Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-04-01
BROKE HTS NECK.
Wash Washington sxplates on the
ScaHoId the Cruel Murderof
Willis burden.
Story OF a Crime CoolIy Concoctcd and
Carried Out with the Flendish
Feroclty Of a Savage.
How she victim Conducted Himself on
tho scanoid- speoch oil Warming
Admitted Ills Guilt.

4
special 10 the Gazette
MARIAN, Tx, March al.--At l0si5
your reporter saw Washington In the con.
demned cell. lie states that he felt
calm, aud said that II was hard to be
hanged, but he thought It just punish.
ment for the crime he had committed
at another's instigaton. lIc also
said he was willing to 10
and that he did not have any
hard feelings with anyone he would Leave
behind. lIe said: hope my death
will be n warning TO ali others, and when
they are being led astray 10 Just think
what had TO sufier for so doing.
Breakfast was served TO The condemned
man about 1890 O'Clock, u which
/ he ate sparingly. He was dressed |
In suit OF black and had |
on white shirt The crowd |
was principally negroes, about oue.fOufth |
whites, and was estimated at between
! three thousand and live thousand, All
fifteen minutes TO II Inc wagon contain
! lag the coffin was driven up 70 the jail, !
and a crowd OF thirty men pushed the |
dense crowd back SO as To make room for |
the sheriff and Wash Washington, |
wagon just back of the coffin. He sur.
veyed the crowd calmly as the procession
moved down Falls street and arrived NJ
the place OF execution at III 40. wash
ington stood up and made u short talk OF
; about fifteen minutes, warming others
OF the CRIME he had committed,
saving Eph burden told him that II nc
did not kin Willis that night he would
ilnish him the next night sure. Wash
, then stated he had not been there more
than fifteen minutes before Willis came
riding by. He threw the gun up, took
| deliberate aim and fred. He says Willis
, fell and commenced calling out, and he,
/ Wash, went up TO him and was going TO
/ shoot him again, but his hesrt failed
/, him, and he then started 20 pick
i him up, but that Wills followed
I SO much that he gotfrIghtonedandr ran off
!, Rev. Moore (colored) arose then and
I read chapter in the bible, and then gave
n was then offered. When over, Wash
4 had requested Rev. Moore to
ask FOR contributions enough
TO send his remains 10 Hannah, IN Rob
ertson county. Contributions poured In
: literally, and the amount was raised 10
: S22,60 Wash then thanked them Al
J Wash's request Rev Moore then thanked
!. the sheriff and jailers for their
! kind treatment OF him while
7 In ISL. Al 1920 his hands
! aud feet were bound and The rope was put
!, around his neck Atl2;26 tho sharla ST.
= juated the black-cap and babe him good
Z bye and by touching his hat and saying
( that 10 would only be minute or
! two before all would be over
= which was the signal for deputy
Z Barlow TO pull the trap, HIS body dropped
. at 1890 and hung for eighteen minutes,
q when he was pronounced dead by the
: physicians. He was cut down and his
neck was found broken. A drop OF
seven feet was given him ana he never
moved, except slight contraction Of the
y muscles OF the shoulders and legs.
!, STORY or THE cRiAiE
nm ON the 27th day OF May, 1885, Willis
" sl4grden was murdered by Wash Washing
y to@dHgJfalls county, Tex. He WAS tried,
: contffEpIo nnd sentenced to be hanged.
: His case1as appealed, but the judgment
i OF the iUTJE court was affirmed,
y Judge Hart lQligsfiHgE6- opinion
: ut the Tyler slttf6F,lI1 JJtcesS4rT5 W z1bs,
y II was cold-bloodedl mufdcf All The
Z parties were negroes, aud lived on the
plantation Of Austin Robinson, Esq, in
the Brazos bottom In Falls county. The
witnesses for The state were numerous,
$ aud their testimony fastened the deed on
IL Washington beyond the shadow Of a
u doubt. The following is an outline OF
u the crime:
I GA the evening Of the 9Tth
! II May, 1885, the deceased
J, was In lane near where he lived, milking
! his cows. While be was Thus engaged,
d Washington came along and asked him
To see one Jesse DuPrec who lived near
by, and TO ask him TO write a letter for
him (Washngton) the next morning.
i Witness promised, and after finishing
! milking went 10 where DuPree was, and
4 delivered the message. BY this time
a 1t was good dark, but there
r were vivid flashes Of lightning.
c Deceased then started home. He was on
Il horseback and had slough TO cross
r after leaving Dufree, on the other side
II OF which waHa house, lie had barely time
Is TO reach this slough, when the report Of
a gun was heard by several negroes living
Ia She vicinity, aud cries Of dlstgess linz
mcdIately following the report, Rush
Ing TO the scene, several Of his
, DeighborH found burden on the edge
Of the water, with a number OF bullet
j holes in his left side made by buck-ahot.
\ Several witnesses swore that they heard
i him cry out, ooh WASH Oh Wash
y please, Wash, don't shoot me any more"
y He was taken 20 house not iar from
! where he feli and kept repeating that
Wash Washington had shot hlm until his
death, which was IN a few moments after
Il he was conveyed 10 the house.
. Jane Clarkson, witness for the state,
y swore that few minutes after the iiring
u she saw d man running from the direc-
Z tIon ~ where the body was found carry
= ing gun In his hand aud STOPPING as II
d 10 avoid being seen She swore positively
!. to tho man being Washington, bright
2 dash Of lightning revealing him distinctly.
!. Bnt The most damaging evidence
was that given by Ounce Kelley,
J. who testified that on the night OF tho
II murder Washington came 70 his house
and admitted that be bad shot burden
and was going 10 leave the country. Kel-
lleys wife, who heard The consergation,
substantlatcd The statement and the chain
Z OF evidences was complete The defense
waa exceedingly feeble, that Of Washing
TOMS principal 6ltness being related ~ .
b number Of Witnesses fof the state. Il was
& cruel, unpfovoked murder, and the
. general sentiment fully sustained The
9 penalty Innlcted BY the lazy.
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