The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-29
Double EXECUTION.
Two Negro Murderers Hanged at
Chicago.
BOTH DIE on THE SAME sCAFFOLD.

bVi III DiE w iHE SAhE SNAFtOLDs
They Display Remarkable Nerve on the
Approach of Death and Neither One
Had Anything To say-Both Men Were
Convicted of Brutal Murders for the
Purpose OF Robbery-Story of the Kill
| ing of John Murphy and Louis Maravic.
Chicago, May 29.-William Thomas
Powers and John baltimore, negro mur-
derers were hanged on the same scat
fold at 1901 o'clock Friday afternoon.
The men died without a word regarding
their innocence or guilt Powers life
was taken as a punishment for the
murder of John j. Murphy. baltimore
was convicted Of killing Louis Maravic
at Summit, Ills.
There was never a more remarkable
exhibition Of nerve than that displayed
by Powers from the time he stepped on
the scaffold baltimore was scarcely
less stolid in the face of death. After
the men had marched from the death
| chamber and had taken their position
| OH the trap. Sheriff Pease asked Powers
| If he had anything TO say. The man
merely answered mo" baltimore sig
| nified by a shake of his head that he
would say nothing. The drop then fell
and both men were soon pronounced
dead.
The killing of Murphy.
| William p. Powers crime was the
killing of John j. Murphy cousin of
Alderman William j. Murphy Dec. 20,
| hpnf
kept a saloon at 725 Root street, where
| Powers was employed as a porter
| Shortly before midnight Dec. 2S Mr.
Murphy went TO bed in his room. which
adjoined the saloon. In his pockets he
| had a considerable amount Of money
At midnight Powers closed the saloon
and, presumably, went to his room,
| which was just back Of his employers
About 5 o'clock on the morning of
| Dec. 29 Murphy's brother came to the
| saloon. He noticed that a window was
zen, that the money drawer was out
| and other evidences that a burglary
! had been committed. He asked Powers
| about his brother, but the colored man
| claimed TO know nothing about Mr..
| John Murphy. Finally the Mr.. Murphy
who had come to the saloon in the
| morning went to his brothers room and
there found the corpse of John j. Muir
ply. Powers was arrested on suspicion.
| Srots of blood were found on his shoes
J and parts of his clothing We're discov-
cred in the stove.
Made Confession.
The colored man finally made a con-
fesson i'm which he said he went to the
( room of his employer and beat him to
death and committed the robbery. He
! said he put the plumber in a garbage
| box. When the box was examined the
( property was not found. 1t was the
theory of the police that the proceeds
of the robbery were taken away with
some refuse Powers, when called to
trial, repudiated his confession, but he
was convicted on circumstantial evil
dence. The case was prosecuted by AS
sistant States Attorney Pearson, who
says Powers was sent to the galows in
a remarkably short time after he COM
mitted the crime of which he was ac-
cused.
1t is supposed that Powers left the
window of the saloon open to give the
impression that the place had been en-
tered by burglars The evidence tend
ed to show that he committed the muir
der with a poker William T. Powers
was born in Missouri 26 years ago. For
several years he drfted about the coun-
try, having no settled occupation. About
tho time of the Worlds fair he came o
Chicago
John Lattimore's Crime.
Among the colored men who were in
duced to take up residence i'm Cook
county on account of the drainage ca
nal work was John Latimore. Latti-
more's victim. or rather the victim of
baltimore and Rucker. was Louis Mar
avic, boarding house keeper at Sum-
NIT. The crime was committed late last
fall. Maravic, who had known Latti-
more at Willow Springs, came into sum
NIT one evening about Z o'clock. He
was accompanied by his stepson Mara
vic and the hoy went 10 a saloon where
baltimore Henry Rucker and others
were present. Maravic treated some
people, displaying some money When
the money was brought into sight, the
evidence showed. Rucker motioned TO
baltimore and the two men left the sa
loon. A little later Maravic ana his
stepson started down the road. When
they were about halfway home they
met two colored men. Maravic ad-
dressing one Of them as John" AL
most Immediately after this Maravic
and the boy were attacked by two coll
ored men. baltimore, il is claimed.
struck Maravic with a rock and tore
out his pocket. Rucker, evidence tend
ed to show. struck the boy.
suspicion Fell ON baltimore.
The boy was not seriously injured and
soon gave an alarm. The story of the
man who was called John" reached
the police. They found there were only
two Johns employed by the drainage
| canal people at Summit one of them.
| Ii was known. was not In the neigh
bcrhood where the crime was commit
ted and suspicion Immediately fell upon
baltimore.
Rucker was arrested and admitted
that baltimore and himself had robbed
Maravic. He said he did not get any
of the money. At the time he made
this statement he did not know that
Maravic was dead. Later he denied the
confession. but his testimony on the
nf 49, rlx In