Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-15
HIS WIFE WAS WITH HIM
SHE FOLLOWED HIM TO THE VERY
STEPS OF THE AWFUL
scAFroLD.
His Neck Was Broken by the FAN
and He Died In Twelve
Minutes.

Denton, Tex. Oct. 14--(speclal)-J.
@. a. Crews was hanged here today in
the Jail yard in the presence of u null
titude. The death warrant was read
TO him just after religious services at
las o'clock D. m, and the procession
was formed for the scaffold at 1920
headed by Sheriff Hawkins and the
doomed man. who held his wife by the
hand until the stairway to the scaffold
was reached, where his parting from
her was most affecting. on reaching
the scaffold. which Crews assembled
without a tremor. Elder Roberts of the
Christian church ohiclated in the relig-
ious exercises there and offered up a
most fervent prayer for the condemn
ed. Crews talked in a rambling and al
most lncoherent strain for some TWEEN
~ minutes. Promptly at p. m. the
trap was sprung and Crews shot down
like dead weight about six feet. HIS
neck was broken and he died without a
struggle. He was pronounced dead by
the physician In twelve minutes and at
215 the body was cut down and placed
In the coffin. Such a crowd has not
been seen In Denton since the hanging
of the Brown boys in 1879 Jesse and
Hal Murrell, sons of the murdered
man TNnw0s Nv~rnll. psltei fNr tho
straps that tied the arms and feet as
So e,.i!s % ..is eAs~Ss.Jn u D.e.l
fathers murderer.
The crime for which Crews today
paid the extreme penalty of the law of
the land was the premiditated and cold
blooded murder of the Murrell family,
near Calisburg. In Cook county, on the
morning of April -. 1894
Crews had been employed by Thomas
Murrell, n well-to-do farme> near
Gainesville as a farm hand, and just
previous to the horrible tragedy had
had a misunderstanding with Murrell,
who ordered him TO find other quar-
tiers. Crews and his wife located in
another part OF the county, but with a
Winchester and under the cover of
darkness on the morning of April 18th.
went to the home of Murrell and Sc
GREETED himself In the hay NOV of the
barn. As Murrell entered the barn
door TO feed his horses, Crews fired two
shots into his body, Instantly killing
him. Mrs. Murrell hearing the gun re-
ports ran to the barn and as she en-
tered Crews deliberately shot her down,
her limp body falling across that OF her
dead husband.
Crews rfled the pockets Of the MUIR
dered man, saddled one OF the best and
fleetest horses In the barn and left in
the direction of Red River for the farm
OF Morgan Murrell, son OF Thomas
Murrell, a young man is years OF age.
Young Murrell was in the field plow-
ing, and as he came near the end of
his row, Crews arose from his hiding
and sent bullet crushing through his
brain.
The murderer having killed the three
Murrells, continued his Journey toward
the Indian Territory and on the morn
ing of the following day was inter-
cepted by a stranger in a moving wag-
on: Crews was suspicious of the man,
thinking he probably intended to effect
his arrest because he held shotgun in
his hands, opened fire upon him. The
man, Miller by name, returned the fire
filling Crews face with fine blrdshot.
Crews second shot was fatal and Mil /
Ter fell over dead In his wagon. Crews
then abandoned his horse and, badly
wounded. started on foot across the
country to Thackersville, a station on
the Santa Fe, reaching that little ham
let about o'clock that afternoon. He
was In the act of buying n ticket to
Gainesville, when several citizens, who
had heard of the Murrell killings, sus-
plcioned him, and overpowering him
effected his capture.
He was taken to Gainesville, but on !
the following day was taken to Fort
Worth by Sheriff Ware and Jailed for |
safe keeping. on the 2lst of April he
was carried to Cook county for prellmI- |
nary examination, and on the 29th was /
again remanded to the Tarrant county |
jail, where he remained until he was
indicted for the murders by a Cook
county grand jury. He was brought to /
trial and convicted on two counts for {
the murder OF Thomas and Morgan |
Murrell and was given 99-year sem
tence In each case. on account of
Afgntau II nPa ffnn Of n the
Crews was given new trial and u
change of venue was taken to Denton I
county, where he was convicted and /
sentenced to hang on the 18th OF Oc- /
tober. but to satisfy whimsical notion
of Crews the judge changed the date Of l
execution to Monday October IA.
The defense was made on the ground |
that Thomas and Morgan Murrell had /
offered lndignities to Crews wife and Z
he killed both men In defense of her
honor. The insanity pleas was also re-
sorted to but without avail. The con-
demned man profesRed religion and
was baptised. Crews never attempted
TO deny the killings. and also admitted
that he had murdered to other men in
California several years ago. but on |
account OF technicalities was acquitted. |
The condemned man remarked to a !
reporter this morning.
81 have just received the news that /
there is no more hope for men this side /
OF Heaven. and IL that is so and have I
TO 20, It will save me many a trouble /
and hardship. still, we all want TO put Z
that off TO the last l don't think l
will be knocked out OF more than so
years of my natural life. AS far as (
am concerned. think l can make /
preparations to meet my God, but will (
say that all ! can leave my poor. true,
beloved wife, Is the history OF my life. I
which has been full OF mlsfortunes |
from the cradle to the grave. Will
say that contrary TO what the people I
have got me down. am no tough.