Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-23
HANGMAN'S DAY.
Jasper Rhodes, 0olored, Atonts to the
Extreme Penalty Of the Law for the
Terrible Crime Of Wife Murder,
he Meets His Doom With the Stoioism
Peculiar TO His Race History Of the
Crime and Conviction.
JASPER RHODES.
special.

dAsfEH khDDEs,
special.
GALVESTON, TEX, May %,
Promptly with the Ginning OF the
MONDAY bells In our city to-day
Sheriff Owens escorted Jasper Rhodes
up the steps leading from his cell TO
the attic Of the Jail, where the gallows
We're erected for the execution, After
seating the condemned man In chair
by the gallows, Sheriff Owens, In
tremulous voice, read the death war
rant to him, In reply to which he
stated that he had nothing to SAY
more than to bid goodbye to all.
He then called his brother TO
him and shook hands, telling him
20 avoid whisky and bad company,
after which he stepped with Arm
tread on the trap door and was PIN
toned. The moose was adjusted aud
the black cap drawn over his head and
face. He then asked the colored min.
listers standing by TO pray for him and
was In the act OF repeating the request
when the trigger was sprung, launch
ing him into eternity. The details
were all well arranged and with an
eight.ioot fall his neck was very Of
fectlvely broken, producing death APP
parenlly within two minutes. With
the exception OF a slight witch or two
OF the hands and one or two weak
shrugs of the shoulders he died with
out u struggle,
AT the expiration OF fifteen minutes
he was lowered aud pronounced
dead by County Physician johnson
and DIR. Fly, His body WAS placed In
neat coffin and turned over to his
relatives. Two or three thousand peo-
pie, mostly colored, copgregated In the
streets around the jail. The hanging
was pronounced by all who witnessed
II a we'll executed Job.
History of tho Crime.
The crime for which Jasper Rhodes
waa privately executed In the county
jail to-day, was the murder OF his wife,
Mary Rhodes, which occurred In this
city on tue night OF October ~, 1884.
IL was one OF tho most brutal crimes
that has stained The annals Of this
county. Rhodes was light mulatto,
about thirty-five years old. and was
somewhat Of desperate character,
generally feared by people OF his race.
He WAS constantly engaged In broila
and WAS under bonds VI the time OF
the murder for seriously stabbing n
white man on the wharf Mary
Rhodes, his wife and victim, was "A
bright mulatto oman, twenty'Hevon
years old, and was married 10 Rhodes
in the latter part OF April, 1854, Their
married life was rendered exceedingly
unpleasant by the brutal and Intern
perate conduct Of Rhodes. which
forced his wife TO separate from him
and again enter the service OF Mr..
Richard III Piernan'a family, re-
siding on the corner Of Thirteenth
street and Broadway, where she
was employed ~ domestic prior TO
her marriage, and by whom she was
highly esteemed. Rhodes made re-
peated attempts TO get his wife 10 re-
turn 10 him, but without avail. About
1880 O'Clock on the evening OF October
u Rhodes, In company with Sam
Wilson, another negro, visited the
residence Of Mr.. PiernRn daring that
gentleman's absence and gained access
TO the rear yard through eide
gate. Rhodes, remaining in
the background, sent Wilson for
ward 10 Induce his wife to come
out into the yard on the plea that he
WILSON, wanted TO talk TO her. The
unsuspectlng wife etepped out into the
yard 10 hear what Wilson had 10 say,
and when she reached the shadow Of
the building she was instantly con-
fronted by Rhodes. A few exciting
words passed between them, when
Rhodes, quick ~ flash. drew his
pistol and lodged a bullet In the brain
Of bis wife and then quickly jumped
astride Of her PROSTATE body and with
q knife inflicted horrible cash In her
throat. In the meantime her
sister, who had seen Rhodes
and his companion enter the
yard, rushed up stairs and informed
Mrs. Piernan that Jasper Rhodes was
Ia the yard With pistol, and that che
feared he intended 10 kill her sister"
, Mrs. Plernan, appreheneive Of trouble,
seized her husbands pistol lying on a
dresser, hurried down the rear stairs
aud had scarcely reached the yard be-
| WV bA3b " M rbhl1ltA tAAG ltRDit NHN
fash Of n pistol, aud raw her faithful
servant fall 10 the ground with o moan.
She sprsng forward to her defense,
pistol drawn, bat was 80 bOrrihed with
what she cav that she for moment
lost her self-possession and could not
fire her pistol.
Rhodes, having completed his hell
ish deed, epraDg from the body OF his
victim, and, with brutal threat, -four
ished his pistol In the face Of Mrs.
Piernan, and with his accomplish g.
capped In the darkness The city was
Mortified; the excitement was intense,
and lynching was strongly talked Of,
while every avenue Of escape WINS
closely watched. Wlison was APP
pretended the next morning.
and lodged In jail. For
four days the city was closely searched
for the murderer. On the morning OF