The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-11-10
MURDEROUs COWARD.
Stone Waiting the Final Act
The Last Legal Execution.

Ihc Last Legal Execution.
A J~effersonville dispatch to tho Ind
anspolis Journsl ssys: Condemned 4
die on the scaffold Feb. l6, 1894, for th
murder OF the Wratten family In Davies
county on the night OF September IL
1898, James +. Stone occupies cell No
%, on the third range Of dollhouse B, Ia
the prison south. The cell occupied b,
Stone sdjoins the "annex." which 10 q
the north end OF the dollhouse. Their,
be will DO kept until the night of Feb
Is, when be will be led forth TO NEE
death on the scsffold erected by Warden
J. b. Patten for the execution Of VIM
Benson, the murderer Of Jacob Mott,
weller. but whose sentence was commu.
ted by Governor Hovey TO life impris.
onment. Some was brought from
Washington last night by Sheriff J.. q.
Leming and A. T. Conley. A reporter
saw Stone At z 80 O'Clock, and the con.
demned man wss In the best OF spirits.
"How do you feel, Stone ?"
In oil right. know l will have TO
die, but l am ready. even il they want
me TO 60 on til Q scsfFold tonight. am
at peace with my God. and do not fear
death. expect my wife here In two or
three weeks to see me. My oldest
daughter, who has the consumption, is
not able to travel, but please don't say
anything about my family ; don't adver.
tise them. saw my wife and children
to-day aud told the "a goodbye, but not
forever.
Yes. the other men, Kaye. Wilt .ms,
Cosby, Yarbourgh, Clark and White,
were released on my statements, but
they are nominally in custody. l told
the judge that I alone am gnilty. 1t was
no use to 60 there with Q lie. l got
what | deserved. What | did was to
throw myself On the mercy OF the court,
and the sentence is that | am to die on
February l6. My lawyer was John
Spencer. All that could be done 10 my
behalf was to introduce Drs. Clark and
Williford, who stated that the wen on
my neck might cause mental derange.
msnt. Yes, | was crazy then, aud l am
now when my neck and head pain me.
On the night Of September Is was in
great agony. The jury were out only
: few minutes. They Q +. W..
Gideon Isnoble. Seth McCor.
mack. Sam Harris, Thomas Green wood,
Polk Howard, John Greenwood, james
Brown, Eli Doherty, John Stevens, Jos.
Allen and N. Hoffermsn.
There was no attempt made 10 mob
me, though there was q large Gro I'd at
he courthouse. was taken before
Judge Heffron at 9 o'clock this morning,
Ind four hours later | was on the way
back here"
Stone was sound asleep when the re.
porter arrived at his cell door. 1t took
'everal GALA from guard Cotton to arouse
lin. He ssked the reporter to remem.
Der his promise to get him Q piece oil
obacco. His face had lost the pallid
Tue that marked Il before he was con-.
but his eyes are rolling and
.lassy. II IL predicted that he will meet
lesth like the covering wretch he is,
nd that he will have to be carried TO
he scaffold.
The last legal execution in southern
indiana was that Of Macy Warner, who (.
lev . fellow-convict In tho prison |,
outh. for which he was hanged duringl,
he last term Of ex.sheriG &. S. Hay.
he execution took place in the jail I,
ard jUst west Of the jail in Jefferson. :
lille. Under the existing law IN lndi- !
executions are private and are con. !
ucted inside Of the walls Of the peni. :
y