San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-20
ALBERT ROLLY HANGED.
M00TRY GAINS A SHORT RESPITE
OF SEVEN DAYS,
ROlly's Dying Statement That MOOtry Is
Surely Guilty As He, Is Uttered
From the Gibbet.

GEORGETOWN, Tex, March 90
Special. ALBERT ROlly, colored,
was hanged at IL 80 a. IN. today,
for the murder of Andrew Pick
yrel, q Bohemian farmer, May s,
1895. His partner in the crime,
Matt. Mootry, was respited until
next Friday, because Rolly said he
was innocent, but Rolly said, on
the gallows, that Mootry was
equally guilty, and that he had
been intimidated by him, but now
told the truth, and that he swore a
lie when he said Ike Creighton,
who turned states evidence, had
killed Pickyrel.
Seven thousand people witnessed
the hanging OF Rolly. II is re-
ported the sheriff may hang
Mootry this afternoon.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
That part OF Williamson county
near Circleville, twenty miles from
the county seat (Georgetown) is cut
up into tenement farms, mostly
occupied by Bohemians and ne.
groes. 1t is customary for q b.
hemian family to give a dance
every Saturday night and invite
his neighbors. About May l, 1895,
Andrew Pickyrel, possessing wife
and five small children, invited his
neighbors for q frolIc. During the
festivities like Creighton, Matt
Mootry and Albert Rolly (half
brother Of Creighton) all colored,
appeared at Pickyrel's house and
were ordered off the place. The
negroes left somewhat reluctantly
and finally arrived at the conclu-
sion that they were as good as any
foreigners" and would get even,
at a more opportune time.
On May s Ike Creighton rounded
up Matt Mootry and Albert Rolly,
saying that Andrew Pickyrel and
his cousin, Henry, were fishing and
alone down on Brushy creek,
mile away. This was the oppor-
tune time. All three started for
the place OF rendezvous to "get
even."
1t was about dusk when the ne
groes arrived. Calling out, they
asked il they were the Bohemians
who ordered them off their place
the night of the dance. Receiving
a reply in the affirmative, the ne
groes advanced, armed to the teeth.
The testimony shows that Mat.
Mootry shot and killed Andrew
Pickyrel while he was on his bend
ed knees, begging for the sake Of
his wife and children, not to kill
him. Henry Pickyrel started to
run, and was pursued by Albert
Rolly, who shot him down and left
him for dead. Rolly returned to
where Mootry was, and saying
that he had killed Henry, not to
leave Andrew alive, who was still
in the agonies of death,
smashed his skull in with rock.
Henry recovered sufficiently to
crawl home during the night
and give the alarm. The three
negroes mentioned before were ar
rested and indicted before the
grand jury last July. Ike Creigh-
ton turned states evidence. While
testifying before the district court
how he had started to the scene Of
the murder with Mootry and
Albert, but turned off toward
home prior to the murder, Albert
arose in open court and pointing
his finger at his half brother, said:
''Ike, you know it was you and me
that killed Andrew Pickyrel and
not Matt Mootry. who is innO-
cent" Henry Pickyrel, however,
swore he recognized Mootry
and Rolly, at least he only
saw two, and they were convicted.
Their cases were appealed and sus-
Upon sentence being pass
ed Mootry claimed his innocence,
and Rolly claims he only wounded
Henry, who recovered, and did
not think he ought to hang for
that. At any rate there are many
who think that Henry Pickyrel
failed to identify Ike Creighton in
the evening dusk, and believe he
is the guilty man and that Matt
Mootry is innocent.