The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1885-04-23
william Philips 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
scafTold is IN the old garrison walls, now
the courthouse yard. On this scatfold,
within the last y years, have been
hanged Ga men for murder committed
in the Indian Territory. Phillips was
hopeful to the very last, and momenta-
rily expected q reprieVe from the presi-
dent, because the other four men who
were to hang with him had been ro-
prieyed, but at ii 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 at first unable to realize that
his case was hopeless. He then asked
for his attorney, with whom he
conversed freely. He then wrote
statement to the effect that he was in
nocent and that William Hill was
murdered by his 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
must soon appear, that am as limo;
cent of this crime as the babe unborn"
Phillips. had nothing to say on the
gallows, merely abiding to the state
ments he made in Jail as being true.
AT $3.50 O'Clock, when the balck cap was
put on, Phillips began saying the Lords
PRAYER and continued it while the rope
was being adjusted. Just as he uttered
the words: "Thy will be DONE" the
drop was sprung and he fell. His neck
was broken and he died IN nine MN
uteS.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME,
William Phillips was convicted OF
his father-in-law, William
Hill, 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 chain 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 kill Hill,
but only succeeded in inflicting a slight
wound. Hill was killed about 8 o'clock
at night, while he lay in his bed at
home, with one of his little children
sleeping beside him. His assassin
poked double-barrelled shotgun
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 to Hills
body that the shot did not scatter, and
he child at his side was uninjured.
Suspicion at once pointed TO Phillips
as the murderer, and next day he was
arrested and put in Jail. He protested
lis Innocence, but upon the trial II ap-
oeared that on the day of the killing
phillips borrowed double barrelled |
shotgun from neighbor, for the pur-
pose, he stated, of going hunting, He
lid not 60 hunting, but next day the
,hot-gun was examined and was found
% have been recently discharged. There
lad been no bitter feeling between Hill
md any other person except Phililps,
md no other person could have had any
motive for numbering him.
During bis impri SOP ment Phillips SUI.
cred greatly ,ylkii ,bright's disease OF
he kidneys, sHtr Gould, not have sur
lived maasloi had fie been acquit-
THE oonm frD CRIMINALS.
The folioWiug- 4 o brief history OF the
rincs 81 the Jour mon wbp fsred -