Evening star., 1895-07-16
The Men Who Are to Be Hanged
for Killing Women.
CONTRAST BETWEEN The CULPRITS
One Brutal and Unrepentant, the
Other SorowfuI and Contrite.
7 LKS WITH B T II

within the next few days on the scaffo1d.
Each had killed woman, and each man
stated yesterday that he had no hope or
expectation of escaping the death penalty.
One of these men is a young negro, not yet
thirty years Of age simple minded and ig-
norant. The other. a white man, far past
middle age, is a man of more than ordinary
intelligence. The negro, James L. Travers.
Is to die lext Friday for the murder of
Lena Gross, a young colored woman with
whom he lived, last November. The white
man, Joseph A. Beam, is to die the follow
ing Friday for the murder last December
of his stepdaughter. Mrs. Annie L. Leahy
Travers, meek and penitent, expressed sor-
row and hoped that God would forgive
him. Beam, violent and unrepentent. glor-
led in having rid the world of what he
designated human monster, and In
language startling as it was blasphemous
declared he had no fear of death nor of
the future.
Travers Prepared for the Worst.
Accompa MED by Mr. Alexander Wolf of
Travers' counsel, the reporter was admit
ted to the condemned mans cell, on the
first floor of the southern wing of the
prison. The man had just returned from
participating in religious services, conduct
ed IN the cell Of Thomas ]. TAYLOR. sen
fenced to be hanged on the 10Th OF this
hopeless way he asked his counsel II there
was any hope of communication OF the
death sentence, and when his counsel re-
piled that he feared there was none,
Travers said that while he was not sur
prised, he had nevertheless hoped that he
might be spared death on the scaffold He
realized that everything possible had been
done in his behalf by his counsel and
thanked them. He said that he had made
his peace with God, and If he was to die
Friday he was prepared to go. He had but
one request to make. and that was that
his father and brothers and sisters who
live in Charles county. Nd, be asked to
visit him. Mr.. Wolf promised that he
would at once communicate with them,
and also assured Travers that he would
make another appeal to the President for
a communication of the sentence
Lenn's Throat Cut by Accident.
Travers was told by his counsel. how
ever, that he had better not hope, for there
was little, If any. chance of the President
interfering Asked If he had any state
ment to make, the unfortunate man re-
lated the story of the killing of the woman.
which differed as to only one fact from the
one related to the reporter by Travers a
few days after the mans arrest Iester-
day Travers declared that the womans
throat was cut accidentally. either by him
self of by the woman, during their alterca-
ton. In his confession, made to the police
officers and to the reporter few days
after the murder, Travers declared that he
cut the woman's throat to put her out of
her misery, he having found, after he had
struck her down with a blow of his fist in
her face, that he had not killed her. HIS
counsel called his attention to the discrep-
ancy between his two statements. and
cautioned him against going into the next
world with q lie on his lips. But while
he did not deny that he had made the first
statements, Travers insisted that his
version of the affair given yesterday. and
which he gave at the trial, was a true
statement of the killing.
Travers has embraced the Catholic faith,
and his spiritual adviser is Father Sullivan
of ST. Peters Church. The man is re-
as model prisoner. and much sympathy is
felt for him.
Beams Brutality.
From Travers' cell The Star man stepped
across to that occupied by Beam. Beam,
a large, muscular, ungainly man. was
seated beside his cot, reading a newspaper.
Throwing down the paper. he extended his
hand through the grated door of his cell
to the reporter, exclaiming. Il see they
have been having big storms in the east,
the wind playing HI with them. But
expected 1t, and know what caused It"
The Star man inquired the cause of the
storm, when Beam replied, with an oath,
"Why. old Bob Strong's at the bottom of it
ALL"
But" suggested the reporter. Strong IS
dead"
THAT don't make a bit of difference"
replied Beam. Bob Strong raised HI
here, and he is raising HI in the other
world. But I was sorry to hear of old
Bob's death, for I was in hopes that he
would live to put the moose around my
neck, as he was an expert at that business
You see, if a fellow has to go that way,
why, he wants a fellow to help him off
that understands his business, and there
hpttar g0rEinO fnlI In,xy
off than old Bob"
Defiant in Face of Death.
Asked If he had given UP all hope of
commute ton Of the death sentence, Beam
replied that he had, but" he exclaimed,
"I don't care. They can only kill this
house of clay tapping his chest, but
they can't kill this immortal soul Of mine
When 1 go off and set sail in the black
sall into another and what I believe will
be a better world. Then all eternity will
be unfolded to me AMI I'll realize what you
fellows that | leave hehini can't"
Most people" explained Beam, fear
death, but nobody but coward fears it.
1 don't fear 1t. and don't care how soon
they work me off. / went out to see the
bride few days ago. and she is beauty"
"The bride?" inquired the reporter.
YES" exclaimed Beam, with another
oath, Il mean the scaffold. Don't you un-
derstand? The scaffold is the bride and 1
am the bridegroom, and the bridegroom
is ready
Sure of Coming Back.
Beam occupies his time with reading and
writing, and when not doing that he is
caressng an old cat, between which and
himself a great friendship exists. the ami
NAL spending most Of its time in the mans
cell Eternity in the world beyond occu-
pies most of Beams thoughts, and he hand
ed to the reporter several pages of manu-
script which he had written devoted to
such subjects. Il wish you would publish
that in The STAR" he remarked. But pub
lish it before the 26th, because I want to
read It,"
But" interrupted the reporter, ''you
told me some time ago after you left this
world you were coming back, and If |
should not publish 1t until after you leave
you would still have an opportunity of
reading 1t, wouldn't your
"Oh, yes" replied Beam. But I'm only
coming back for one thing. and that Is to
get even with some of these id rascals
who have been bounding the life out Of me-
When come back I'm coming back with q
sharp curry comb. and I am going to rasp
the backs and feet Of them every night"
Would Do the Same Thing Over.
In such way the condemned man talk
ed necessarily. and it was practically i'm
possible to induce him to converse dispas-