Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-07
HANGMAN'S DAY.
KIT Ress, Brutal Cherokee Murderer,
Hanged at Fort smIth-Whisky the
Cause Of His Untimely End.
John Smith Pays the Death Penalty Mt
GaIIatin, Mo- for Assassinating
Farmer Gleason.
KIN ROSS HANGED.

XII ROSS HANGED.
Special h the Gazette
FORT SNITH, Ark, Aug. Exit Ros
was executed here to-day for a maliciou
murder committed In the Cherokee ma
ton. He was 70 have been hung on th'
2Sd Of July, but was granted respite o
two weeks by the president, who investi
gated his case and declined to further in
terfere In his behalf. He slept we'll las
night, arose early this morning anC
dressed himself for the grave, after which
he partook OF hearty breakfast, seeming
remarkably composed His cousin, Mis-.
Lizzie McCabe, who resides near this
city, visited him this morning and re
mained with him until near noon, offering
such consolation as only woman car
who is In sympathy with one in trouble
Just before ! O'Clock he had a private
talk with Marshal Carroll, In which he
gave detailed account Of the crime he
committed, which does not differ ma
terlglly from the account given below,
saying whisky was the commencement of
his trouble with his victim and whisky
was the cause Of its tragic ending. He
displayed remarkable composure all the
way through, had nothing to say on
the gallows, was submissive as child
and appeared perfectly resigned to his
fate. lie was attended by Rev. H..
Smythe of the Catholic church, and his
body was buried In the Catholic cemetery
by the side of Lincoln Sprole. The drop
fell at O'Clock and his neck was broken.
He died without struggle, the whole af-
fair being over inside of ten minutes
from the time he lert the jail
Blue Duck, who was resplted TO the
18th, will be hung next Friday, unless the
president further interferes in his be.
half
Kit Ross was young man, probably
twenty-five years Of age, and was part
Cherokee Indian, though he looked much
IKE white man. He was convicted the
day before Sprole was, on eye witness ev-
Idence which showed that his crime was
not only brutal, but cowardly in the ex-
IRENE, and his punishment was well
HIS victim was white man
named Jonathan DAVIS and the murder
was committed at Chotequ, Cherokee
nation, under the following clrcum-
stances; Davis lived in the coun.
ny, and on the day he was
killed, December goth last, was
At Choteau doing some trading
Ross came into the store drunk and stood
around until Davis started out with his
when Ross followed close be.
llnd him. Just outside of the door Davis
made some remark about the weather TO
Kit, when the latter drew pistol and
shot his unsuspecting victim twice in the
PACK and then ran away, dropping his
PISTOL and losing his hat in his cowardlv
light. Davis chased him some seventy.
I've yards, firing two ineffective shots at
lin. Ilethen began to stagger. and started
Jack to the store, but only reached
t by the assistance of bystanders. diving
II his wounds the same night. Ross es.
.aped, but the citizens got up a purse of
$3.50 which they offered as reward for
hin, and about six weeks afterward me
Ras arrested at SbaWneetown. His trial
only lasted short time, and the iurv
agreed upon verdict in ten minutes
litter the case was given into their hands.
Like Sprolh, he made no preparations TO
lie, and was ill-prepared to appear before
lis Maker. The cause of the murder was
hat about three years previous Ross had
gone to the house of Davis
While Mrs. Davis was sick, and being
trunk rode his horse into the house.
Davis elected him very nnceremoniously,
ana used some violence in doing So They
lad no further trouble, and were an.
oarently ON the best OF terms; but spirit
d revenge lurked In the bosom OF the
.reaCherous Ross, and being drunk, he
.ook occasion to satisfy 1t, as here re.
ated. His only excuse was that he was
Trunk aud did not know what he was
iolng,
JOHN sSitfii HANGED.
GALLArIN, Mo, Aug. G.-John Smith
was hanged at noon to day for the murder
lf William p. Gleason, December pa.
1885, He was sentenced TO be hanged
Tor the same crime for which ,Toseph
Jump was executed two weeks ago. bnt
the governor granted a respite until To.
day in order TO look more fully into the
Iact3 OF the case. He refused, however.
TO Interfere further, and to-day at about
l2;S0 O'Clock the prisoner was taken from
jail at Marysyi lie to the valley near
this place, in which the gallows had been
erected. He assembled the scaffold
with arm step and made short speech
In which he protested his complete limo
cence OF the crime, stating that jump
alone w9s guilty, His neck was broken
with the fall. He died without struggle.
William z. Gleason, for the murder Of
whom two men have now paid the penalty,
was Il farmer OF Monroe county, where his
farm was mortgaged Hehad been working
by the day near here on the Rock Islacd
rold and had accumulated enough money
TO pay It of The night before his in.
tended departure for home, he was way.
laid by Smith and Jump, who murdered
and robbed him.