San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-18
LEFT EARTH TOGETHER.
TWO NEGRO DEMONS SWUNG OFF
TODAY.
One Murdered Helpless Widow for Rob-
berry, the Other Killed His Sleep
ing Victim Cruelty.

Especial, )-Buck Chapel and Glenn
Strawther were hanged here today.
Buck Chappell was a young ne
negro, only about 10 years old
and had never been in serious
trouble before he shot Mrs. Dora
Emshoff, white widow, because
she refused to give him the money
which represented most Of her
years work and which was to pro-
vide for herself and little ones
through the winter and spring I'M
til the next crop was made and
sold.
On the evening Of December Is,
1895. between 5 and 6 o'clock, Mrs.
Emshoff and her little l0-year.old
daughter were returning from
Brennan, whittier the widow had
gone to sell a part Of her cotton
she was driving leisurely along
when a negro armed with shot
gun stepped from a clump OF
bushes and ordered her to stop.
She was badly frightened, for she
knew not what was to be the next
command. The negro ordered her
to give him her money, presenting
the shotgun at the same time. The
widow pleaded with him not to
rob her, reminding him that she
was q widow, poor and hardwork-
ing, and with a family to support.
He reiterated his command and
she reached for her purse to give
him, fearing to refuse further;
but even as she was complying
with his demand the negro fired;
the load Of birdshot struck her in
the forehead at the hair line and
one single shot entered beneath
the right eye. The frightened
horses ran and did not stop until
they reached the gate OF Mrs.
Emshoff's home. The lady lived
for three days and positively
identified Buck Chsppell as her
assailant, as did her little
daughter, and he was arrested at
his fathers house, whittier the
bloodhounds had traced him from
the place where he fired the fatal
shot.
About 3 o'clock on the morning
of December 90 a mob estimated
to contain something over 100
men, from the neighborhood in
which the crime was committed,
went into Bellville with the inten-
ton of hanging Buck Chappell,
but Sheriff Glenn had gotten wind
of the affair and spirited the negro
away to the bottom fastenesses
and when the party arrived the
Jail keys were turned over to them
on application and they went
through it carefully. Failing to
find the party they were looking
for, they departed.
It Is said that when the mob
rode to Sheriff Glenn's house to
get the keys to the Jail that they
were at one time within fifteen
feet of the object Of their search,
as the officers who had the negro
in charge thinking that at tnaC
hour of the morning all danger
was over, wore bringing him, to.
gether with another negro who
had also, out OF an abundance OF
caution, been removed, back to the
jail. The officers sighted the mob
first, however, and darting across
lots with the culprits, hid them in
a barn.
Chappell was put on trial Jau-
uary 3 and the jury returned a
verdict OF guilty the following
Sunday morning, the judge having
refused to receive il Saturday
night, as he did not deliver the
charge until 10 o'clock. The prin-
cipal witness against him was
Mrs. Emshofi's little daughter,
who positively identified the negro
and the clothes he wore.