The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-18
The Drop Sprung as He Said, "Thy
VIII be Done"
UNEVEN EXECUTIVE cLEMENcY.
Brief Histories of the Grimes OF the
Doomed and the Delivered-rexas
omoer Killed In the Pan
handle Country, Etc.
THE DAYS RECORD OF GRIMES
William PhillIps Hanged.

William Phillips Hanged.
Fort SMITH, April IT, Special. -
The execution of VIM. Phillips, for the
murder of his father-in-law, VIM. Hill,
took place this afternoon at 3 O'Clock.
The execution was private, only officers
of the court, doctors and reporters be-
ing allowed within the enclosure, The
scaiiold is IN the old garrison walls, now
the courthouse yard, On this scafTold,
within the last II years, have been
Hanged VI men for murder committed |
in the Indian Territory. Phillips was |
hopeful to the very last, and momenta. |
rlly expected a reprieve from the presi- |
dent, because the other four men who |
were to hang with him had been re- |
proved, but at III O'Clock this morning |
telegram was received informing the |
marshal that the president declined to
To Interfere In this case. Phillips was
at once notified TO prepare to die; that
the president would not help him. He
seemed Mt first unable to realize that
his case was hopeless. He then asked
for his attorney, with whom he
eonversed freely. He then wrote a
statement TO the effect that he was in
nocent and that William Hill was
murdered by bis own son, Bob Hill,
one OF the witnesses who appeared
against him; that Bob Hill said he in
tended to kill his father that night, and
that several witnesses swore falsely.
for he (Phillips) was at home with his
wife and children when Hill was killed.
He said TO his attorney;
! 81 am about to die, but swear before
Almighty God, before whose tribunal I
must soon appear, that ] am as inno-
cent OF this crime as the babe unborn,D
Phillips had nothing to say on the
gallows, merely alluding to the state
ments he made In Jail as being true.
Az $3.50 O'clock, when the balck cap was
put on, Phillips began saying the Lords
Prayer and continued IL while tho rome
was being adjusted. Just as he uttered
the words: "Thy will be donep the
drop was sprung and he fell. His-ngck
was broken and he died in nine min
utes.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
william Phillips was convicted OF
numbering his father-in-law, William
bill, in the Cherokee nation, across the
river, opposite Fort Smith, on the Sth of
last September. The evidence was
purely circumstantial, but there was
such strong cham OF circumstances
that the jury had no alternative except
TO convict. Phillips and Hill had quar-
relied about some property, and had not
been friends for some time. Phillips
had previously attempted to kiln Hill,
but only succeeded In intlicting slight
wound. Hill was killed about 9 O'clock
at night, while he lay in his bed at
home, with ono of his little children
sleeping beside him. His assassin
poked double-barrelled shotgun
through crack in the old Lighthouse in
which Hill lived, and fired both barrels
into his breast, killing him instantly.
The gun was loaded with buck shot, but
/ the muzzle was held so close 90 Hill's
body that the shot did not scatter, and
the child at his side was uninjured.
+ suspicion at once pointed 10 Phillips
as the murderer, and next day he was
arrested and put in jail. He protested
his innocence, but upon the trial IL ap-
peared that on tho day of the killing
Phillips borrowed a double barrelled
shotgun from neighbor, for the pur-
pose, he stated, of going hunting He
did not go hunting, but next day the
shotgun was examined and was found
to have been recently discharged. There
had been no bitter feeling between Hill
and any other person except Phillips,
ana no other person could have had any
motive for numbering him.
During his imprisonment Phillips suf-
Tered greatly with Bright's disease OF
the kidneys, and could not have sur.
viyed much longer had he been acquit-
ted.
THE COMMITTED CRIMINALS.
The following IL brief history of the
crimes OF the four men who Jared 40
much more fortunately at the hands of
President Cleveland than did Phillips.
All were TO have been executed with
him, but few days ago successful of.
forts we're put forth In their behalf to
the extent of saying their lives and they
: will spend the balance of their misera-
BILE existences within prison walls:
WILLIAM MEADOWS AND FRED. RAY
murdered an old negro named Finn
Morgan in the early part OF last Au.
gust. Old Finn lived In cabin all alone
on Alarm in the Cherokee Nation and
was supposed 10 bo possessed of consid.
cradle money. At Fred Rays farm not
far distant lived Fred Ray middle
aged man, his wife, Joe Ray, his half
witted lO.year old son, and VIM. Mead
, ows, a bright and handsome lad of 10.
Ray had been gone to the railroad after
supplies, and upon returning was In.
: formed by Meadows that old Finn had
lots of money, and according 10 Rays
, statement, Meadows then suggested
= and planned the murder and robbery OF
the old negro. But Meadows tes.
: tifAd that Ray planned the murder.
AMI fired the fatal shot, and that he was
an unwilling witness 10 the trans
action. Each endeayed to clear himself
by mddling the crime upon the other.
! The testimony showed that Meadows,
} Ray and Joe Ray, the half-witted child,
all armed, concealed themselves In the
} woods, near old Finn's hog pen, and
: waited until he came TO feed his hogs
/, when thoy confronted him with drawn
| pistols and demanded his money. lie
said he had none, but when Fred Raw
= threatened 10 kill him II he did not awe
2 up his money, the old negro reached
down In his pocket and drew out an old
1 tobacco bag containing a silver dime
which he handed TO Raw, remarkinr
that it WAS all ho had. The amount
seemed too small 10 satisfy Ray, Tor h,
fired his pistol immediately
). and Finn Morgan fell deac
. with u bullet through his brain
TIE three then searched for their vic
: TINS money and got about 500, which
7 Fred Ray divided by giving to his sol
D. Joe the silver dino, 10 Meadows IS, an(
: keeping tho balance for himself, The,
/ then dug hole in the cornfleld ans
Q buried the body, but its boing dug up b,
9 dogs tow days later necessitRted NJ
d removal whefeupon Ray and Meadow
Q dragged it TO a lake close by, tied stone
h 70 II and threw II In the water. Fin
i Morgan WAS soon missed. Joe Rny
Q hearing some men talking about Finn
;, DISAPPEARANCE, told them that lac an,
" his father and Meadows killed him. Al
n oi them were nc once arrested, an,
Meadows handed over the money n