Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-29
SENTENCED TO HANG.
Lewis May is Sentenced at Houston
to be Hanged on Friday the
Eighth Day of June.
Tho Murder Committed at Daucs ct
Presswood, Montgomery County, on
the Fourth of JAY, 1887.
WILL PAY DEATH PENALTY.

the Fourth of jay, 1887.
WILL PAY DEATH PENALTY.
Special to the Gazette.
Houston, Tex, April 2s-To-day
beng the last dsy o. the term OF the
District Criminal couri Judge Coos
passed sentence upon the prisoners VINO
had been convicted. TIE only prisoner
around whom any public interest cen
tered was Lew May VINO having been con
victed of murder and the jury having
fixed his punishment at death WAS to have
the sentence Of death pronounced upon
him. Earlier than usual about o'clock,
probably to avoid too large crowd,
Judge Cook took his sea-
and the condemned man was
brought into court from the county
ii. May appeared nervous and gsrky
The pleading lock IN MS eyes told of the
manY hours OF mental anguish aud suffer.
Ing which ne no doubt has endured dur
ing the past few months. The prisone
vas escorted by Sheriff Ellis, Constable
Glass End Deputy Sheriff Erickson within
the bar and given sest. Judge Cook,
addressing the prisoner in low, husky
voice, said, "Lewis May, Stand up'i
The prisoner stood up without any no
! ticesble change of countenapce, and the
Judge proceeded:
| You have been tried by fair and impsr-
tial jury of your countrymen ana they have
fouul you guilty of mucder, assessing
| your punishment at death. Have you
snYthiDg to say why sentence OF death
should lot be pronounced upou yea?
The prisoner replied WITH full control
over his voice: "If there is anything that
1 could ssy now that could do any good,
l might have grestdeal to ssy, but there
is not"
The judge then continued: 81
therefore order the sheriff to
take you to the county jsil and there
to keep you in confinement till Friday,
June s, and then between the hours fixed
by law to execute the sentence of the
court"
Judge Cook then went into the ante
room in the rear Of the bench and mo-
toned the sheriff to bring Lne doomed
man. After being Closeted with the Judge
Tor few moments, Msy was brought out
and
TAKEN BACK TO JAIL.
The history OF the crime for which May
stands doomed dates back to dance
given at Presswood, Montgomery couu,v,
on the night OF July 4, 1887.
While the crime WAS committed in
drunken row in. which the prisoner was
the aggressor, the details are never
taeless shocking and give evidence Of 6
brutal nature. It was agreed az the trisl
in extenuation OF the crime that it was
done in the heat of passion and while
under the iIfuence of liquor. There had
been no trouble betwee the men previous
to the night of the fatal dance. Clarence
Phillips and his wife attended the dance
az did May. The fiddler for the OCCASION
used violin that belonged to
Mrs. Phillips. At daylight Phillips and
his wife started to leave. May insisted
thst the fiddler should play longer. At
asst Phillips was inclined to allow the
use of the violin longer, but May became
dicletorial and overbearing, and threat
eDed TO cut up the instrument. The two
men came to hard words, and Msy threat
ened 10 shoot Phillips. Phillips replied
that be was not armed, but, barring his
breast, he told May to fire away. May,
Rin utes Msy repeated the threat and
WHEN MAY FIRKD,
the bsil lodging IN Phillips brain. Mrs..
PHILIP g, il the sgonies of grief and with
little Child in her arms, bent over the
PROSTATE form OF her husband to wipe
swsy the life blood as 1t trickled down
his face. May seeing her, rushed up to
where she was and with an oath told her
If she didn't leave he would kill her
and the damned kid too. My then went
into house near by, took gun
snd what money the owner of the prem.
ises had on his person and f5d to the
woods. The local officers attempted to
s. rest him, but he bluff them of By his
game talk. As soon as the news reached
this city Sheriff Ellis and Deputies WEIGH
msn and Erickson set out for Pfesswood.
Finding that they meant business My
sent them word that il they would pro-
tect him from mob
HE WOULD SURRENDER.
He was brought to this city and the
fact that Phillips, his victim, lived here
gave this court jurisdiction. Mey is
man apparently about thirty five years of
age. He is very nearly six feet tall, raw
boned and gaunt. weighing about loo or
$50 pounos. He has dingy, brown
hair, pale complexion, made SO probsbly
from confinement, AID wears q sandy
mustache. His fsce is long and his f.a-
lures angular. HIS eyes are muddy
blue, but there is nothing about bis coun-
tenence tost would stamp him as o man
ct brutal instincts. He WAS q lsboriug
man, and in the community where h
lived was regarded as quiet, peacesble
mar, txceps when drinking. His Only
hope now IS hat the Governor will COM
mute his sentence TO Imprisonment for
Life, aud with that in view his friends are
preparing q petition.