Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-20

BIBLE MOST OF THE TINE
Half dozen prisoners in the United States
jail are basily engaged whitening the tall brick
walls In the corridor and giving the interior OF
the model prison a new dress before the arrival
OF the time set Tor the execution Of the two
condemned negro murderers, sam Moore and
William Douglass Gross. The time fixed for
the execution Of the former is January IS,
while the latter has one week longer to live.
Should these sentences be executed they will
make one dozen legal executions an the present
Jail building.
SAM aooRE's BAD RECORD.
Sam Moore, rs heretofore printed in THE
erAR. although young man. has lengthy
criminal record and has served sentence after
sentence in jail fer thefts and serious assaults
Re has always been stubborn and trouble
some prisoner, but since his conviction Of The
murder OF Henry JaEdorf in the jail his de-
mcanor has changed and he now seems to fully
realize the seriousness of his position. lie has
quieted down considerably and 10 longer does
he give vent TO his many roTgh expressions,
bet behaves and talks more moderately than
ever before. Sam has boon moved from his
old quarters to cell No. 2. the one known Us the
Guitesu cell. because tie assassin occupied it
VIXEN the soldier guard, Mason. shot 1T him.
THE FIRST HOMICIDE IN PRISON.
The case Of Moore has proved a remarkable
one in more than one particular. In the first
place the homicide, happening as it did in
prison. was the first occurrence of the kind in
the prison, and then tho bold ard defiant man
ner OF the murderer and his statements in and
out Of court did nythiug BAT make friends for
him Even when in ccu-t he said Yes, / said
intended to kill the - -, and was sorry
for it. and added: II am sorry, too"
The trial in the was "a speedy one and
NJ y Lar of th.. Wit
nesses had faded away to any extent and be-
lore they bad become separated. Then, too,
Mr. Clsgett, who conducted the case tOr tie
government, sure Of a conviction that
he gave the defense no grounds upon which to
take the to the Court in General Term.
Thus further delay avoided and if the
prisoner is hanged at the appointed time it
viii be one of the quickest pieces OF work of
the kind in this District. Sam had few ii any
friends, and even his mother has been IL jail
SINCE lac killed his fel!ow-prisoner, so that she
could DO of assistance to hun.
THE CASE OF CROSS.
In the case Of Cross an entirely different state
of affairs existed. He was twice tried and de-
Tended by the best legal talent. and although
his defense was that his wife shot herself the
jury each time convicted him of the only crime
for which the laws OF the District prescribe
the death penalty. His aged father. one of the
best colored citizens of the District. owned
some property when his son got INFO the pres
ent difficulty, but ii Is said that in his efforts
&c save his loved one from the gGiows he has
become a poor man and has mortSaged his Last
piece Of real property. The fact that Cross
was in an affair somewhat similar to this sew
eral years ago, his friends think. had something
to do with his conviction in this Gross is
q remarkably well-behayed prisoner, who de-
votes his entire attention TO religious duties,
and no prisoner has ever read his Bible and
prayed AS often and as earnestly as he has
Mr.. John Roberts of the cOlored Y. VI. G. A.
L. l.-.a -
gagged in an effort to convert Moore and learn
him to turn mis- attention to the world beyond
OTHERS IN NURpEKERs' ROW.
In '.murderers' row" is Fred Barber. who
was once convicted OF having thrown Agnes
Watson into the canal at Georgetown. He has
been in Jail more than three years and he now
feels though he is life prisoner. Fred
Is q well-bred prisoner. speaks kindly to
every one and never has to be punished
for violating the prison rules. The time
for his execution wss set more than once, but
through the lsbors Of his counsel the indict-
ment was found defective and q new trial was
granted
Several months ago George johnson killed
another negro near Florida avenue and It'll
street by shooting him because Of some trouble
about a female, and he is also occupant of
one of the cells where murderers are confined.
He has not vet been tried, so his fate is still
in the judicial balance.
Ex-Policeman Burns who is held for the
shooting of Capt James NJ. Miller. Is also con-
fined IN that wing OF the Jail. He is quiet and
has but little 10 say, even to the guards
scnUMMAGE LANCASTER.
William Lancaster. alias '-Scrummage" who
killed PAL Frazier is what the guards term
FOUNDER" He has done time for killing a
man and he served eighteen months out of two
years in Jail, SO he seems perfectly at home
and is not disturbed much by prison iare. The
death Of his victim, however had a depressing
effect upon him. and he fears that he will not
share the good fate which befell him when he
took the life of the other man.
In a cell not far from him is Arthur Johnson
alias James Brent. who killed poor old Fred
Hipkins in South Washington. This prisoner
has an appearance similar to that of Nelson
Colbert, who was hanged two years ago for the
murder Of an old man at the Columbia car
stables
johnson, or Brent, as he is called, does not
appear as though he has been used to prison
life but, Ike most OF the Others, the corn bread,
Tat meat and soup agrees with him, and he is
ginning flesh on his new diet.
In these cases the district attorney intends il
possible to have an early trial, ami has made a
start in one case in having summoned the wit
nesses before the grand jury.
Thomas Heath was declared not to be a muir
derer, but the jury held him guilty of man
slaughter, and his sentence ten years at
hard labor. Heath is an old cOlored man who
killed an equally old man in South Washington
some months ago. AT the time OF the homicide
VIC CAlsc attTuSteu sOult atltnUOu because OF the
number of weapons that figured in the fight.
among them being an AK. shotgun and cary
ing knife Heath is held under suspension of
sentence, as his case is pending before the
courts on q motion for a new trial
THE FIRST HANGING IN THE BUILDING
The present building was first occupied in
1875 and it was not until i've years afterward
that there was an execution within its walls
The first victim Of the hangman's rope was
James Madison Wyatt Stone, who was hanged
for wife murder. He was u fieshy man natur-
ally, but prison fare had increased his weight.
and although the drop q short one il de-
eapitated him. The executions in the present
jail building have averaged about one in twelve
months-
During the past year." said Deputy Warden
Russ. ''the average number Of prisoners in iail
was go, an increase Of twenty over the pre-
ceding year. In warm weather." he said 'the
number usually decreases on account OF the
penitentiary prisoners being sent off when tine
courts adjourn for the summer. There are
fewer prisoners in Jail now than there have been
At any one time in several months and think
that Judge Bradley deserves some credit for il
because OF his long sentences. They have had
wholesome effect on the prisoners in Jail anu
no doubt the outside criminals have taken
warning from them and kept out of trouble
There is no doubt in my mind about the
sentences OF that kind working great deal of
reform among the criminal classes. Rigid
AxxSz ~ Ill l.S,sy