Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-09
SPILLER EXECUTED.
THE sTAUNToN NEGRO BRUTE PAYS
THE PENALTY OF HIS CRIMES.
He Made . Full Confession-But the Fiend
Dies Quickly and Painlessly In
Nine Minutes.

SIAINION, VA, June a-topeciaLt-
Shortly after s o'clock this morning
Lawrence Spiler was hanged by the neck
till he was dead Rarely in the history
Of criminal Jurisprudence has there been
closer linked chain OF circumstantial
evidence and seldom has legal punish
ment followed SO closely the heels OF
crime as in the Lawrence Spiller murder
case. Nobody has any doubt Of his guilt,
for he himself hath said II in a long writ
ten statement given out to-day by
his counsel. Colonel r.. T. Turk.
HIS STATEMENT.
This statement differs little from the
account OF the crime published at the
time In the Dispatch. Spiler says: When
he was at John Rowes house on the
night OF May 2sth at the carousal Mrs.
Rowe refused to drink from his bottle,
as she was pressed to do by her husband:
and he tSpiller got mad because he knew
her reason was that he had drunk from
the bottle. This angered him and he
left When Lottie Rowe, the murdered
girl, and Charles Bradford came out of
John Rowe's house he followed them TO
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad bridge
and struck Bradford twice with his
bludgeon, knocking him down. He
(spiller) then caught the girl in his
afms-hand at her throat to prevent out
cry. As he put her over the fence his
hat was lost.
KNEW HE WAS GONE.
As she was carried across the plowed
field, then it lightened. and held a long
Hash, and she looked up in my face
and saw me. and said: oh. / know YOU
/ knew now that IL was the Lord that
showed her my face, and | knowed she
did know me; and | was gone, (this was
a wild night and a thunder and rain
storm was raging. I promised to take
her home. She asked II would do that
1 said: Yes; If you don't holler' She
said she would not holler and loved me.
We didn't lie down in the plowed field.
She hollered murder I just seen then /
was gone and that had TO kill her.
THE OUTRAGE AND MURDER.
'She had knowed me, and, knowing I
was gone, anyhow choked her till she
could not holler; then throwed her over
the fence. jumped over quick, and staid
close till she got her wind. II was then
] assaulted her. She told me again she
knowd me-" Spiller then narrates how
ne carried her to the railroad track. laid
the poor girls face across the rail. and
hit her three blows on the back OF her
head. when / hit her you could hear
| her breath for 80 yards. staid right
there till she was gone" He further says
he slept at Paynters. white mans. after
that. He Paynter) aroused him after day
break.
MADE HIM MAD.
He goes on TO say: Il don't think would
have done anything wrong that night
that is, tried 10 hurt anybody-if they
hadnt made me mad at Rowe's by not
wanting to drink out OF that bottle.
] can hear that girl snore by my bed
every night since | have been in this
cell, Just as she did when / hit her ON
, the head with that rock"
COOL TO THE LAST.
The prisoner has been frequently visited
! In his cell by negro preachers and last
| night several held meeting with
| the doomed man.
SpiIler ordered a substantial breakfast
Of eggs. nsh, rolls, and coffee, and ate
bOuntifully this morning. after sleeping
from IL p. NJ. to A. NJ. When the Dis
patch man saw Spiller In his cell this
morning the prisoner showed wonderful
nerve, appearing TO be as little excited
as any one present.
About o'clock Sheriff Watts read the
death-sentence. and Spiler said he was
, ready to so. AS the marcn of death filed
tnfonHh the tail down 10 the rear Jail
yard the prisoner babe farewell to his
fellow prisoners. Upon arriving at the
gallows he walked up the twenty-four
steps to the trap with steady stride. and
stood quietly on the pit-fah, turning his
eyes up and closely scanning the rope.
and then looked down at the trap on
which he stood.
DEATH QUICKLY AND PAINLESSLY.
A black cambrfc circular was next
drawn over his body, and in an acquies-
cent manner he turned his head to al
low a closer adjustment OF the death
knot. In moment the black cap was put
on his head. The Sheriff dropped his
handkerchief; a click. n thud, and the
body fell six feet Beyond the twisting
of the rope there was no motion OF the
body. Death had come quickly and pro-
baby painlessly. In nine minutes the
heart ceased TO beat, and the last act Of
the terrible tragedy w.s over. Examina-
ton by the surgeons showed death was
| caused BY a broken neck.
The body was given 10 friends OF Spill
Ter. end 1t will probably be buried at
| Petersburg W. Va