Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-02-25


Take care Of YOURSELF
Thay were his last words, for few
seconds later Sheriff Finn had severed /
the rope with broad ak and Willis /
body shot down almost TO tho ground. I
distance Of about 5 feet. The drop |
fell at l2.3j O'Clock. a few writings |
of the hody were the only, external
signs OF life.
Drs John j. Black, g. Russell
Jakes, Joseph f. Smith. Thomas
Hitch and Edward Fl. McCabe ex.
amired thp suspended form from Tins
to time for tho next few minutes One
minute after the fall his pulse had
gone TO l02, minute or two later TIE
heart was thrubbing 100 times
minute. In Sly and one-half minutes
there were no pulse beats, and in 10
minutes Willis was pronounced dead.
A slight dislocation OF lie neck had
been caused. Dr.. Black expressed the
opinion that he died Of shock. The
doctor, who is the jail physician, gave
certificate Of death by judicial hang
ing. After the body was cut down,
John W. ntetser, representing Deputy
Coroner Chandler, took charge OF il
and took it to the potters field at Farm
hurst, where it was buried.
WRIT OF HABEAs coRPUs REFUSED.
Superior court adjourned shortly
after 10 O'Clock on Friday and Josiah
| Marvel had a conference WITH the
Judges 10 the rarlor. He presented the
| following:
In the superior court OF the State of
| Delaware, 10 and for. New Castle
| county. State VS.. Thomas Willis, No.
vember term, 'g6. Murder.
THE petition Of Thomas Willis
| showeth
THAT at said term OF the court of
oyer and terminer, in and for New
Castle county, your petitioner was
charged by the grand jury of the said
county with murder OF the first degree
THAT at said term trial was held
under said charge by jury of said
| county;
"That tho said jury returned YER
dict on said trial Of guilty in manner
and form as be stands indicted, with
a recommendation to the mercy of the
court:
THAT said verdict was rendered
under misapprehension by SAID jury !;
That your said petitioner was com
mitted to the custody of the sheriff Of
said county under said verdict
Tour petitioner. therefore. prays
that writ Of habeas corpus iseue from
this court commanding the sheriff of
this county to bring your petitioner
forthwith before the bar of this court
and show in writing under oath the
time, cause or causes OF his detainer oil
said petitioner and a copy of all the
processes under which he is detained. -
The judges listened attentively to the
| ronHipn h., inf
that they did not think the writ should
issue.
! Mr.. Marvel informed Deputy Sheriff
Ratle6ge Of the decision and he i'm.
! mediately started in a team for New
,, Castle.
STORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Thomas Willil
is punished was the murder OF bis in
! FAINT child, Callie. He was indicted b,
the grand jury at thu September tern
, of court Of oyer and terminer last yea
! and was put on trial on Monday
r November 9th at an adjourned session
a OF the September term.
4 AT the time Of the murder Willis
!, who is about 80 years old and nativ
4 of Virginia, waR employed by John W
q Dennison, Mill Creek hundred farmer
!. On May 4th last Mr.. Dennison loane;
q Willis a horse and wagon in order tina
d the colored man might take his child
Il Callie from Martha ShockIey's to an
a other boarding house. Willis and hi
a wife had not lived together for som
time, and the care OF the child wa
II upon him. Aa he drove from Denni
a sons place aud along the road with hi
d little child he was seen by severa
10 people. He gave mis- destination, a
West Grove, and when be returne
m from his trip he said he had been toWes
- Grove.
{. On Saturday, May 23d, James Hal
J. kins found the headleas body of co
!, ored child on his father's farm mes
4 Milford x Roads. 1t had been burie
as in shallow grave and dogs had dug
ii UP. The dogs had gnawed and torn
and it was partly decomposed whe
I'd found. 1t was supposed at tho tim
ID that the body had been buried two
III three weeks, and that suDpoaitic
K turned out to be correct.
ma On Wednesday, May, 2sth, Thqmi
Willis was locked up at the puir
NJ, station charged with murder. lln hi
r. come to town earlier that week and BIZ
I, identified the clothing as that whit
of had been worn by his child. The Sta
a. detectives suspected Willis and que
if toned him. The sum OF it was that
n. confessed to killing tho child, hecau
ld it had bccnme burden to him.
ed said he had put the child in pho
be phate bag and pushed it under Il
be water and kept 1t there until it "
ed dead. Ho then hid the body in ii
nd bushes and tho next morning buried
IS AT the trial Attorney General Robe
9. White and Deputy Attorney Gener
he Peter l.. Cooper, Jr., represented +
State, and Harry Whiteman and JOSH
I'm Marvel appeared for Willie. The iu
70. which tried tho case comprised Walt
B. n. Morgan, Charles Miller, Dan.
", Cochran, Caleb N. Price, Ewood
II. Hawthorne. Thomas y. Messimer. Re
ST. iamin Fond. William g. Deakyne, vi
i'd cent Moore, Lewis II. Day, George
nh Wilson ami Isaac Elliott.
Ter Tho defence was that the child
from the wagon and was killed n
at that tho father, in fear that he wor
lat DO charged with murder, buried it il
field. Tho defence also alleged til
The Willis confession was secured by una
lry Influence, asserting that Detective N
zen Ney PROMISED to fire. Willis If he wo,
ian say that be killed the child. The j,
in, returned verdict OF guilty with
recommendation to the mercy of
the court. i motion for new trial v
nse made but afterwards withdrawn, a
,he on November 18th, Willis was eentent
ned TO no banged ON friduy. February 10
in between ~ O'Clock in tho morning d
lila 3 O'Clock in tho afternoon. On accul