The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-12-18
William Fox, the Nevada Muir
derer, Will Swing on the
18th Inst.
He Has Abandoned Ali Hope
and Calmly Surveys
His End.
A Conversation With Another
Prisoner Accused Of Killing
Two Men.

On the 10Th day Of last May, at Nevada
occurred one OF the most unpro
voked and most brutal murders ever com
milted in Missouri. Reference is mad,
TO the killing of L. n. Howard by William
Fox. The circumstances under which tn,
murder was committed and all OF the de
tails are too fresh in the minds of th,
BAzoo readers to require general rehearsa
at this time.
Ii will be remembered that Fox invei
gled his victim, who was very much under
the influence of liquor, into the woods and
then shot him in the back, shooting him
three times after he had fallen to the
ground and was ON his knees begging for
his life. At first Fox charged a man by
the name of Tom Archer with the commits.
sion OF the terrible deed, but subsequently,
he made full confession, giving As his
reason for killing Howard, the existence OF
an old grudge growing out Of a quarrel
between them in the spring of 1882, al
Mexico, Audrsin county.
1t seems TO be the general superstition,
however by those hest acquainted with the
murderer and his victim, that Fox killed
Howard for the paltry sum OF S40.l0, which
he acknowledged having taken from the
murdered mans pockets.
Fox was arrested on the Monday follow
ing the commission Of his crime, and the
confession referred TO was made in Jail to a
reporter, in the presence of Sheriff Fisher,
of Vernon county. He was formally ar
raigned to answer 10 the charge of murder
on the 26th of May, and Notwithstanding
the confession he had made entered a plea
of not guilty TO the charge, Judge
Burton refusing TO accept his plea
of guilty. His case was called
for trial on the 18th, when the court
assigned an attorney for his defense. The
trial, of course, resulted in the conviction
of the prisoner, and he was soon after SEN
fenced to be hanged on the 2Sth day of the
present month. While the jury which
tried the murderer were celebrating upon
their verdict a rope with a hangman's
moose Was thrown into the jury room, and
this instance was used by the defendants
sttorneys as one of the grounds FOR a new
trial.
A motion for a new trial was promptly
filed. which was as promptly overruled by
Judge Burton. The grounds upon which
the new trial was asked were as follows:
First, on account Of the court refusing to
grant continuance until the next term
second, because the jury were allowed to
separate, snd third, because the jury were
improperly influenced In forming their
verdict. The case was taken to the SUI
preme court, by which tribunal in quite
an elaborate opinion rendered by Judge
Norton, the action of the lower court was
affirmed.
A representative of the BAzoo visited |
Nevada on Sunday lss:, and by the cour-
esy of Sheriff Fisher was permitted TO in |
eryiew the condemned man. Fox has, !
contrary to the usual order of things, grown |
quite heshy during his conf nement. He |
vas smoking a cigar when the re-
,orter entered, and upon being in
urmed that the BAzoo man desired |
o SEE him, remarked, Oh yes, you are the
nan who printed my picture got two /
# them and am much obliged to Won, by
he way, want TO show you picture Of /
myself and wife, taken some time ago" /
The prisoner then retired into his cell and /
Don returned with photograph album, in
which he pointed out a picture OF himself
md wife
After examining the photograph the re-
orter continued his interview with the
prisoner who maintained a very quiet de-
neanOr during the conversation, although /
here were a number OF visitors present.
SWELL, Fox, the time is drawing very
ear" remarked bystander. From pres
Mt indications you have but nineteen days
0 live"
81 am fully aware of that fact" replied
OK.
"Have you given up all hope" queried
be BAzOOITE.
"Yes, sir, some time ago. In fact never
d much, but then they y that q, long
$ there is life there is hope"
"Haye you fully repented of yonr
rhine ~
"Yes, | have, and feel sorry for what
ave done"
"How about yonr future?"
81 feel that all will be we'll with me-"
DO the clergymen visit you ,"
Yes, Elder Davis of the Christian
hurch, and other ministers have visited
le frequently"
Have you made a profession of relig-
,n?-
"Ies, and have been trying 10 90 right
yer since l was sentenced"
What church will you unite with ?"
The Christian church"
when will you be- baptized ?''
al DO not yet know"
What was your obj ct in killing How
ri ~
81 do not care TO answer that question.
makes no difference now"
"Are there any relatives of Howard liy- ;
lg in this city," II
"No, sir, not that | know of
"DOes not the time fly rapidly now that ,
he day set for your execution draws nigh?"
"No, cannot say that it does the days
EN- as long to me as they ever did, j