The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-06-30
THE CONDENMED.
How He Takes 1.-THE erection of
the ScaffOld.

How He Takes 1.-THE erection of
the Scafold.
The gsllows on which Adam Thompson,
who murdered old man Shumaker July /,
1876, is to be hanged, is being erected in the
jail-yard 10 the rear Of the Jail. Sheriff
Jones informed HERALD reporter yester-
day that none but actual members of the
directs will be admitted. He says the exc
possibly make it. This is
commendsble in Mr.. Jones, for
heretofore executions have been very Lhows,
the curious coming from far and near to
witness the scene. In regard to hangings
Title 19.h of the penal code, Article 1929
reads as follows: "When the sen ence oil
death is executed within the walls OF the
county Jail, the sheriff shall notify
any number Of physicians or sur
geons not exceeding six, any number of
justices of the peace of his county not exceed
ing four, and any number of freeholders in
the county not exceeding six, any or all of
whom may be present, together with such
deputies of the sheriff as he may require to
be in attendance when the penalty OF death
is execu ed.
Article $50. The sheriff shall comply With
any reasonable request of the convict, and
where the execution takes place withil the
walls of the Ill, shall permit sucn persons
TO be present, not exceeding five as he may
name. Another article goes on to say that
if he deems 1t necessary, the sheriff may adj
nit the m'i'sry or aay number OF citizens
he msy desire.
A HERALD reporter vi.ited the unfGrtu-
insy nd i'm
gsziug between the bars of hls window AT
the erection Of the gsllows, n d when asked
# he could see the men at work, he replied,
gym bet can" He seems 70 have given
no al nope of escaping his sentence, and
At Qua m Imsnt smiles and appears inN
different and at the next he Is very despond-
ert He says he has no religion. and L. lie
no use 10 say he has. He has had preachers
TO come and administer to hi spiritual
needs, but cannot feel the power of religion.
He says be Is entirely unprepared 70 die,
but tupposes there Is no help for
him. He says time speeds rapidly
sndd of late the days have
dwindled into honrs. and the fatal day is
feartully near. No body has yet been able
10 get auythiug of confession from him
Some Of the witnesses who testified against
him be saws testified fslsely-witb, ut k1ow-
ing sny ting whatever about him. NDsn askeo
If be had heard Of the killing If Barney
McDufi, who was witness against him, he
said be had heard II but was afraid Il vas not
true. He ssys be hss never got enough
religion TO quite forgive BarEey for swearing
falsely sgzinst him. The gallows on which
be Is TO expiste his crime, is the came on
which was hsrged Allen Wright f. ,he mur'
der of jesse w cks. August 30, 1851.
FORMER HANoINGs.
This will msks tue fourth legal hanging 10
this County. Tue first was n cOlOred woman
usmsd Jane d .lls. or jane Elkin, wbo was
executed some thirty years sE5 for killing q
farmer usmsd Wisdom. Ths second Was
Wesley Jones, colorod. wbo wss executed on
the IN of August, 1879, for rape Thethird
was Allen Wright. cOlored, Who IVES e1e-
cu,ed on the 30 nf August, - above sisted
for the killing of jesse WiCks-