Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-29
GEO. WALLACE HANGED.
PROTESTING HIS INNOCENCE TO
THE LAST.


THE LAST.
His Expiration of a Horrible Crime
His Arrest. Trial. Conviction and
Reprieve-His FeIgned Insanity-His
Last Night on Earth and the Hours
Before His Execution-His Written
Statement-From the Prison to the
GaIIows-F acing the Death Warrant
His Last Statement-The Fatal Drop.
The majesty Of the law was vindicated
yesterday in the execution Of George W al
lace. The crime for which he paid the
penalty Of death was the murder Of a sail
or at Norwegian dance house in the
northeastern part Of the city on the night
Of March Is. 1852. Few details Of the crime
were ever known. Late at night on that
date a pistol shot was heard IN the
vicinity Of the old fort. dance was
in progress at a notorious house on Key
nOlds street Wallace was there. aud be-
came involved in dis ute with sailor
named Martin Jansen about watch.
He was put out Of the house. soon after
a pistol Shot was heard, and the lifeless
/ BODY of the sailor was found lying on the
I steDs. with a bullet wound above the
I heart where the fatal ball had entered
and done its work.
The following day an inquest was held:
/ 4 dozen parties were arrested, suspected
Of completely in the crime. Among theh
was the negro Wallace.
+ The Jury completed its investigation
and rendered a verdict charging Wallace
4 with the murder. He was remanded for
+ trial in the superior Court.
HIS INDICTMENT AND TRIAL.
on the Both day Of March the grand
/ Jury found a true bill Of indictment, and
on April 14th the prisoner was put upon
trial for his life. The following jurors
were impaneled
A. :. Alden. John J. Walker,
/ Fred'k. Vessels. X. W. Adams. Dr.,
". =. Nav. Thos. W. Henderson,
John d. Harris, J. Florence Minis,
William Silas, &C.. David Clark,
Joseph A. Logan. John A. HONG.
Hon. A.P. Adams appeared as the pris-
T 0ner's counsel before Judge Tompklns.
The evidence presented by the state
was positive and mainly cOrroD0ra-
tive Of that elected at the Coroner's
/ inquest. The defense endeaVored 70
prove that Wallace, VINO was 10
the employ Of Magistrate Isaac Russell,
had pistol belonging TO the Magistrate,
and that the pistol carried larger ball
/ than that which inflicted the death wound
on the sailor. The prisoner stOutly de-
/ MED his quilt. and claimed that one Ofthe
T witnesses for the state was prejudIced
against him and had sworn falsely.
FOUND GUILTY.
After a full argument OF the case, and
an explicit and impartial charge from the
. court, the jury retired, and after short
absence returned and rendered the YER
diet. eve find the prisoner guilty OF the
murder" The prisoner was placed IN
the dock and asked if he had anything to
say why the sentence of death should not
4 be pronounced upon him. He replied in
a rambling harangue protesting his Inn0-
cence and reiterating his statement be-
fore the jury denying the crime. and
declaring he was a law-abiding citizen.
THE DEATH SENTENCE.
Judge TOmpkins pronounced the SEN
tence Of death. His execution was fixed
for the 18th Of May, 1882. The prisoner
I counsel then moved for new trial, which
was argued and overruled. Various eff
forts were made to secure a stay Of pro-
I ceedings, and the case finally went to the
+ Supreme Court on supersedeas issued
/ by Hon. II. W. Carswell, presiding in the
I absence of Judge TOmpkins. Hon. Ru-
/ fus f. Lester and J. j. Abrams, ksq.,
here appeared as his counsel in place of
/ Hon. A Z. Adams, who had been elevated
to the Superior Court Judgeship during
7 the progress of the case. \ strong effort
was made in behalf of the prisoner, but on
. the 26th of last April the Supreme Court
affirmed the judgment of the Superior
f Court. and the last measure had been eX-
hausted. Nothing short of Executive in
I teryention could now save him.
REsENTENCED.
ON the ID Of last July Wallace was
brought from the Jail and resentenced by
Judge Allen Fort. presiding instead Of
+ Judge Adams. who was disqualified. He
was placed in the dock, and on being
asked why the sentence should not be
pronounced. exhibited great agitation and
/ began in an incOherent manner to aYOW
his innocence Of the crime. Judge Fort
I addressed the prisoner and dwelt strongly
upon the enormity Of the deed, and as
! sured him that he could not see one ray
] of hope for him. as every appeal
] short Of Executive clemency had
T been exhausted. and the present Chief
/ Magistrate was resolved that the majesty
/ OF the law should be indicated. He then
+ sentenced him to be hanged on the 24th OF
+ August. between the hours Of 10 and ,.
I After cOunseing the prisoner to make the
/ most of the time left him upon earth in
preparation to meet his Maker. he was
+ remanded to Jail to await the eXecu-
/ ton of the sentence. During the
/ time he was in the dock Wallace
/ held a printed paper in front Of him. eX-
posed to the Court, which. when the SEN
tence had been pronounced. he held and
waved above his head. He manifested
the most violent agitation.
A RETRIEVE GRANTED.
The last legal effort had been made by
( the prisoners counsel. but i'm view Of his
conviction. which, it was claimed, was
based upon circumstantial evidence and
in view Of his weak intellect, petition
signed by members Of the bar and leading
citizens asking a Communication Of the
4 death sentence on these grounds was for
warded to Governor Mcdaniel. The pa
I pers were given personal attention, and the
ease was thoroughly investigated. On
the 22d of August a reprieye was granted
until yesterday. The prisoner continued
in hope that his sentence would be
cOmmuted to Imprisonment for life until
last Sunday, when the Governor an
nOunced that he would not interfere with
the judgment of the court and the law
must take its course.
THE LAST HOPE GONE.
When told that this last effort to save
his life had proved unavailing the prisoner
manifested the most violent frenzy, raving
in his cell and requiring the cOmbiHed
strength of the prison guards to control
him.
From his manifestations he was adj
Judged by the Jailer to be insane. Deputy
Sheriff Franklin was notified, in the alb
sence of Sheriff Roman, and a commission
OF lunacy was summoned. An examina-
ton of the prisoner was held on Thurs
day. His sanity was determined, and
yesterday the law was yindlcated.
WHERE THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED.
The following diagram will give an idea
Of the locality where the murder was
committed: