The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-25

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large part OF James w. Craney's last
night on earth was spent in religious
services. A number of colored people
assembled in his cell at 0 p. m. last
night. Religious services were con-
Quoted by James jackson and others
and were kept up until the hour of mid
night, when Craney retired to his bed
and slept until six this morning.
Shortly after rising and dressing him
self, Craney's breakfast was..brought to
him and he ate sparingly. At the hour
of : Sheriff Witt read the death war
rant to him and asked him if he had
anything to say. He replied that he had
not. Parties in the corridors of the jail
could hear him at frequent intervals
walking up and down the cell in which
he had been confined alone for forty
eight hours.
Rev. w. n. Moss at o'clock went in
to tho cell and converscd and prayed
with the condemned man. To n ques-
ton from the Rev. Moss, Craney said
that he had cut Oliver but that he did
not shoot him, and that he freely for
BdFC Viz WlIuCSSCS WHO LGSLlllCu uRalnSJ
him.
Sheriff Perry then bound Craney's
arms and placed the black cap over his
face. The march to the scaffold was as
fellows: Sheriffs Witt and Perry, Rev.
Moss, Carney, and Sheriifs Wilson,
Tcmpleton and Savillo. On arriving at
the scaffold Craney, the sheriffs and
Rev. Moss assembled it. The prisoner
was placed upon the trap. The rope
was adjusted by Sheriff Witt. The legs
were pinioned by sheriff Wilson. The
Rev. Moss then offered up a prayer for
the soul of the condemned man. Sheriff
Witt then asked him if he had anything
to say.
house playing with girl and that he
in playful manner blew out the light
and cursed. Charles Oliver came up
and intcrfered and asked me to come
out of doors | went and Oliver and
myself engaged in scufile. 1 drew
pistol to shoot Oliver, but it snapped.
Oliver grabbed it away from me and
the pistol went off. / did not shoot him.
l think he shot himself. 1 then cut
Oliver. This is the whole truth. am
willing to trust in God and have said
all wish to say" He then offered up a
prayer in which he said: Dear Lord,
take me to myself, wash my sins and
make them white as snow. Dear Lord,
have mercy on my soul"
At 1c:l6 a. m. the trap was sprung by
Sheriff Templeton, and tho body Of
James Crancy Shot into space and hung
suspended between heaven and Garth
There was scarcely perccptible witch
ing of the muscles. Drs. John A. Ora
ham and w. II. Rogers examined the
pulse and found that it was slightly
beating. In three more minutes an
other examination was made and the
physicians said that the pulse was still.
and eight minutes from the drop the
life of Craney had gone out. He died
of strangulation. Tho neck was not
broken. The body was left hanging for
forty minutes, and was then cut down
and placed in q coffin and carried to his
fathers house to be buried i'll the family
burying ground.
The rope used was made of hemp and
was 6ve-eighths of an inch thick 1t
tretched in the fall about eighteen
inches and allowed the feet OF Craney
to come within about four inches of the
ground. Everything was conducted in
an orderly manner. There was no ex-
citement among the witnesses of the
execution nor was there a single balk.
Sheriff Witt and his associates deserve
great credit for the manner in which
they performed their duty as officers of
the law.
large number of people assembled
inside of the Jail limits, at the windows
and on the roof of adjoining houses. but
were unable to see anything except the
march to the scalfold from the Jail
CRANEY's CRIME.
Craney went to the house of James
Miles Saturday night, Septer ~, where
a number of negroes of Brownsburg
were gathered at a dance. He raised a
row with Charles Oliver and invited
him to the road to settle the difficulty.
Oliver accepted the challenge, and Ora
32-calibre revolver, and stabbed him
several times with pocket knife, kill
ing him instantly.
Oliver was 40 years of age and bore
good reputation.
Craney that night made his escape, and
was not apprehended until Friday, De-
cember S, when he was arrested by Con-
stable j. E. Bosworth in barn on the
Houston farm within two miles of the
place of his crime and brought to Lex
ington and lodged in jail.
On Tuesday, January 10, he was
placed on trial in the county court,
Juoge w. +. houston presiding, on the
charge contained in the indictment.
The prisoner was without money and
Hurbert T. Houston. Esq, was assigned
by the court as counsel for the defense.
On the next day at noon the case was
submitted to the jury. They remained
out until the following afternoon, and
having failed to agree upon verdict
they wero discharged. The jury stood
seven in favor of the death penalty,
five for Imprisonment for eighteen
years in the penitentiary