Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-06
THE HANGING OF WILLIAMS AND
DOWNING YESTERDAY.
THE NIGHT BEFORE DEATH.
Both Pronounced Dead In &c"
Minutes After the Trap Feii-'"e
ut.tory Of Their Crimcs-A Terri
Bile Character.
Bile Character.

he felt sure he was going TO a blesseu
hereafter.
Tbroughout the night. at the request oil
the condemned. the inmates of the JAN.
| or many of them. gathered In front OF
the cells in which the murderers were
confined. and all night long sang an"
prayed with them. Rev. Father Klley'
Downings spiritual adviser, came TO see
Downing. and spent some time with him.
administering the last consultations OF
the Church. Rev. Charles Sparks (coi-
oreO came in a few minutes later, ana
remained till q little after o'clock, eN-
horting and praying with Ni'Iia ms
| About this hour Solomon Bridseiorth
I (colored) sent to each of the negroes
| neat bououet and a bundle of cigars. both
| of which were appreciated the negroes
smoking with evident enjoyment.
THEY ATE LIGHTLY.
,rbev ate lightly about S, o'clock, and
q fow minutes later. when they had been
! dressed i'm neat suits OF clothing ser
geant Iawler proceeded with the read
| ing of the death warrant. Nhen ne DC,
can. Downing, for the first time shoWeu
| signs of weakening, and began TO weep
He braced up. however, ana wheh, Jew
minutes later. the men were handcuhed,
and under the escort Of the Sergeant and
three policemen. started for the scaiioid.
thew each walked firmly. They ascended
the fifteen steps Of che gallows without
a falter. and took their places on the
Trans A number OF citizens anf officials
were assembled in the jail-yard.
THE TRAPS sPRUNe.
mi. frame vpere sprung at S1S The
bodies shot downward. Downing's body
ouivered like an aspen leaf. Williams
y,y5tbed convusively, and then both were
still nh. .ho
Inst eight minutes later. DR.. Baker, the
| CITY Physician. pronounced them ueau'
Their necks were broken.
| DR. Maurice, of the Richmond Medical
| College. arrived TO take charge OF the
body of Downing. which was taken 10 tne
morGue and then TO Richmond TOT lhe
! state Anatomical Board.
The body of Williams was taken 10
Princess Anne county by relatives for
| interment
The execution. under the direction OF
| CITY Sergeant Lawler, was as neatly done
as possible. There was not a hitcn.
WILLIAMs'S CRIME.
The crime for which Williams died was
| tho murder of George Bess (colored), on
hoard the oyster schooner Caroline D.,
in this port on the night Of April lo'
1896. According to confession uhdei
oath. made by Williams 10 the Coroner
iurv he and the murdered man fell out
over a game Of casino. Bess attacked MIN
and he ran up to the deck, sun pur-
sued by Bess. When he reached the deck,
he saw near the rail an axe, "hlch
no seized and then warned his antago-
10 not
needed. according TO Williams. and when
Ress rushed forward TO attack him he
struck him over the head with the axe,
innicting an instantly fatal wound, the
body falling on erboard. Williams mace
his escape and remained at his home IN
this city till arrested. about a week
later when he made the confession above
given. He afterwards sought to retract
this. claiming that it was eXtorted by
force but the testimony all went 10
establish it. and to show that the
killing was not in self-defence, but
for the purpose of robbery, as the
prisoner had great deal of the
effects of the dead negro in his
possession. including a suit Of cloth
ing. The body of Bess was attired only
| in a suit of underwear when found, and
il is thought that Williams stripped the
body of the clothing found in his pos
session Williams was convicted in the
Corporation Court. of this city, and the
case was taken to the Court Of Appeals
but the latter court refused to interfere
The Governor was then asked to extend
Executive clemency, committing the SEN
tence 10 life Imprisonment. but beyOnC
granting one reprieve he also refused tC
interfere in the case.
Williams was born in this county, anC
the Jail officials have taken great dea
of interest in his old mother who ha:
frequently visited him al the Jail She
is a typical old nanny, and her sincere
grief over the terrible end Of her sol
was pathetic IN the extreme. Whh4 m:
was a model prisoner, and declared tha
he died a Christian During imprison
ment he Joined the Baptist Church.
DOWNING's CRIME.
William Downing. on Dodd, known 10
the police as Black Dick" Was one OF
the worst prisoners the city jail ever
contained. Upon several occasions he
came near doing the most serious injury
to the Jail officials. and had been in
shackles nearly the whole Of the last
three months.
On the night of May 2, 1896 Downing
went to the house Of Emma Lane, alsC
known as Dodd and raised a row with
| one of the inmates about some trivia
| matter While the row was in progress
Emma Lane appeared at the door, and
without any warning, Downing drew 2
revolver and shot her twice in the aldo
men, He then replaced the weapon ii
his pocket and left the house. The wo
man was taken TO the hospital, and dieC
three days later. Downing was arrest
ed and convicted in the Corporation
| Court.
His defence was that he was watching
the door, expecting to see enter a mar
who had sworn to kill him, and tha
when the Lane woman came in he free
5 twice before he recognized mis- mistake
His story was not believed. and he wa:
sentenced to hang December 3D. The
e Governor reprieyed him till to-day, bu
; refused to further interfere.
II is hard to imagine a more perfec
brute than Downing. He has repeatedly
told the City Sergeant that he woul'
have 10 be shot, and that he would neve
hang. Only yesterday morning. II
changing his clothing. the jailer had Il
proceed with the greatest caution 10 pre-
, vent the prisoner doing him injury. l
was necessary TO remove the shackle
from his hands until the upper portion
of his BODY was dressed. They were thcl
replaced and the leg-irons removed unit
the clothing OF the lower limbs had beel
changed.
ATTACKED A CONDUCTOR,