Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-03-04

Kilgore to death. He prefaced the
sentence with a few very considerable
yet pointed remarks. Although the
court room vas crowded, you could
have heard a pin drop while the
judge pronounced the sentence.
JUDGE PoRTER's SENTENCE.
Walker Kilgore,it is and has been
my wish to. be as lenient with you as
possible, and be consistent with the
law. The law allows me to give you
not less than four OF more than eight
weeks to live. l shall give you eight
weeks. / advise you to at once pre-
pare for this solemn event in your
life. This is a very d~isagreeable task
for me, but it is a stern duty which
| cannot avoid. l am the organ of
the law. We must all meet death,
either natural or artificial. This is
not new penalty, or new law ; IL
is older than society itself. 1t IS the
bulwark Of society-the foundation
of law. 1t is of Divine origin.
"Whoso sheddeth his neighbours
blood, SC" "Blood for blood" is
the only way to protect society and
human life. The fear of death is the
only thing that protects the life OF
man in this world. Murder would
run riot if capital punishment were
abolished. You are an example. Ii
not sentenced to death you would be
a living encouragement to murder.
Dead, you will protect thousands Of
lives by keeping other men through
fearfrom killing their neighbors: 1ou
have time to prepare for death. Your
victim was taken unawares, and had
no time to time to prepere to met his
Maker. You have this, which is a
great advantage over him. You have
friends to pray for you, and time to
pray for yourself.
The Judge then asked Kilgore ifhe
had Anything to- say why sentence of
death should not be passed on him,
and he said No"
The Judge then pronounced that
on Friday, the 5th day of December,
Walker Kilgore should be takon by
the Sheriff from the jail to the place
Of execution, and hung by the neck
until he was dead. dcad!! dead !!
And the Lord have mercy on your
soul.
Kilgore received his sentence with
stolid Indifference, not a muscle Of
his face moving.
In the Supreme Court OF Missouri, October term
; s79-The State of Missouri. Respondent, vs.
Walker Kilgore, Appellant-Appeal from Au
drain Court
Now, at this day, it is ordered by
the court, that the execution of tii
Judgment and sentence passed upof
the said appellant, Walker Kilgore
bv the Circuit Court OF Audrail
county i'll the above entitled cause
on the I4th day of October, 1879, b.
and the same is hereby stayed, unit
lhis cause can be heard and deter
mined by this court.
KILGoRE's BIOGRAPHY.
There are a good many II 1orts il
circulation concerning the life o
Walker kilgore, and with a goo
deal of trouble we think we have a
. last gotten the matter straight. Xii
/" gore himself don't know anythin
u about hi. parents, or place of natlH
"a itv. AS near as we can learn, Wake
= Kilgorc was born in the year 1857, o
- the Henley farm, on Skull Lick ,abol
l. 10 miles northwest Of Mexico, mes
y where Reuben Pulls now lies. I'll
le fathers name was Harlan Kilgor,
:, and his mother was named France
:! kilgore, who was u daughter of oil
Sam kilgore. Walkers mother(wt
81 was a cousin to Harlan Kilgore), w,
only Is wears old when Walker W:
born. She afterwards married Marie
Vi kilgore-Hsrlan's brother-by who
y she had another son, Alex. Kilgor
!" and who is a half-brother to Wake
~ Walker kilgore is, therefore, the i'll
ultimate son of Harlan kilgore.
Harlan Kilgore had four brother
ie viz: Marion, Welsey (who now liv
~ in this city,, Reason, ana who wi
was called "Bully Sam
Dow Williugham's father W
named DelOne Willingham. He W
sent to prison at Alton, III, to-
sick there, was brought home a.
III died in Mexico. Sarah Willinghs
d. ODow's mother), To- lives on I
oh old Lone Willingham farm, abo
miles north of town.
Dow was about 50 Years old at t
vi time of his death.
J." We are informed by parties w
So know, that Dow Willineham a
or Walker kilgore were i'll no way
M lated.
lg- Concluding paragraph of the OPT
Us ion of.IIon. John W. Henry, Jud
Of the Supreme Court, in the ca
State of Missouri vs.. Walker kilgol
id. is as follows:
me The evidence admits of but t,
the theories. One, that the dctenda
g was guilty of deliberately murderi
The the deceased. The other, that
cry took his life in defense of his oW
the Therefore the court was not auth,
lim iZed to instruct the jury in relati
nld to manslaughter in any degree.
hot jury of his county, who, it is to
,y's presumed, had no prejudice agail
hat the defendant, have. on the eviden
he found him guilty of murder in
to first degree and there is nothing
ny, this Record which would justify
and in interfering t. arrest the eXecuti
uld of the sentence.
not All concerning the judgment
ill affirmed.
NE PLEA O r
in
me Just as soon as the Supreme Co
ing confirmed the sentence of the Giro
court, steps were taken to presen'
petition to Gov. Phelps begging
" mercy In the meantime Kilo