The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-09
Splller, The Murderer Of LOttio Rowe, EI-
tCUttl al Stanton.
TIE NEGRO MEETS Ills DOOM CALMLY.
lie Won Il Not Die "A Natural Death " He
Couid--Ate a hearty Brenkiast-Con-
tcssed lii> Double Crime.

SpI.er passed quiet nsnt, sccpihb
peacefully. until rs vas reused by his
spiritual adviser. about o'clock this
morning.
lie passed the time from then until the
preparations for the execution commenced
IN pTayins and singing familiar hymns
with Inc several cOiOred nin'. teIs "no
were VITA him. lie was apparently NeIy
earnest In his belief in the iorg ,ehcsa Oh
ms sins ana his future saVauon' Det-
tainly he never falteTed or Sc med 70
show the least fear or dread OF de'th'
was ED ,sullIA oa n.a o..lail.
Wnen asked by reporter shortly be
fore the proc ssion started iot uiy bdl-
lows wncfhcr ne feared 10 die by hahb-
ing. Spiller replied that he would not dle
a natural DEAN now it he coWI, that ne
wantel to suffer for his crime, SO as 10 pe
an example 10 mis- race.
About Z O'Clock Splilcr ate nearly
breakfast Of fried eggs fred chicken
fresh hsh. bread, cakes, c0nce. ana AliA
remarAing that IL was the last GfuD ne
would ever eat About o'clock oheTil III
y. &. Watts read the death warrant 10
the prisoner, ana the procession started
from the third hoor 81 the Jail 10 the Jan
yaru. where the gallows was erecte
The procession was composed OF lhlee
poice officers the prisoner esS9Ilea ss 10y
Sheriff Watts and Deputy sheriff Dawson
and four co.ored clcrsymen
IiEU p AoI.e 4 AlMN.
Spiller mounted the scanold steps firm
ly and without assistance. lie stood
erect on the trap ana quietly looneu
around him at the reporters, physicians
ana witnesses, who had been admitted
at SO. the moose had been adjusted ana
the black cap drawn over the prisoner
face. The cOlOred clcrgymen were sing
ing Spiler's faVoritc hymn, saviour
wash me Ia the blood. the prisoner )oln-
ing In the singing, when, at sigma.
from Sheriff Watts the trap was sprung
singing shot down
six feet. breaking his neck Instantly.
There was not percepuble movement
of muscle. death being instantan"oos.
He was pronounced dead In nine minutes
and the body was taken down.
The man features were perfectly natu-
Tal and even his hands We're IN thelF
natural position. hanging open at his siae'
Toe execution was perfect sITSS'sS,
and much credit Is due to Sheriff watts
Tor his sklful management
sPILv >. ,ElMf.
The crime for which Lawrence Spiller
Was hanged az SJ1 mon. Va, To-Day
WIS one Of the most brutal IN the criminal
record of Virginia. saturday nigAt, lnee
2,th day ~ April 1884, number OF Whi'e
men and women met al the house OF Jonh
Rowe. near the city limits, TO play cares.
SpillCr was there, he says, by specidI
invitation. one of the women present was
LOttie Rowe. the fOurteen-year-oldd dausn-
Ter of Joe Rowe, and niece OF John Rove.
CaId-playing had been kept up until pasl
midnight. shortly after midnight Splllei
In fhe house and waited outside until
Lottie Rowe and her companion, youHS
man named Bradford. came out, ana
started towards the house Of Joe KoWe'
the father OF Lotue. The two Rowes live
within half a mile Of each other, and al
1le horrible details OF this deVllSh deeu
were committed near enough the house
of the girl tO have been plainly seen nae
IL been daylight
The night was dark, with a sky hune
with black. heavy clouds. Between tho
two kOWcs dwellings the Chesapeake and
ohio railway runs, and the county roac
passes over II on an overhead bridge. Near
this bridge Spillcr overlook lis chosen
victim and her companion. Bradford. The
giant Spiiler. slapped Bradford over, toof
the little ninety-pound girl i'm his arms
and made on with her helpless form into
an adjacent field As he passed through
wire fence he lost his hat and fear
fully murderous club which he carried
Here, at the outset, were evidences oil
his Infamous deed which ciung 10 him
and were followed up all the way through
In this first field were evidences OF a
fierce struggle Then the poor girl was
taken through another wire fence, over q
stonewall. and 20 the track Of the rail-
road, where the body was found in th'
early dawn of the Sabbath morning.
IHE scFNs q THE MrRDEn.
Here she had been murdered after sh,
had been outraged In the field. stones
from the ballast on the road had been
used In the murderOus assault Five
wounds on the head, two of which crush
el IN lDc Skull IN IedfIul manner,
caused death, as testified by the medical
expert She had been fearfully chOkcd,
and the body was badly bruised The
body was found across the track. the head
resting on one Of the rails, where the
murderer had placed Il. that his crime
might be covered mp By the train passing
over the body when II should pass here
al 435. when IL would have been impossi-
Die for the engineer 10 have seen IL.
Providence seemed 20 nave OVerruled the
event The train was more than an hour
la'e. The body had thcn been found cy
TWO negro men, who had Just moved /. 10
one side as the fast express came thun-
rlng down the steel rails The horrible
condition OF the body gave evidence or
tia fierce assault Of the brute.
The authorities were promptly notified,
ami by o'clock the murderous assailant
bad been safely placed behind the bars.
so sunday since the exciting days OF
Tie war OF lS6l-'64 has seen such intense
t1c.tement in the hiled city OF the
St.n1ndOah Valley.
slMer was safe, but the situation was
critical The military was promptly call
ei agt and by 1890 at night over one
hundred men were under arms prepared
q battle. a military camp was estab-
stel around and about the county jail
el us approaches.
Nrday morning spnler was indicted by
rlal grand Jury. Monday afternoon
p. Fs arraigned for trial The trial was
uied Tuesday morning, and We'd
liy morning at 9;o5 O'Clock ana JUST
ty hours after the commission OF his
.ale crime. ne had been sentenced 10
'e hanged the 8th Of June.
r.IfI1f's soNir--IoV.
spNer made full and detailed con-
ie.,.on o. his double crime. In this the
As.o said.
~ saw a woman in the middle u the
road. and walked up and overlook her.
was Emma Grearer. | let her get
ahead OF me again When | got 10 John
l.'Hes lady was standing in the New
Hope road near the Richmond road. In
answer 10 my question, she told me Mr..
N.Nt was not at home. | told her l
would be back again; 70 tell Mr.. Rowe
!, "as the man who had the neecle-gun.
in'na Greaver was Just below the house.
She asked me IL 1 was going down 70
axe Painter s. and said stay there TIL
come. J want 20 play seven-up: l went
went back 20 the alley where Brannaman
ana Dyer were ] never said what Jack
sud ln court. Dyer told nearer the
Etfh. ) then went 10 Rowes again A
tn was sitting In the door. She said
iso~e had not come. ! went to Painter S
again. and me and Painter and Bob Book
payed four games OF cards. This was
about 10 o'clock. / went 10 ROwe's, ana
ne was al home, and asked me TO come
lhi that / was as welcome TO his house
as anybody" We got 70 drinking ana
uDiue's father were playing together,
ana Mr.. John Rowe and his daughter
Lucy. She was setting catawaumpus
across the table. We drank again shortly,
ana Mr.. John Rowe told his wife 10 take
drink. She refused, but he made her
axe IL. | got mad because knew she
Nant want 10 drink because II was my