The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-11
Tho Hand OF Providence Seems to
Have Been In tho Matter.
They Meet with an End That is no More
Dreadful Than the Manner In
Which tho Victims OF Their
Lawless Organization
Wore Put to Dea.h.

sr. Louis, Mo-, May i0.-A special from
Ozark, Mo, To the Post. Dispatch, says the
carpenters gave the scaiIold its finishing
touchc, last evening, aud everything was
ready by O'Clock for the hanging OF the
lald.knobbcrs. William Walker was bap-
tizcd at q pm, by immersion, In "a bath basin
carried into the Jail. The scene was very
affecting. John Matthews made a long
payer, which could be distinctly heard in
the street fronting the Jail The prisoners
ate their supper with O., mach relish ~ usual
and appeared very quiet except Matthews,
who is taking hi, fate very hard lie passed
q restless night praying ut short intervals,
asking the l.url lo give him strength 60 20
through the ordeal. aud claiming he was "A
martyr. lie did not sleep over two hours
durInv the night
1hc two Wuikcu retired about II o'clock,
~snt 10 sleep AMI did not vase unth after 4
o'clock. They stated that they rested well
They were up early Gna aie tbei- breakfast
nt the usual hour The iail yirl was fall of
! guards armed with Winchcier shotguns
| aud revolver. nnd wcrc In charge 81 Capt.
q. W 1uylor. whdNu. foreman Of the Grand
Matthew'S wife and mother came In last
evening aud several other Of his relatives
arc here.
Divine service, were opened In the Jail at
7.3n o'clock. conducted hy the Rcvs. Thos.
Hanks pcgaystnnc and I. Il. Horn. assisted
by few Christian ladies. Matthews took
part in the exercises aud delivered an earn
ct prayer In q loud voice VIM Walker
also led iu PRAYER once. AZ $50 the Sheriff
entered the jail and read thc death warrant
to tho doomed men, after which Thomas
pclnuy, one of their attorneys wns admitted
iu have uu Interview nll bid them farewell.
John Matthews came to thc win 'oW aud had
q 'pt vcr.aiiou With the Iast DifBa'fh currrs-
pIudrut IT, said Il have t0 die. but
thank Cod can say ! um innocent, aud
have told the truth all along about this mat
ter I went through iho hole lmcaning his
csrapc from the lni' not bccauHc ] was
guilty, hut tu cscHuHH iauyiul death. But
Il Wa the will II Got rlt I should die aud
! ought 81 he proud pi TO- was a soldier In
the Federal army lud am proud of my
record. ! ava willing for tlc people who
have known me al my life 10 say what kind
of o mnn have hccn.'
AZ 90 a.m. the prisoners commenced
n,,siuu tieuulyp, for tie scaiiuld They
BLACK cmynis, low slipIon aud black coat,
vest and pants.
Tho Jury aud reporters were admitted 20
the Inside nt o. ~ o'clock Just before lcay-
BOG lIs cell John Matthews proclaimed his
inn'conrr In o loud voice. The sheriff
hslpvl Matthews up the steps Young
Walker followed with hrm step bis father
following Clu,r behind H' lirm ~ ever. Al
thc tmp short prayer WHs delivered by the
i,Hy T. H. Horn, after which all Joined la
singing. The Rev T. u. Horn rendered a
selection from the Book of job. The Rev.
Thomas Hanks delivered a beautiful prayer.
fhy moose was adjusted nt y 40 o'clock. John
Matthews said hc had nothing 10 add; lac was
there, but took no part in the crime. Mat
thcws iullci On nll who were willing 10 help
bis liitic ones IN hold up their hands Nearly
every one iu his sight hcld up their hands.
The black caps were adjusted nt 05i
o'clock. At0hH o'clock the drop fell. John
Matthews fell PRAYING The stretch OF the
rpIc let all iall 10 thc ground. The rope
brlle and VIM Walker fell loose aud lay
there struggling aud gronuing lie talked
for three minute. when he was tnkcn up by
the sheriff and deputies on the scaiiold.
Dave Walker Wa drawn up aud died In
about hitccn minutes. Matthews lived about
thirteen minutes aud died With his feet ON
the ground The locnc was horrible In the
extreme. Matthews and Dave Walker were
cut down at 1910 o'clock.
The trap WAS again adjusted and VIM.
Walker FITTED helpless aud gruaning aud
gurglinr and almost inscusible, aud the rope
nguln adjusted and tho tmp uriin sprung.
This time the descent came ~ sudden stop
with bis feet fully thirty inches from tho
ground, and he died without q struggle.
rue cHiun rurY H,D COMMITTED.
The three Bald Knobbcrs-Diyc walker
better known In Christian County as "Bull
Greek Dave" chief of the liald knobbcTs,
his son, VIM Walker and John Matthew'S
were hanged for the murder Of Charles Green
aud VIM. Edcus, on March II, l,,1. They
were firmly " opinion Lp to within forty.
eight hours of the execution that they would
never be called upon 10 Ray TIC extreme
penalty OF a life Tor life Neither OF the
Trio had yet reached his ilHcth year, aud
VIM. Walker was barely nineteen years OF
agr Tho three mcn. together with Wiley
Matthews nephew of john, were 20 have
been hanged on MAY is 1855 but ON an ap-
peal 10 lhc supreme Court escaped the gall
lows temporarily last October the state
Supreme Court affirmed the decision Of
the Christian County Circuit Court and
hxcd December - as the day of execution.
Another stay was subsequently secured,
aud Friday, February 70, nnmed as the day