The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-07-12

HOUSTON, July 6.-The negro rapist. Jol
= Gone, was hanged this morning. in the tow,
, OF the county Jail. About $50 persons wei
present. Sheriff John j. FAINT Ofieiated Re
= ). Halsey Werlein entered the cell of the co
demned man about l0:45, and pleaded Ion
" ana earnestly with him. Cone declared tn;
IS ne was ready to die, and felt sure of Obtain
X ing place of rest in heaven. He insisted thu
d ne was not guilty of the crime charged.
e c ny. Meriem and the colored minister, Nj
+ scott, told him If he was guilty and did ne
Y confess, and died with denial on hi
4 ups, he could not expect salvation.
Cone was perfectly cool when the sheril
+ came Tor nun and told him to put on his Goa
f anu shoes, and he stood on one leg while IN
put his shoe ON, without support He wake,
calmly up the scatfold steps and quietly tool
T a seat over the drop, willie the sheriff rea,
i the death warrant.
Prayer and song ware held, Cone kneelin,r
he lheh asked Tor drink, stepped to Tic
rtlllllg and made the following speech: Il mn
alTagned on the gallows to-day and stand a,
one ready for DEATH l want all within thu
sound OF my voice to remember the 9th OF
July, for on that day they saw a poor, limo
cent man put to death in the name of law
nave made my peace and know that have
ohiy lew moments to live. and am glad OF
nope TO meet you all in heaven. | have
spoken truly and fully, and that is all | have
to say
Cone then again took his seat, but was told
| 70 Slad up, and while he was beii z bound by
Sherlll FAINT and Deputy Keagans the mlhiS
ter sang:
Am born to die
20 not Joining in. Cone then said:
want all III sound of my voice, both black
and and white, to take warning from my fearful
lie til, had another glass brimming f,Iu of
water hand to linn, which he took and swal-
LEVIED without tremOr or spi ling a drop.
Inc rope and black cap being on him, the
Sheriff asked II he had anything To say He
| replied, No. when instantly the lever was
draw and the body of John Cone took nine
foot plunge Into space He never knew what
hurt him, and he body, beyond slight tire ors,
W5S mOtiOnleSS.
The trap was sprung at II Is, exactly twenty
tWO minutes after hc was taken from the cell
minutes The body was cut down after hang
ing thlrty-siX minutes. The doctor cut an ill.,
cision back of his neck and announced that
the neck had not been broken.
he whole execution was admirably ar
ranged i'll its details, and the sheriff deserves
much credit. MIR. Scout, husband of the out
RACED woman, was present, and begged the
sheriff to let him do the hanging which, of
course, was not allowed.
, The crime for which Cone was executed to-
day was one of those brutal acts which are
committed onyby the lower class of Southern
negroes, and one i'll which it is alone eXcusa-
pie TO have trial and summary execution by
Judge Lynch, and II speaks we'll for the good
people OF Harris county that the clamor
OF the mob was not listened to and Justice was
permitted to take its course
History of the Crime.
The crime was committed on the 18th of
January, 1882 and the details are 100 sicken-
ing TO be fully described. 1t is sufficient to
say that, Oh that day. Cone approached the
house of Mrs. Scott, the wife of a well-tO-do
Storkman, ten miles from Houston, on the
line of the Galveston, Harrisburg and San
Antonio railroad, and asked to be fed. The
lady gave him good sized lunch, which he
ate while he sat upon the back stOOp of the
house. The black rascal consumed great
deal of time while eating his meal and. as
the lady was at work III her kitchen, kept up
a dis1Ointed conversat on with her, ascertain
ing that her husband and his men were out Oh |
the prairie, lar from the house, and that no |
one was at home or would be until night.
Mrs. scott lett the kitchen to get some Wa |
ter from the tank in the yard, and the negro, |
having finish, Il his rcpaSt, followed her and |
offered to carry the water back She assent
ed, and handed him the bucket. He then
mate an improper proposal TO her, which, of
course, frightened The lady, and she ran |
Streaming to the house. Dropping the bucket |
Cone
sPRANG IN PURSUIT,
and, snatchipg up a club that was near, struck |
the ground. The fiend then struck her again |
and again, when, finding her senseless, he |
dragged or carried her into the house, and |
while she was in that condition. accomplished |
his feii nrfSnnse and fled. leaving the rnined |
wgAian still SenSei6Ss--
- i>hOurS before the husband returned to |
nlfs n blasted forever. After atteffd-4
ing to b. Iii his wife as well as he was |
able and obtaf.-S nndescription of the rascal, |
he mOuuted his mon, I'D proceeded to arouse |
ms 4 neighSors, the nearest of whom was mile |
cane rapidly SMn VIVA and reated his sad sfo nv
to the officers. AposSe was Immediately or
ganiZed, and i'll very short time was on the
long start that pursuit seemed hopeless and |
the neighbors and posse apparently aban-
dOned the hunt.
negro, Constable Zen keagins located him as
being John Cone, an eX-eonvict and kept sew
eral spies about the house OF his parents,
Learning he was at home, he, on January 20,
four days after the crime had bern committed
with MeSSrS Dave Lubbock and Dave Ferry, |
proceeded to the house about dusk, sending
Lubbock and Terry to the house by the front /
approach. Keagans made detOur and took
up his position in the rear. Officers Lubbock
and i, rTy walked to the front door and asked
for John, VIII that gentleman silently slipped
out of the back door
INTO kEAGAN's ARMS.
who had him handle fled an instant afterwards
Cone pretended that he did not know why he
was arrested, but could not explain why he
had left the house so suddenly when he saw the
officers approaching, which with the evasive
and contradictory answers he made to the in
quiries of the officers led them to be positive
that they had secured the right man, and he |
was brought t. town to the Justices Office
where the father of the outraged lady was
found AS soon as the old gentleman was told
that The author of his daughters ruin was be-
fore him, the frantic father drewa six shooter
and in spite of the Interference Ofthe officers,
leveied it at the hend who covered in fear. Be-
fore he could pull the trigger, however, his
arm was knocked up and The prisoner taken
When it was known that the ravisher had
been captured, the country farmers and stock
men poured into town, and surrounded the
jail with the expressed determination TO
LYNCH THE scoUNDREL,
but large posse of cool headed men were
qnartered in the jail. and the mob knew that
many of them would bite the gravel pave ment
should snch a thing be attempted This being
the case the wiser counsels of the older heads
prevailed, and the law was permitted totake its
course.
The clothing which Cor wore at the time of
the CRIME was found III the house of his par
ents, and there was no reasonable doubt of
the prisoners guilt; but to make assurance
doutly sure. Cone was given another snit of
and all the negro prisoners, some
or twenty in number. turned into the
corridor of the jail. Mrs. Scott was brought to
the Jail and requested to point out her as
Sailant. In spite of the change of clothes and
the similarity of features of the lower class of
negroes, as soon as she caught sight of him
she exclaimed That Is he,'' aud, overcome by
her emotions fell fainting to the floor Cone
was held without bail, and at his trial before
the criminal court, was found guilty, and SEN
fenced to death An appeal was taken by his j
the SUPP me court Judge Cook passed SEN /
tence. Sheriff John j. FAINT conducted the /
execution in person, lie deeming it his duty to
do so.
DALLAS, July 6.-Representative Nash of |
this county, has received letter from State
Treasurer lubbock. i'll which the latter says |
here will be S95E,S7 permanent school fund, |
and 1910 900 university fund on hand in August |
for investment in Understanding securities,
in the event of the adoption Of the proposed |
constitutional amendment
Farmers report the heaviest and best hay |
crop now being harvested ever known In the |
state There is an increasing demand for |
shipment of Texas hay, and more care is be- |
ing given in gathering the crop than hereto |
fore, particularly that for home feeding. Much |
Improvement is being made in the farms in !
this section, in the shape of shelter to protect
stock and avoid repetition OF the losses sus-
iained by the severe winters heretofore. The |
saving in stick, it is estimated, viii more than