The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-08-29
MCCOY HUNG.
SOUTH TEXAS DESPERATE ENDS
HIS GUILTY CAREER ON
THE sCAFFOLD.
McCoy's Speech on the GalIOws-A Previous
Cold Blooded Murder Admitted
His Final Confession.
Special to the Statesman.

SAN ANTONIO, August 23-Jlm Mccoy
convicted of completely in the murder Of
Sheriff Mckinney, of LaSalle county, IL
1886, was hanged in the jail yard In this
CITY at II 80 this morning. Mccoy mounted
the scaffold unassisted at :l5. The droI
fell at II :33, and in twelve minutes Mccoy
was pronounced dead. About fifty people
including the jury of view, number OF
doctors, representatives of the press and
few curious spectators, witnessed the exc
ecution. After his baptism according
10 the rites of the Catholic
church Yesterday, by Father Maloney, the
prisoner was shaved and toileted by Gus
Taylor, q colored barber. Then, after the
final parting with his wife late in the even
ing, he ate his usual supper and was left
alone with his Waterman. Then came the
dark, dismal, silent night. ;,
The prisoner lighted the lamp in his cell
and read until II o'clock, tonv1rsing oc-
casionally with his guard on general sub
jects, and at other times remaining per-
fectly still for some minutes, as II
in deep meditation. About midnight
he fell asleep and slumbered until
o'clock this morning, when he prepared
his toilet and ate his breakfast like an ordl-
nary man. There was nothing in his de-
diminution of the admirable composure he
has maintained all along. During the
forenoon he was visited by his attorney
Mr.. Haltom. Mr.. Jesse LaXton and other
friends who bade him good bye. His voice
was firm. He remarked to Mr. lIaxton
that "they are determined to murder me
and can stand it," During this time and
assemblage of men and boys were congre-
gated in the street outside the jail, peering
with morbid interest at the outlines of that
gloomy structure and cycling curlously
every one who passed in or out OF its por-
tails.
Between 10 and II the prisoner was taken
into the front Office and arrayed in neat
black suit in which he was to die, provided
by Sheriff Mccall. The crowd in front
iostled and surged to catch a
glimpse of the doomed man
through the iron grating of the
big front windows. Several minutes later
the thump on the iron floor of McCoy's
wooden leg told that he was being led back
to his cell. BY permission of Sheriff Nc
Call, Photographer Rothwell from Bars,
was admitted and photographed the pris-
oner.
At l0:37 Rev. Father Malone made his
way through the crowd and entered, being
left alone with the prisoner in his cell until
he was lep forth on his march to the scat
folp.
AZ II o'clock Sheriff Mccall, Deputy
bruce and other officers repaired to the
CELL where Deputy bruce read the death
warrant. A brief conversation ensued, IN
which the prisoner named certain friends
to whom he wished his photographs given.
About this time the spectators were adj
mtted and conducted into the run-around
in the main apartment of the jail. They
quickly surrounded the black scaffold on
the east side of the cages and breathlessly
awaited developments.
AT 10 Mccoy walked unassisted on his
crutch and accompanied the officers to the
platform, being preceded by Father
Maloney As he proceeded he babe
the county physician and Others
whom he recognized goodbye. stopping to
shake hands with them. Reaching the
scaffold he walked firmly up the steps, be-
ing slightly assisted by Deputy bruce. lie
then laid his crutch away and resting, on
one of the beams babe others goodbye
among the spectators VINO stood all around
the sombre structure looking upward.
Father Maloney then engaged his attention
and got the prisoner to repeat after him a
PRAYER, which he did in u low tone of
voice.
M'coY's SPEECH ON THE scAFFoLD.
Being asked then if he had anything to
say, the prisoner in a firm voice and with
out any sign of emotion other than slight
quivering of the lips and some hesitationin
speech, proceeded in substance to say:
mckinney had no business to prosecute
me. He was q good man to his friends l
reckon, but he treated me wrong, we
never were good friends, and when he got
to be sheriff he employed lot of outlaws to
fix up a scheme to kill me, and they shot
my leg Off in Cotulla. While | was sick he
made his talks and called me murderer,
a thief and id s. OF b.
never was called murderer until | got
with Mckinney and Edwards, and the
only cold -blooded murder | ever did COM
nit was with them near Cotulla. may be
hard man; know | have been i'll some
ways"
Here Father Maloney asked the prisoner
onfcss his sins and ask God to forgive
them. The prisoner evaded the injunction
and continued:
II know am not good man, Dut I've
been good to my friends"
The prisoner closed: his remarks with
message to his wife to live with the old
man and raise their boy right, and, after
some irrelevant matter he cody stepped
upon the trap. He asked that some one
hold his crutch or else hold him. lie then
babe a final farewell to DIR. Johns and the
officers, and, at the solicitation OF rather
Maloney, he repeated after him another
PRAYER. Officers Bennett and Krempkan
adjusted the moose and the black cap,
which Mccoy complained was smothering
him. The officers fastened their prepara-
tons. Somebody said Ready The
doomed man cried Goodbye" when Bar
nett sprung the trap at exactly IL :32 and
the body shot downward. The bod. dan
gled in the air without any sign of convul-
sions the toe of his only foot barely touch
ing the floor. At 11:42 Deputy Sheriff
Krempkan cut the cords that fastened his
arms and these members hung liteless at
his side. The execution was perfect sue
cess. The body was taken to Tascosa for
burial.
McoY's STATEMENT.
The following statement was made by the
condemned man in Jail the day before the
execution:
~ had no idea Mckinney and Edwards
and their party coming to Twohig on that
day, nor Crenshaw hadn't, either.
II went to Twohig TO get my mail on that
evening. | was there when the train came
in, and saw Mckinney, Edwards, DIR. Balm
and Mrs. Galloway and her daughter get off
of the train at Twohig. had no idea what
their business was at Twohig
81 went over to George Negg's for my
mail, and after inquiring for 1t went out
and got on my horse. Just about this time
Bud Crenshaw rode up and he and turned
around and started over to my house.
"Just after we crossed the railroad track
mckinney was standing talking to old
man Stewart Just in front of Bain's store)
Bud Crenshaw turned around and rode out