St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-27
Their Crimes Expiated.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, June 26.-John Nc
Keever, colored, who shot and killed Will
liam j. Trainer, four miles south of this
city on the 18th of last December, was
hanged at 1880 o'clock to-day, within the
inclosure of the county Jail. The condemned
man attempted to commit suicide at mid
night last night by cutting the arteries of
his arms and legs with tough piece of tin
shaped like knife, which he made out of
tin snuff box. When found by the night
turnkey at o'clock this morning he was
unconscious from the loss of blood. Medi-
Rev. Father Walsh and Father j. II. Wood
attended him on the scaffold and admins
tered the last abSolution. When asked by
Sheriff Cams if he had anything to say he
replied: es, / am no murderer" Seeing
his attorney among those who were present
to witness the execution, he called to him,
saying: ''Good-by, eATr. Moss; you bet your
life / am going to die right" These were
his last words, and five seconds afterwards
the trap was sprung. Mrs. Trainer, the
widow of the murdered man, occupied a
seat on the scaffold, and witnessed her hus-
bands assassin take his leap into eternity.
JORDAN TAYLOR HANGED.
LNANSNlLLE, Iuu., ullc SO.-COTudu
Taylor, cOlored, was hanged at Hopkins
vile, KY, at 1880 to-day in the presence
of 5000 or 5000 people, mostly colored.
Saloons were open and there was consid-
cradle drunkenness on the streets, but or
der was maintained. The criminal passed
restless night. A squad of forty sur
rounded the Jail yard. Taylor was bap-
tized yesterday in the river in the presence
of thousands of people crowding the banks
He mounted the gallows with firm step
and took his position under the beam. The
rope and black cap were adjusted. After
religious exercises the trap was sprung and
in nine minutes life was declared extinct
Taylor spent the morning laughing and
joking, but said he was ready to die. The
execution was practically public, as the
hills and high buildings gave those outside
ample opportunity to see. He spoke for
five minutes on the scaffold. A terrible
rain and thunder storm followed the exc
cutiOn.
The crime for which Taylor was exc
cuted was the murder of his mistress, Sallie
Sanders, on the Sth of October, 1884, near
Casky station, on the Louisville Sc Nash
vile railroad. On the night of the murder
Sallie Sanders, who had been working for
Mrs. Eliza Bronough, started for her home.
For several months, on account of a quarrel
she had not been living with Taylor, who,
finding that reconciliation was impossible,
determined to kill her. On the night in
question he followed her to her home, over
taking her shortly before reaching there.
The quarrel was renewed, and Taylor, en-
ragged at a remark which she dropped as to
another lover, crushed her skull with an
axe, killing her instantly. To make sure
of the work he struck her two blows after
she had fallen. He then took her by the
feet and dragged her to the willows, hun
dred feet distant, where the body was con-
cealed, to be discovered two days afterward.
Taylor was arrested on suspicion, and, being
confronted with the evidence against him,
confessed. He attempted to implicate an
acquaintance named Lee, an old colored
man, noted in the neighborhood as ''vOo-
doc DOCTOR" but afterwards retracted the
charge, confessing that he alone had done
the killing. This is the first legal hanging
that has taken place in this county since
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