The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-05-23
RHODES ROPED!
The Brutal Negro Murderer
Dropped Eight Feet and
So Suddenly Stopped
As 70 Break His Neck Neatly
He Had Fixed Things TO
shunie OF Himself.
Hut the Sheriff was on TO His
Racket and Changed His
Cell and Took His Glass.
TwiCe-Wrecked and Fight Days
Battling with Cold, Hun.
ger, Ice and Death.
RHODES ROPING.
Rho dcs, the brutal Murderer. Pays
the Legal Penalty OF Ills
DastRrdiy Deeds.

the Legal Penalty OF His
DastRrdiy Deeds.
Galveston, May 22.-Thc judicia
strangulation of Jasper Rhodes, th,
wife-murderer, took place to-day al
1918 p. m. within the walls of tn,
county Jail. The execution was with.
out single blunder, and everything
about the Jail was in order. The
doomed man passed the night until
midnight, in ordinary conversation
with the Waterman, and then he turn.
ed in and slept soundly until 1880
when he was awakened by Sheriff
Owens and partook of a hearty break.
fast.
About 9 O'Clock last night the sher.
i'll took the precaution TO remove
Rhodes from his old cell to a room In
the southwest corner on the second
floor. This move was unexpected to
the prisoner and il had q very de-
pressing effect, tho cause OF which
was soon explained. lie Was made 10
undress and pnt on Il new suit OF
clothes for the occasion, and in the fol-
pocket of his old pants was found a
package of pounded glass. This wa-
undoubtedly intended us last resort
TO cheat the gallows, if no better
means offered. After his old clothes
were taken from him, he begged pitc.
ously that they be returned especially
his pants, but he did not know that
the sheriff had found the pounded
glass. lie also repeatedly asked to he
allowed to return to his old cell, but
this was denied him by the sheriff
who was determined the sentence OF
law should not be defeated. About 9
o'clock this morning, Rcvs. Jackson
and Kemp, (cOlorcd), visited Rhodes
and spent some time with him sing.
ing and praying. Rhodes did not ell
ter into the service with any degree
of enthusiasm for in the midst of the
prayers he sent down for some of the
things which he left in the bath.
room and then he again re.
quested the sheriff to allow him
TO visit the old cell. 1t is believed he
had some deadly poison secrctcd in
the old cell, and search will be made
for it. During the morning a letter
from Gov. Ireland was read to Rhodes
in which the executive declined to
interfere.
At II O'Clock the prisoner was led
from the cell and assembled he ladder
leading to the scailold, which was II
the attic over the main building of tn,
Jail. A hole had been cut through the
ceiling just over the stairway leading
to the second floor This gave the
victim n drop OF eight feet. lie tool
his place on the trap with firm step
and while he stood in this position
the death warrant was read TO him b.
the sheriff. lie was then asked if HI
had anything to say, and replied: I"
want my relatives and friends /,
leave oil bad habits and stay ava,
from bad places" lie then shool
hands with his two brothers, and bad
them goodbye. lie was remar kabl
cool to the last, aud just a
the sheriff was placing the black ca
over his head, he drew heavy gol
ring from his finger and handed II I
the sheriff with the remark Civ
this to my mother" AT 1914 the ira
was sprung and the body OF the mul
derer shot down the trap with grei
violence, breaking his neck most @
tectually. In twenty-five minutes i
was pronounced dead and the bod
was removed to the main hallway (
the Jail where in its coffin sever
thousand people, chiefly colored view
ed the remains.
Only about fifty people witnossC
the execution, but on the outside
the Jail was gathered about two thou
aud people from an early hour wi
stood in the hot sun patiently avail
ing the signal that the brutal mu
derer was dead.
The crime for which Jasper Rhod
was privately executed in the count
iail to-day was the murder of his wi
, Mary Rhodes, which occurred in th
city on the night OF October 2lst, 1855
II was one OF the most brutal Grim,
that has stained the annals of th
county. Rhodes was light mulatt
about thirty-fve years old and WI
somewhat of a desperate charactG
generally feared by people of his rae
lie was constantly engaged in broi
aud was under bonds at the time
the murder for seriously stabbing
white man on the wharf.
Mary Rhodes, his wife and victil
was bright, goOd-looRing mulat
woman, twenty-sevon years old, al
was married to Rhodes in the latt
/ part of April. 1884. Their marri'
life was rendered exceedingly II
pleasant by the brutal and intempC
ate conduct of Rhodes, which fore
his wife to separate from him Al
again enter the service of Mr.. Richa
Tiernan's family, .residing
the corner of Thirteenth sire
and Broadway, where she W
employed as u domestic prior