which John Henry was executed was
erected on the east of the jail, on the inside
of tho yard. He was placed on the grounc
and icrked four and a half feet sliyward by
means of pulIeys. All tension had beer
taken out Of the rope by having had il thrown
over the scaN1ld and some four hundred
pounds of iron suspended to ench end. a
number of our citizens viewed the instrument
of doath Sunday. All preparations had beer
thoroughly done and ii dill Us work effect
ually.
THOSE ALLOWED TO WITNESS TIE ENEcU
rIoN.
Tho law required the execution to bC
private and. Sheriff Dunn carried it out t
| the very letter. none except those nance
| below were allowed to witness IT, All
| the guards were stationed on the outside oi
the jsil yard:
Chosen by John Uenry--Bob Armstrong
Henry Williams, Andrew Jackson, Peter
johnson and Rev. Pardee.
Freeholdors-H b Boyd, ii i FlGker, "
w Bursus, 5 } Il johnson, Ely Ii Formau
o A Eylar, j. X Tarver.
Justices-R w Walton, G. w Younger, G
McClung, r NJ McNulen, Thos B White.
Pbysicians-S F Starley, Al Sewell,
NJ Blair, .Parnell Weatherspoon, DR.. Sears
DR.. Seman.
Guards-G w Read, G w Barth, b I
Fry, JF Chambers, Il A COLLEEN, Jame'
Autry, + o Call, John Garnett, Aaron Fer
guson, John Young, J @ johnson, w A
Ransom, Abe Fry, j A Allen, j A. Hughes
j w Mitten, Rufus RIce, l. L Jester, Q W
Beeman, j L Elliott, j w Minkley.
THE FACTS.
On the 8tb day of January, 1879, Johr
Henry shot and killed Alonzo Whitman
both colored, near VAUDEVILLE, in this (Navar
ROY county. On tho 18th day of January
1879, Deputy Sheriff George B. Walker, ar.
rested John Henry in Henderson county
upon capais issud by Justice Walton, o.
this city. The Grand jury found an indict
ment at the spring term, 1879, against Johr
Henry for murder. lie was tried and con
victed of murder in the tlrst.degree in thu
District court, which judgment was subse
ouently affirmed by the Court Of Appeals
and was sentenced by Judge Pendergast a
the last term of District court. The evidence
developed on trial was that the deceased
Alonzo Whitman and another negro, jim
Young, were fighting near cabin from
which John Henry came out with q shot guI
in his hand, and said, "Coar the track, Goo
d-n it, I'll settle that fuss" and fired the
shot taking effect in Alonzo Whitman's righ
| breast bllu Siue VI lib lhSo' AAioiiHo i"n
short distance and fell dead, after which
John Henry said "God d-n it, told yot
I'd get him." The deceased was thrty-thre,
steps from the defendant when the fatal shot
was fred. The prisoner was ably defended
by Rufus Hardy, esq, and John II. Rice
who were appointed by the court. County
Attorney N. c. Read worked up the case
well. ff
JOHN HENRY
Was full type of an African
possessing however, more than ordinary in.
teligence, and had determined appearance
generally. He had been a rowing character,
and claimed to feel justified. In statement
to local reporter which differs in toto from
the testimony, he said:
az am to be hung for the killing of Alonzc
Whiteman. The mans name was not that
so / am TO suffer for the death Of mar
| never heard of until l was tried. II wa,
Alonzo White had the difficulty with.
first got acquainted with him about six
neutrality-suspicious. to the tragedy. lived il
this place, but paid frequent visits to friend:
in Henderson county. | WAS M the habit OF
stopping nj Jim YOung's, hali-bruther, who
lived in this county, on my way there. at
tended dances, parties. ETC., in that neighbor
hood and WAS always starchy and well
dressed. As result, | was great favoritt
with all the colored women. The young
bucks in that neighborhood hated me be
cause was so popular with their gals, snt
this is really the origin Of the diff
Guilty. During one OF these visits