Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-08

sharp this morning, just two years to q
day since W. Fl. Roe is charged to have
murdered his wife, he stood before the
District court Of Grimes county to re-
ceive the sentence of death. A silence
almost oppressive perYaded the court
room. Judge Kittreu said: "W. 81. Roe,
please stand up"
THE SENTENCE.
On September 7, 1886, there WAS re-
turned into the District Court of Walker
county, by the grand jury Of thst county,
an Indictment charging you with the muir
der OF Jennie Roe, your wife, by admin-
sistering TO her deadly poison known as
-sfrschIine.
Upon sufficient showing made by your
counsel, l changed the venue Of your
case to Madison county.
In that county, in the month OF No
vemoer, 1856, q Jury drawn to try you
failed to agree, ten members thereof, 1t is
understood, favoring your conviction.
Afterwards, for reasons which appeared
to me to demand such action, the venue
OF your case was changed 70 this county,
and here in October, 1887, after full and
fair hearing, 8 jury of unusual intelli-
SOhSS GNU uiFsu USlOEc WulCu
you were faithfully and zaslously de-
Tended found you guilty as charged and
assessed the penalty Of your deed at
desth.
The new trial asked for by your counsel
being refused they availed themselves of
that benefcent provision Of the law which
allows every person charged with crime
to appeal after conviction to higher
MT 70 fhn nr1d h.t hn <-{a Il -
has committed any error, to the preiu-
dice of the defendant, such error may be
discovered and corrected and new trial
be granted.
The high tribunal to which your appeal
was carried, having before 1t full and
complete transcript Of all the proceed
fngs had in this court and Of all the evil
dence adduced upon your trial, and aided
by the briefs and oral arguments OF your
able and faithful counsel, after q patient
and careful Investigation OF the record so
sent from this court, determined that no
error to your prejudice had been commit
ted by this court, and In all things up
proved and affirmed the judgment by it
rendered, snd by the mandate eff that higher
court | an commanded to pronounce
upon you the sentence Of the law as fixed
ny WIG fcEulCt VI We luy.
Have you anything now to say why
such sentence should not now be pro-
nouncedf II SO you will now be heard.
You and were reared from youth to
manhood In the same community, and
have no desire even il 1t were in my
power to add anything to the agony Of
your position.
have earnestly 'endeavored to secure
for you fair and impartial trial, and that
trial has believe been had, and IL there
be truth In the testimony of men and Of
circumstances, two years ago his day,
when your loving and faithful wife asked
at your hands for that which would re-
lieve her suffering and restore her to
health, you with deliberate purpose and
formed design to take her life gave her g
desdiy draught which in one short hour
laid her dead before you.
Such deed cannot but excite in my
breast emotions Of the utmost horror, yet
for those bound to you by the ties of kin
ship, who by your act are plunged into
the deepest sorrow, have the sincerest
sympathy.
But no consideration of sympathy can
now weigh against the mandates Of the
law, nor avail to avert the execution Of
Its stern decree.
1 charge you now most earnestly that
you do not delude yourself with the vsin
hope of pardon or commutation,: but that
you employ the time allotted you to live
in preparation for that rapidly approach
ing and inevitable death whereby you
will be sent into the presence Of that God
whose statutes you have 80 terribly
violated.
Irejoice to believe that there Is even
for you siE hope Of pardon. and that
through the darkness and gloom that now
surrounds you there may perchsnce yet
shine upon you the rays of the Divine
forgiveness.
In pursuance Of the proceedings already
recited, and in obedience TO the mandates
of the honorable Court of Appeals of the
state OF Texas, it is ordered, adiudged
and decreed that you be taken hence to
the state penitentiary at Huntsville, Tex,
for safe keeping, and that you be there
confined until such future day, as may be
by this court fixed and directed, and that
upon said future dsy you be by the sheriff
of Grimes county brought to the county
isil Of Grimes county, and
that you De confined in said county
jsil of Grimes county until tire 6th
day OF July, 1883, and that on said last
named day you be, by the sheriff of
Grimes county. taken to some place OF
execution, to be by him provided, in the
said jail if the same be practicable, II not,
then to some other place Of execution. in
Grimes county, IS private as practicable,
and that at such place of execution you
be, BY said sheriff of Grimes county on
said 9Th day of July, 1888, between the
hours of IL O'Clock In the forenoon and
O'Clock in the afternoon, hanged by tae
neck until you are dead; and may that
God, into whose presence, unwarned, an
shriyen, and unaneled you sent the eoul
Of Jennie Roe, extend to you mercy you
did not show her.
And the sheriff of Grimes. county will
make due return into this court, showing
when and how he executed this sentence
and decree.
After sentsnce had been passed, when
asked il he had anything 20 say why SEN
tence shoGld not be pronounced, Roe
said: "What can say will do no good.
1 am innocent. The two negro state
witnesses committed perjury. but IL the
law says must suffer the death penalty,
1 will do it. I am innocent, this is all l
have to say"
Poo anpearad cco1 and collected