The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-26

1
10 the governor for Communication,
Judge Halt set the day Sd death for Au-
gust Two DAYS botore the time set.
wade the Anal preparations were beng
made, the governor iespscd Shaw for one
week, in order 70 examine an application
ior communication. He was TO have been
hsngea on Friday. August IL, for the gov
ernor refused disc application for respite.
On Tuesday morning, August 2, the alarm
spread that Shaw had escaped fron 1a,l.
He had secu: ed a case knife. and with tnas
/ he iiled the rivct that held the paddock on
lis shacklts, He also secured a piece Of
1 wire from his bed wound newspaper
very tightly into u long coil, and tied the
| wire ~ this. On the end of the Wire he
inside hook. About IL O'Clock Monday
| night Tom Morgan, the guard fell ASLEEP
on a cot. near the cell door, Previously he
Tad placed his pantaloons on the floor near
the cell door. Shaw secured the panta
i looms by means OF the wire, got the key
| 70 tie cell and escaped without waking the
guard.
The escape was not gencraly known until
| o'clock. The governor at once offered
| $500 reward fer his capture. Sherdf Stew
/ art offered $500 lnore Tscf the long chase
began. Hundreds OF men eieagget and
searched Bfazos brakes and iuncles In
vain. Shaw was fleeing eastward. Finally
ne appeared at Mr. Frank Knislit's in Hin
county near Irene. He was hatless, al
most shoeless, torn with bnanlbles and al
| most starved, Knight tcld him he could
not harbor him. He went out and Mid In
the hay stack. MIR Knight informed Shcr-
| IN Tom Bell that he could deliver Shaw up
TO him. When the ofhcars came Shaw had
gone. Then the trail began, lie was slow
" pursued by men aud 0loodhounds
through Hill county, cut into Navarro
county, and finally captured on the Cotton
Bolt bridge across Trinity river, in Hen
de.son county. near Athens, by a deputy
glS N x,x AN t,.x1 80 UFft f.Nt
the bridge.
Shaw was nnarmed, haggard, worn and
torn by bifars. bitten by insects AMI with
Cit hope He had determaned to surren-
dor Without resistance. which he did, and
Immediately acknowledged mis- identity,
He stated that q woman had helped him
CIT of jail. He also stated that he had
lived on what he could get out of the fields
by night; that ho laid up In the day time.
The story of hs capture is told In many
different ways, but from the officers in
charge the following correct statement was
obtained at the time:
As previously stated Shaw was headed
for a friends house across the river. near
the Anderson county line and was making
good hsadway. Superintendent uleWiut
Of the county farm, Jim Fauk and Sheriff
Tom Bell of Hill county lef, Corsicana with
a pack OF dogs and arrived at Ransey's
Ferry about 8 o'clock Saturday morning.
Superintendent Dewitt was TO watch that
community. while Bell ami one or two
others were 10 so farther down the river.
The two parties separated and very soon
afterwards DaWitt got word that Shaw
had been seen above the ferry. He put In
MS dogs and struck the trail, pushing
Shaw so hard that he changed his course,
going up the river. Knowing that the rail-
road bridge was the bsst crossing place.
a Ia
there, the dogs were called of fer a rest,
they having nun until very hot. ana the
party went back to the ferry with the In
tention Of taking up uae trail yesterday
morning. This. however. was prevented by
Shaw's capture Saturday night about dark,
Instead Of resting Shaw kept up the river
until within sight Of the bridge where he
saw scrne section hands at work. III dart
ed around Through the brush. waiting for
darkness before attempting to cr0ss the
bridge. He was seen by tha section hands.
who reported tSe matter to Deputy Sheriff.
Waiter Anthony. who Immediately shout
dertli bis rifle and went after him. He
sew him crossing tive bridge, halted him
and took him UP to Trinidad station.
Shaw offered no resistance. and was
hardly able to get along, as he was very
weak from fatigue and exposure.
In a short time after he was again placed
in Jail, an affidavit charging Shaw with
lunacy was made by his sister, and again
u hard fight was made to save The muir
derer. Fer three days his attorneys closely
contested every inch of gr1unds
November II The jury returned verdict
Shaw sane aud perfectly respoa-
sble for his acts and The next day he was
again sentenced to hang.
Shaw went through abe trial with quiet
demeaDor and received The yerdl5t of the I
Jury without the exhibition OF any unusual |
emotion. Ills aged and feeble mother, who |
had been at bis side in the court room |
throughout the proceedings, WAS overcome |
by the verdict and had TO be assisted from |
the building.
His mothers testimony in the insanity |
trial developed some facts that somewhlt |
account for his bloodthir5ty nature. She |
testified that a few months prior to his |
birth her husband had n difficulty with
neighbor and was stabbed in the back and
that she saw the bloody gas'h md the cruel
blow THAT made it, She felt revengefnl |
and brooded over It. Later on and shortly |
before the birth of this son, whom she was
trying 10 save, her brother he'd difficulty |
and was badly hurt by his antagonist. She
,elt revengeful over this affair
Only u very short time before John b.
Shaw was ushered into this world u team
mad run away with some of her relatives
aud throw che heavily 10 the ground, /
uniting a deep cash on she head and crush
ing the skull. This she witnessed, ard
when her son was born the gash she saw
made in her husbands back was marked
n the same place in the back Of the child
with red mark and the crushed skull she
saw transferred to him who was now on
rial and VI was months before it grew to-
5efher aud was closed p
SHE also testified that her fon when he
yas a child evincei a very cruel DISPOSE
ion. He would kill chickens and turkeys
lust TO see them die and once killed
horse. That IN growing up NE had seen
much Of murder aud bloodshej qnd had
lad no educational advantages. His ator-
1eys claimed that under those circu1n-
stances he was not responsible for HE
;rimes and should be confined In an asy-
UNI instead of hanged.
Shaw declared that he was glad tho end
vas al hand; he said he had been through
% much that dealh would be reliet
Never has man died 80 Reluctantly. fight
ng every inch " tine ground, determined 20
i've II possible Never a murder more
old blooded TO be revcnged by the law.
ANDY THOMAS KILLED.