Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-01-26
HANGMAN'S DAY.
Charles McGill Suffers the Death
Penalty at Cameron, Tex.
The Rope Turns in the Fall and He
Dies from Strangulation-He De-
MES His Guilt to the Last.
Richard Smith, Copper COIOred ChOetaw Ia
dian, Dies at Fort Smith for Shooting
White Man from Ambush.
A Negro Hanged.

Special to the Gazette
Fort SMITH, ARK. Jan. 25.-The old
gallows in the United States court yard
here claimed its sixtieth victim to-day
in the person of an Indian negro named
Richard Smith, who was convicted on
circumstancial evidence of the murder of
white man named Pringle. The con-
demned was taken to the Catholic church
yesterday afternoon and baptised. The
priest hearing his confession in accord
ance with the rites of the church. He
ate hearty breakfast this morning, and
spent most of the forenoon in praying
and making preparations to face
death. He had little to say to any
one, and appeared wholly resigned. At
1890 Jailor Pettigrew notified him that
the time was up, and n light pair of
handouts was placed on his wrists. He
then babe farewell to his fellow prison
ers. The iron doors were swung open,
and he
MARCHED FORTH TO DIE,
accompanied by his spiritual advisor,
Rev. l.. Smythe, surrounded by a strong
guard On the galIows the ceremonies
were brief. Smith stepped firmly upon
the trap under the dangling moose, and
just before pinioning his arms Jailor
Pettigrew told him if he had any
statement to make the opportunity
would be afforded him. Rev. Smythe
then placed in his hand cross, and with
this held before him he declared his inno-
cence of the crime for which he was to
die in a few moments. The black cap
was then drawn, and at u so the trap
SDrlluU 10 dPOT, Of
eight and One-half feet, and died in ten
minutes, though his neck was not broken.
He made a written statement yesterday,
which was published in this mornings
Journal, declaring his innocence,
THE sIxTIETH VICTIM.
This makes just sixty murderers who
have been hung here since 1873. all from
the Indian Territory. This statement of
course is rather astonishing to people I'M
acquainted with the situation, but it
must be remembered that up to 1882 the
jurisdiction of the court extended over a
territory embracing over eighty-fOur
thousand square miles, and since that
time its jurisdiction has been over the
five civilized tribes, the area being about
sixty thousand square miles.
During the administration of the pres
ent United States marshal there have
been seventeen deputy marshals and
posses killed in the Indian country aud
he has hung just seventeen murderers.
ASSOCIATED PRESS ACCOUNT.
ST. LOUIS, No, Jan. 25.-A specIal
from Fort Smith says:
Richard Smith, Choetaw Indian, was
hanged at y 40 O'Clock to-day for the
assassination of Thomas Pringle III the
Indian Territory March %, 1888 He
ate hearty dinner ut noon, babe good
bye to all his comrades in a CHEEKY
manner, and then marched te- the gallows
with strong step. After a short prayer
and taking the crueifx in his hand and
| kissing it, he said:
81 swear that I am inn ocent of the
crime for which 1 suffer. Good bye.
The black cap was then adjusted and
the trap sprung at 12:40 O'Clock. His
neck was broken and he died without a
struggle. He was pronounced dead IN
twelve minutes The execution was
witnessed by about fifty persons
Richard Smith was Choctaw Indian of
light copper color, standing fully six feet
in his stockings. He wore large rings in
his ears and talked in several Indian Ian
guages. He was thirty years of age,
and was born and raised near the scene of
the murder, where he leaves wife and
child.
THE CRIME
for which Smith suffered the extreme
penalty of the law was one of
the most dastardly ever com
mitted, even on the blood-stained
soil OF the Indian Territory The
victim was white man named Thomas
Pringle of Ohio. He was saving clap
boards in the woods near Wheelock,
Choctaw nation, when he was shot from
ambush and instantly killed. A little
girl who was with him went home and
told the story. This occurred ON March
IS, 1888. SmithtSas convicted on strong
C5rcumstantial evidence
George B. Moledon, the hangman, has
- IzzIszz -