The age-herald., 1899-08-05
NEGRO MADE A SHORT TALK Made Peace With God and Would
 ":o to Heaven. HE Dl T REFER TO HIS CRIME Spo = ? His Victims Husband But Ir, Hubbard Did Not Go Near
 Him-Should be Warning, ls Says Witherspoon
]. z T REFER TO HIS CRIME

Centreville, August 4,-(Specia1.)-The closing scene of the tragedy in which Mrs. Hester Hubbard was murdered and her husband was wounded was enacted today at noon, when the trap was sprung and the body of Alex Hill shot downward The hanging took place in the jail, and only those persons allowed by law to be pres ent witnessed the hanging.
 At 11:45 the prisoner ascended the steps of the scaffold, dressed in a suit of nice black clothes He was accompanied by two coqored preachers, Rev. J. w. Wither- spoon and Rev. J. A. Wesley. Religious services lasting several minutes were held. Alex Hill joined in the singing. Rev. J. w. Witherspoon offered an impressive prayer. u #oia Ha ha bed aiat She , t He 0e8l1 :aee warnIns ss l.fe t1a araaa4e fpaa' e la
 ae# go Hsa #aHH AH ,He --az.-
 ius ..H-ous services shs prlasHeH @s rssHl Ing .4 suy H9s 10 sss
 asae a Peace Wlsb s##
 a# 5e 2 ## .s.e. .u hs cad "#I l= a.-e hs a
 0 ## H. ra ala =4 A= E. r.1#t .zie ##Ha g. ta. Azi aa at afts iuHaoza .# 2, aHr#H.nH 1H=# .,-f t= i=4 a#5ar 5s lH1 5.H H.a .a4A ne invited all prtso..~ r43 wished to tell him goodbye to come up and shake his hand. After the few negroes who were present had told him goodbye, the court officers and few other white persons shook hands with him. After they had shaken his hand he saw the husband of Mrs. Hubbard standing off, and called to him, saying:
 "Come here MT. Hubbard, and tell me good-bye you look like you have some thing against me-
 Hubbard did not go near the prisoner. At 12:10 the black cap was adjusted, and at 1912 the trap was sprung, and the body shot downward. For few minutes the body quivered convulsively, and in eleven minutes after the trap was sprung the physicians present pronounced him dead. His neck was broken. The body was placed in nice coffin and turned over to the rel atives of the dead man.
 Sheriff Vance's management of the exe- cution was perfect, and the county is to be congra tulated upon the orderly manner In which it was carried out. This was the first legal hanging In Bibb county for more than fifty years.
 Last Night Alive
 Alex Hill slept well last night and was up early this morning and ate a hearty breakfast He was cheerful to the last and chatted pleasantly with those who came in to see him. When asked where he thought he would go when dead, he promptly responded that he was sure that he would go to heaven. Quite number of negroes visited him during the last three or four days before the hanging Relig- ious services were held at the jail often and Alex joined heartily in the services. Rev. J. A. Wesley has been the spiritual adviser of the prisoner since his conviction. A tremendous crowd of people gathered in town, but the utmost good order prevailed.
 The crime for which Alex Hill was tried and convicted was committed on the 5th day of June, this year, in Bibb county, about three miles from Deoline. lie killed Mrs. Hester Hubbard and seriously wounded her husband. Alex escaped at the time but was captured a few days af- terward in Walker county. Governor Johnston ordered the judge of the Fourth circuit to hold special term of the court for the purpose of trying the case. And on the first day of July he was capvic.a& and sentenced to be hung. This yes the 1rst case tried under the law passed by the last legislature providing for the speedy s5fai of capital felonies.
 The relatives of the condemned man made an effort to have the governor coms mute the sentence, but he refused to in. terfere. Alex Hill was a small man very black, with high cheek bones and thick iips' He was about 26 years of age.