The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-09-24
DICK DUNCAN HUNG.
A MOST HORRIBLE CRIME EXPIATED
ON THE GALLOws.
A Dramatic Scene Enacted by the Prisoner il
Bidding Last Farewell to the Officers
and His FrieDds-A History Of
His AtroOious Crime
Special to The Statesman.

DuncdH was HdnSeu III Gne county jail
here at 11:26 o'clock this morning
Last night the sheriff received word
from the governor that the law must
take it's course, and death watch of
six men was placed in Duncan's cell.
He was writing when the watch en-
tered and expressed surprise, but
seemed to divine what the extra
guards meant. 1t was decided to re-
move him from his narrow cage to a
larger cell, where he and the guards
would be more comfortable, but he
refused, and the sheriff did not insist
on the change. At midnight Dun
cans brother, who had just arrived
from Austin, called at the Jail and in
formed the condemned man that the
governor had refused to commute the
sentence, or further defer it's execu-
ton. Duncan heard this unmOved,
and when the visitor had left joined
the guard in spinning yarns, laugh
ing and joking. This continued until
about 8 a. M, when he lay down. He
slept soundly until 6 O'Clock.
lie woke in the best OF
spirits and apologized to the
captain of the guard whom he had
cursed the previous night for refusing
him razor. At he ate a hearty
breakfast. During the greater part OF
the forenoon he conversed with his
spiritual adviser, Father A. II Oliver
by whom he was baptized.
At o'clock Sheriff Cooke read the
death warrant. The prisoner listened
unmoved. The admonitions and
teachings of Father Oliver alone
seemed to affect him, aud he wept
when spoken to about his mother and
the church. The necessity of forgiv-
ing and being forgiven seemed to
deeply impress him, and he sent for
all those against whom he had been
bitter and asked their forgiveness. A
few moments after II o'clock the
sheriff announced that all was ready
The prisoner embraced one of the
guards, saying to him in a whisper,
"years after | am dead, they will find
the real murderer" and was led into
the corridor. Here he took leave OF
his fellow prisoners, adding the re-
quest that he besought the sheriff to
permit him to mount the scaffold
unbound and thus attired in a neat
suit, cluster Of fresh flowers
pinned to the lapel of his coat and
accompanied by the deputies, the
clergymen and the physician, he as
cended the scaffold. which was
erected in the rear of the cells inside
of the jail.
TO the priest as he stepped on thu
platform, he said, "I feel that you d,
think am guilty" Then turning t.
the sheriff, to whom he had been yer,
abusive, "forgive me, Mr.. Cooke.
know that God has forgiven me, and
feel I have heard from Him. Good
bye, hope we will meet in heaven.
feel that L am going right there anC
l feel that L will be pardoned and my
sins washed whittier than snow.n
He then kissed the crucifix and
embraced it. Asked by the sheriff
if he had anything to say to hi
friends, the condemned said: 81 dom
know that L have any friends here
| would be awfully glad to talk to my
friends, but | think | am prepared.
feel the Lord has cleansed me whittier
than snow" Then to the people
"Any friends here can shake hand!
with me. / hope to meet you all
every one of you, in Heaven. Good
bye.
A number present shook hands will
the condemned, after which he wa!
pinioned, adjusting his arms to facili
tate the binding. When asked if hi
had anything more to say, he replied
in the negative.
The moose was then adjusted abou
his neck, and the black cap drawn on
TO the question, care you ready?'
the prisoner answered firmly, %
ann The trap was i'm
mediately sprung, and the tai
form disappeared through the floor
The eight-fOot fall broke the prisoner
neck. A tremor passed through his
form, then another, then all was still
not groan escaped. In fifteen min
utes the physicians pronounced hin
dead. A few minutes later the body
was removed and embalmed for trans
mission to San Saba. So persisted {
man convicted of the most horrible
crime ever perpetrated in Texas.
A HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The facts connected with this quad
ripple murder, as known prior to the
arrest of Duncan, and the terrible
strong chain of circumstantial evi
dence upon which he was convicted
may have escaped the memory o
many readers of The STATESMAN
The former are therefore briefly mar
rated, and the latter fully epitomizeC
below:
On the 9th of February, 1889, some
women washing clothes on the cas-
bank of the Rio Grande, short dist
ance below the Hartz coal mines
about seven miles north of Fragile Pass
noticed body floating down stream
They hailed two men who roped il
ashore, 1t was the body of a woman
past middle aged. A stone weighing
thirty pounds was suspended from
her waist to 3-8 inch rope. The city
authorities of Eagle Pass were notified
and the body was hauled to town anC
exposed for Identification.
On the following day, 2Sth of Feb
ruary, another body was recovered