San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-15
STRAIGHT TO GLORY.
SHEP. PALMER HUNG FOR DOUBLE
MURDER.
Drained Man and Wife With Billet
of Wood-A Bungling Execution.
But Died in Four Minutes.

JACKSON, Miss, June l5.-Shep
Palmer, colored, was hung In the
Jail yard here at l0:19 Saturday
morning for the murder OF Chas.
Cordell- and wife. The rope was
too long and the victims feet
struck the ground SO that they had
to be tied up. His neck was broken
and life was extinct in four
minutes.
The crime for which Shop. Pal
mer paid the death penalty was
the most Infamous and cowardly
murder in the history of Kinds
county. On the night OF Deem
Der 2Sth last "Shep," who was an
ignorant black negro of medium
size, attended meeting at a col
ored church five miles west OF this
city. The night was cold and dark
and wet, so that when this mem.
Der of the congregation. en- route
home, arrived opposite the cabin
Of Charlie Cordell and wife, and
saw bright light shining through
the chinks he knew the fire was
blazing in the wide, open-mouthed
hearthstone, and asked for admit
lance that he might warm. The
bolt back, the door opened and
CHEEKY voice babe him enter.
Though his own cabin was only
a few hundred yards further down
the road, Palmer remained, chat
ting with Cordell and wife till
midnight, when the roosters OF the
neighboring farm yards warned
them of the lateness of the hour
and the host suggested to the
visitor the propriety OF his going,
remarking they had to get up at
daylight, the woman being cook
for the white folks on whose farm
they lived. Cordell had been mar.
ried but a few months, his wife
was tidy; he was a Woodworking,
saving darkey and their single
| room was neat and clean, though
sparsely furnished, there being on
| ly two chairs, so that the visitor
had sat on a pile Of 4-foot fire wood
| close up in the chimney corner.
| When the motion to retire was
made, Palmer arose as II to go,
with stick af wood, heavy piece
| of black. Jack about the size and
shape OF a tall mans leg, in one
hand. He raised it suddenly and
brought it down with terrific
force on Cordell's head, killing him
instantly and scattering his brains
on the opposite side of the room.
The horror stricken wife jumped
| to her husbands side, and as she
knelt upon the floor the 20-pound
bludgeon was gain swung high in
the air, another head was smashed
like an eggshell, and she fell
across the body of her husband,
quivered a time or two and was
dead.
Stepping over and around the
bodies and through the blood OF
| his victims the brute searched the
cabin for the few dollars he knew
had been paid them the day pre-.
vious, the woman's wages for the
month and proceeds of bale OF
cotton, amounting to about $50,
which he found and with which he
left for home to the bosom OF his
own family.
AS the woman did not show up
next morning 90 get breakfast, her
employer visited the cabin to see
IL she was sick. He tried the door
and found someone was standing
inside holding it. Looking through
chink the horrible truth dawned
upon him and he returned home
for his gun. Coming back, he
found the door open and no one
inside but the two corpses.
Tracks lead off from the back OF
the house to the home OF Shep
Palmer He was arrested, the
money found on his person and his
clothes full of blood. Seeing the
crime was going to be fastened up
on him he confessed. Court met
in February; he was tried, con-
victed and sentenced to hang. The
young lawyer appointed to defend
him took the case to the Supreme
court, but the verdict was con-
firmed and June Ii fixed as the
day of his execution. AS usual with
condemned negroes Shep found re-
ligion and said he was "'gwine
straight to glory"