Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-10
Forty Thousand People Wanted
to See the Folders Die.
DREW BETTER THAN A CIRCUS.
Both Men Spoke from the GalIows, Admitting
Their GuiIt-0ne Of the Ropes Broke.
The Doomed Man Hanged Il Second Time.
Ed Neal Executed at Omaha for
Double Murder-His Real Name
Unknown to the Public
The Scene at RusIS.

RCSK, CHEROKEE COUNTY, TEX. Oct. 9.
Probably the largest number of people
that have been in Rusk for many years were
here to-day to witness the execution of
Wade and John Fielder, the two darkeys who
so brutally murdered their father
in-law, Vance Thompson, last August.
Every since the sentence was passed dar-
keys all over this and adjoining counties
have been making preparations
to attend the hanging AS early
as yesterday morning they began
to arrive and continued to pour in steadily
until the hour of execution. In addition to
the regular trains carving extra coaches.
the railroads ran special trains, but We're
unable TO accommodate the crowds of hui
manity gathered at the stations along the
line.
At II o'clock to-day the streets were
iammed and packed with people Fully
10000 persons had cOnGregated around the
Jail, anxious to catch the first glimpse of
the doomed men, and perhaps as many more
were gathered around the scaffOld, intent
upon securing position from which the
proceedings might be witnessed.
The double gallows had some three weeks
ago been erected in a little valley in the
eastern part of town just outside the city
limits on the crest of hill The surround
ing country furnished ample room for the
MIGHTY THRoNG OF SPECTATORS.
At II O'Clock the streets were deserted.
Business houses We're closed and the multi
tude repaired to the place where they We're
to see two souls launched into eternity
Shortly afterwards Sheriff John B.
Reagan. accompanied by guard IF sixty
men, took the prisoners from tho jail and
drove with them to the scaffold Nrriving
at the grounds the prisoners
were allowed to alight from
the vehicle. They appeared to be perfectly
calm and mounted the scaffold with firm
steady step. Each was
SMOKING 4 CIGAR.
The death warrant was then read and
they We're told that they could make any
statement which they might see fit.
Wade talked for some fifteen minutes,
saying he was going to die,
that he had been found guilty, and that he
was ready to die. He was a wicked man
when he was sentenced, but good friend
of his referring TO Jailer McCOrd)
had talked to him, and told
him of the awful consequences of dying in
and willing to die. He had thought
of the governor of the land at the
state capital, but had sought pardon of the
Governor of heaven whom he could not see.
He warned the people to turn away from
sin and trust in Christ, and asked them
TO MEET HIM IN HEAVEN.
He wound up by saying: Farewell. law
yers; farewell, juries, doctors and judges.
and farewell to all
John spoke but briefly, saying that he
was willing and not afraid to die He was
not going to talk very much, as he
was ready and anxious to go home He
acknowledged that he and his brother had
committed the crime of which they We're
victim was not as well prepared to die as
they were.
Rev. j. Fl. Thorn of the Baptist church
offered up prayer for the doomed men.
The black caps were then drawn, the
hands and feet of both men pinioned. the
nooses adjusted, and at exactly 81 o'clock
the trap was sprung.
The rope with which John was tied broke
and he fell to the ground He was picked
up and carried upon the scaffold. where he
was seated for several minutes until the
moose was again made ready and the trap
was again sprung. This time the knot held
fast. Both bodies were dangling in
the air. Doctors Jameson. Smith,
Pugh, Pearson and Johnson We're in at
tendance, and in nineteen minutes and
twenty-five minutes, respectively, pro-
nOunced life extinct in the bodies of both
men. Both their
NECkS WERE BROKEN.
The bodies were shortly afterwards cut
down ana will be inferred this evening in
the state prison cemetery. The crowd
was well behaved and the officers ex-
perienced no difficulty in maintaining
good order excepting a little trouble given
them by drunken man who got inside the
ring.
The crowd which witnessed the
execution is variously estimated
at 5000 to 5000 people. With but
few exceptions the negroes in this county
are of the opinion that the execution was
fol nd hot hn IncaaSa6 lint mid
the penalty of their awful crime. The
case is a remarkable one because of
the speedy detection of the guilty
parties, their prompt arrest, trial, convic-
ton, sentence and execution. 1t will I'M
doubtedly furnish a valuable precedent, and
doubtless have effect for good.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
John Fielder was indicted in July last in
two cases. in one of which he was charged
with assault upon McBeasley with intent
to murder, on the lst of July. The other
charged the same character of offense to
have d on McBeasley the 3rd
of July On the list of July he was put on
trial and was acquitted in both cases. Nc
Beasley testified for the state, also Vance
Thompson On the night of the 9th of
August, Wade and John Fielder, half
brothers, went to the house of
Vance Thompson, where McBeasley
was staying and fired four shots into the
house from double-barrelled ShotgunS. one
OF which took effect in Yance's head, killing
him instantly. Vance was the father-in-
law of John Fielder, but they had not
spoken since Johns trial in the district
court.
The Folders claimed that they shot into the
house to brighten McBeasley, but the jury
it seems thought that the proof of express
malice was sufficient to show a specific in
tent to kill after full preparation and delib-
GRAFTON.
On the oath of August the grand jury re-
turned bills of Indictment against Wade
and John Fielder, charging them with the
murder of Vance Thompson, and on the
29th they were put on trial. Wade's case
was contested, but John pleaded guilty. The
death penalty was passed against both, and
no appeal was taken. The defendants were
on the trial by Dickinson &
Whitman, the state by District Attorney
Policy and Wilson s. Wilson.
without Disclosing His Identity.
OMAHA, Neb.. Oct. 9.-Neal was hung at
.fta la,- tOf