The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-09
GLAD OF HIS DEED
HORACE STEVENS PERRY HANGED
AT DECATUR, GA.
Sorry to Leave His Wife and Five Little
Children to Shift For Themselves, But
II He Had to Kill Lanier. the Theologi-
cal Student, Over Again He Would Do
Assault on Mrs. Stevens and Shot Him
In Defense of His Home-Unusually
Horrible Rape C.se In Georgia.

Horrible Rape Cxse In Georgia.
Atlanta, Ca, Sept. S.-H. S. Perry wa
hanged for the murder Of Belly LAME
at Decatur today. The execution tool
place on a gallows in the yard of tn
Decatur county Jail. The doomed mar
was cool TO the last. On the scaffold n
declared his innocence Of the crime o
murder and reiterated his statement tina
he killed Lanier to protect the sanctity
Of his home.
The drop fell at 11:43 a. m
| When the doomed man alighted in front
OF the jail az Decatur, his attention was
drawn to the smoking ruins OF a row OF
| small houses which had burned during
the night. Among them was the house
in which Lanier, his victim, died. He
was startled by the coincidence, bu:
made no comment.
| II Perry felt any regrets at having
| killed Lanier, he refused to say so.
Last night. just after he had finished
q prayer. and appeared TO be greatly ag-
| itated, Guard Harris said:
4
done? Do you feel sorry for having kill
ed Lanier?"
Without a moments hesitation, Perry
| said:
mo, do not. The only regret have
Is over leaving my children and my
wife. Under the same circumstances 1
would act again as 1 did before. for l
think did right
On the gallows the condemned man Of
fered up a short prayer for his own soul
and for his wife and five title children.
he muttered: II die in defense Of my
wife" These were his last words.
STORY OF PERRY'S CRIME.
Horace Stevens Perry was conducting
small grocery business in Atlanta
when he committed the crime for which
he paid the penalty on the gallows to-
day To supplement the family's in
come, Mrs. Perry took boarders at their
home on Piedmont avenue and among
these was Belly Lanier, young theolo-
gical student. The domestic relations
of the Perrys were not happy. Perry
had become infatuated with a woman Of
questionable character. In the troubles
that arose from the laison Lanier be-
came involved and as result Perry shot
and MORALLY wounded him in the court
house at Decatur on Monday, March is.
After lingering FOR few days, Lanier
died from the effects Of the wound.
Both men were under arrest when the
shooting occurred, having been taken
into custody at Ineleside, to which place
Perry had followed Lanier. for the avow-
ed purpose of avenging an insult TO his
wife.
Though both were searched, Perry sue
ceeded in concealing a pistol, and no
sooner had the party entered the court
house at Decatur than ne fired upon
Lanier. After the shooting Perry said
his only regret was the fear that La
nier might live. He declared that La
nier had outraged Mrs. Perry.
Lanier strenuously denied that he had
committed the assault and before his.
death made a statement in which he
said Perry was angry because he Ga
nier) had told Mrs Perry Of Perry's il
legal relations with other women.
Perry was placed on trial for his life
at a special term of the DeKalb superior
court at Decatur on Tuesday, April q,
and convicted. The case was appealed
to the state supreme court, which re-
fused to grant new trial Strong pres
sure was then brought TO bear on Cover
nor Atkinson 10 save the condemned
man, but after granting a respite 10 al
low himself time to investigate the case,
the governor refused to interfere.
The solep lea of the defense through |
out was that Perry killed Lanier TO !
avenge an outrage upon his wife.
ATROCIOUS RAPE CASE.
Macon, Ga, Sept S.-Miss Sallie Chap |
man, living al l53 First street with her |
half brother, ]. c. McInvale, was as |
saulted and brutality outraged in her bed !
room by an unknown man between |
and O'Clock this morning. Miss Chap |
man is handsome young woman abou:
20 years OF age. She was sleeping in
the same room with a 9-year-old girl.
This morning she was aroused from a
sound sleep by feeling hand on her
throat and saw a dim form bending over
her. She tried 10 scream. but her assail-
ant closed his hand on her throat and
choked her. He then succeeded in &C
his purpose and escaped
through the window.