The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-03-19
DICK HALVES WRIiES HIS
BROTHER JIM ON HIS
LAST DAY,
Saying That He Does Not Want
to Liye,-He Keiterates the
Story Told Weeks Ago.

1t will be remember by our read
ers bhst on the 9TH inst, we pub
lished an account Of the execution
OF Dick Halves, the Alabama MUIR
derer, who was hanged on the 28th
Of last month. On that morning
he addressed the following letter to
his brother which we find in the At
lanta Constitution:
FRIDAY MORNING. February %,
1890.--My Dear Brother: | am
writing you this letter under many
difficulties, and hope you will for
give me for the great trouble and
pain and eS pense | have caused you.
Dear brother, every time see you it
almost kills ne; please try and bear
it, and don't worry over it more
than yon can help. Brother, surely
God in His infinite mercy will not
condemn me as every one here on
earth has done. When you get
this | will be gone before Him, who
is righteous and just Judge. lie
knows all things. He can look at
it without being afraid of public
opinion, and He surelycan see what
| have went through on earth, and
He is bound to be merciful to me,
Jim. My dear brother, you have
been so good to me hate to ask you
to do more, as you have, | know,
done without things you and your
family ought to have had. But ]
am uneasy for my boy, God bless
him, and watch over him for be
will have a rough road to go over.
Jim, | leave hun to your care.
think your plan to give him to
Emma's folks the best for him. You
need not carry him to them until
you are ready to do 50, but just dc
as you think best about it. Ii you
do take him to them make them
adopt him legally, and if you SET
they are not able and willing to take
him, YOU must then see Father DAILY
here in this place, he will help you
to put him where he will be raised
up right. | am 50 afraid he will
turn to drinking after he grows up
and take after his mother, but be a:
kind to him as you can. Tell julia
that | owe her more than | can ever
expected to paid, if | had ever goi
out Of here, for her kindness to him
II is hard to 60 and leave him to the
mercy Of the cold, cruel world, but
1t looks asif fate worked against me
| have lived in a perfect hell for the
last six years, and | am not sorry
to leave it. Jim, | have tried SC
hard to be ready to 60 when the
time comes, and | think | am ready,
| feel as If God is helping me to
bear up under my cross. Jim,
have made a statement, and it i
true. | hope you will not think
for one moment that | am going t.
face my Maker with a lie on my
tongue. Jim, as soon as | am dead
have it published. Go to DIR. Nc
Gov and see that it is published, as
soon as he can do it. lie he don't
do it, don't give it up, but have
some one else 70 do it. Don't hes
itate to publish the story to the
world as it's the truth. he is afraid
Of John WHY, don't stand back but
| want him published to the whole
world as a worse crimin,l than |
ever was, and it will be as great a
punishment as | am able to put on
HIM. You can give DIR. McCoy all
the information and help that you
can, as he is doing this through
kindness, and not for any benefit to
himself. It's about all can say.
BE sure and bury me in Atlanta, as
| can't stay here. Tell Jalia that
Mayes wants to correspond with her,
and If she will write to her it will
be doing me a favor after am gone.
jim, now let me give you 2 word.
Don't fool with liVuor. jim, for
Gods sake, and whenever you are
tempted, think one moment what it
has done for your brother. Don't
fool with IL, and don't neygr let my
boy taste it for my sake. oh, my
Godl il Is so hard to leave him, but
| am sure you will do your best fol-
him. Tell sister if | had known
her address | would have wrote, but
as she never wrote to me this year
did not know how to get letter Il
her. kiss all Of them goodbye fol
me and remember that i am not 81
bad as | was painted. IL was my
love for adrunken woman and m!
children that caused my death anC
all this trouble to you and yours
Jim, don't forget about the bool
and DIR. Mccoy, as it Is bound I,
pay. II will enable you to TAX
Willie to Colorado with you, and b
a help to you. Goodbye. God vii
not forget you or your kindness t
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