The Louisiana Democrat., 1881-07-13
TRAVIS TRAVELS!
I
A NEGRO MURDERER HANGED.
SAM TRAVIS, ALIAS FLED, PUB
LICLY EXECUTED ON TIE
GALLOWS FOR TIE
MURDER OF a.
J. HANNA. Z #
n '''''| ! 4 '3,!''' d ''' Ian.
SCENES At THE SCiFFOLD-A GREAT
CROWD WITNESS THE EYECU.
TlON, Which IL WELL
MANAGED. g
HISTORY (F THE CRIME
now TIE FOUL DEED WAS Committed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE uUR-
DERER-HIS LAST
WORDS, ETC.

DERER-HIS LAST
WORDS, ETC.
THE CRIME.
"The murder of which SamIel Travis
alias Samuel Fled, was found guilty. was
committed on the Goth day If October
1879. The unfortunate man WAC met his
death at the hands Of Travis vas Mr. A.
]. Hanna, u respectable citizenof this Pa
rish, who lived on Red River about ten
miles below AleN udra. Mr.. Hanna was
a merchant and ept country store
Travis, who had en living for aboutfour
months in the n shborhood, often went
such so Int th Sn wanted from ip time to
time. ON he lhorning of the day the
murder ocy nrredi Travis bought d pint
bottle of wtisky Of Mr. Hanna. The whis-
ky was drawn ina measure from the bar
rel and when the; bottle had been filled a
small quantity was left in the cup. The
cup containing the whisky was placed be-
hind the cohuter by Mr.. Hanna, and Ira
Wis, who cdutended that he had paid for
all that had been drawn from the barrel,
demanded shat what remained iu the cup
Ishould be given him. A dispute arose be-
tween Hanna and Travis, in which Travis
disputed Hannas veracity. Travis owed
Hanna the sum Of thirty-fve cents which
Hanna demanded and which Travis paid.
Travis, who had drank all the whisky he
had just bought, became very insolent,
and he was orde I by Hanna to leave the
provoIinr 1di@ ~ Od oO1., t,mh nOmoto', 10 W,
very defan3 and busive Mr.. Hanna did
him away A shbrt while after the dis
pute at the'store had ended, MIR. Hanna
had OCCASION to 60 to the steamboat land
lug to attend to come business. On bis
road to the landing he bad to pass within
. short distance 5f the house at which
Travis had beeu staying for some time
This house was situated in field about
100 yards from theipublic road over which
Hanna had to pass! Agate which stood
near tbe road opened into this field
! When Hanna had arrived at ptint near.
ly opposite the gate Travis wasseen ap-
preaching the gate, armed with shot
gun. When witlAn o few feet f Hanna
he raised his gun lps if intending to fire
upon him, when 4 una, who. until then,
had not belihrea t at it was his mention
to shoot him beggld him not to fir. The
assassin heq ed not tue prayer of lis vic.
tim and the gun was discharged, when
the parties Were separated by but ! few
feet, the slot striking Hanna IL the
breast. Several persons who had been
witnesses ofthe shooting assisted N re.
moving Hanna to his residence, when he
died in about twenty.four hours after he
was shot. Travis was immediately ar
rested and brought to Alexandria ind
lodged in jail.' a. E .a !
He was indicted by the Grand Jur,
on the 81 of February, 1880, for mur.
der, and was tried during the same
month, and found guilty Of murder in |
the first degree, and sentence of death
passed on him. His counsel took an,
appeal to the Supreme. Court pravineI
that he be granted a new trial. He
was given Il, second trial in March of
this year, aud he was again found gull
ty as charged in the Indictment. On
the Both of April lie was again sen ntenc-
ed to death, alid his death warrant was
signed by the: Governor June "a, 1881.
Sam. Travis is a griff-colored negro.
OF rather prepossessing appearance,
weight about l75 pounds, height about
u feet, and is well formed. His demea-
nor was quietIa and he seemed perfectly
resigned to his fate. He was visited
by Rev. Father Menard some davs he
lore the execution; was baptized on
thursday evening, and OH the morning
OF tue execution the Sacrament of Ex-
treme Unctiop was administered him,
TIi EXECUTION. q |
From early dawn till high noon, on
Friday last, July 8, 1881, great crowds
OF people, both VII and black. tocL.
ed from the count nd adjoining Pa
rishes into Town, ii the Streets yaro "a,
almost blocked wi them. to witnass
the execution of S! Travis. the first
that had taken plad in Rapitles since
1862, nineteen yearsi since. At 10 min
utes to II O'Clock M, the condemned
man was led from his cell and escorted
by Major G. 0. Watts and Sheriff d. q
Paul, accompanied by Rev. Father T..
;Menard' to the buggy which was to
bear him to his doom. The place of
execution was in the Court House
square. The gallow:s had been erected
III the northwest corner of the ward.
facing the river. Surrounding the GAL
lows, and more particularly in front.
tully twelve or thirteen hundred peo-
pie had congregatea, awaiting With
that morbid curiosity which character
ICES human nature to,witness spectacles
of this kind. Many had climbed on
The fences an sat like so mapy buz.
zards, just abo b the crowds, a greater
number leaned against Or sat down hv
The fence. Th> weather was intensely
hot and Precipitation streaked down RI.
'aces of the eager and expectant mill
'lde; AT IL O'Clock NJ the buggy with
ne aoomed man arrived. He was seat
I'd between Sheriff Paul aud Rev. Faith
II Menard, one of whom held an um-
'rella over his head. He was dressed {
II black alpaca coat, white pants and
'est, and wore standing collar.-I, ,
tev. Father Menard and the Sheriff. !.
low ascended The ssaffold, when Sheriff !
'aui read the death warrant; after q
'hich he asked Travis if he had any-
ling to say, now was his time. Ira q
is said: "My colored friends. good ),
ye; | am about to leave you; I am
'ady to die. You had all better ston u
ginklng whisky. Drinking whisky. G
anDitun and loaffng around has
FoHght me 10 v",--f ,.,., raoa.
ood-bye." Voices from tn cioaas.1 u
Good-bye.') The black cap was tlMieHhs n
rawn down over his face, his legs y
ere tied together, the trigger was a
allied, the drop fell, and tile soul ofl ei
I'm Travis was launched into eterni- G,
{. a shudder ran through the crowd,
i'd some cries and lamentations were
ard. Then all was. still. Sam Ira