The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-01
TRIPLE HANGING
IN PIKE COUNTY
Two White Men and One Me-
gro Executed,
EACH MADE A STATEMENT
Hale and Thomas Denied the
Crime to the Last.
SAM RIVERS MADE A CONFESSION
= ES
But Claimed to H.SS .en Only an
AccOmplic : : ,thers.
S g
WHITE MEN, SERE NERVOUS
The Negro y Death Calmly and Said
He Was Ready to Go-History
of the Murder of the
Myers.
5 5
But Claimed to H<s sen Only an
Aocomplic : : ,thers.

Troy, March S1.-(special.) )-The execution
of Richard Hale and Thomas Johnson.
white, and Sam Rivers, colored, took place
here today between the hours of IL and
2 o'clock. 1t was the first hanging Troy
has had in eighteen years.
The hanging took place just one mile from
the court house in low place near the
city cemetery. The long sloping hills on
either side of where the scaffold was erect
ed were covered with people, between ten
and fifteen thousond being present They
began to gather around the scaffold as
early as o'clock this morning and al
though the hanging was private it made
little difference to them; they wanted to
see and hear all they could. 1t was an
anxious crowd, but kept good. order under
the circumstances, not one difficulty occur
ring during the entire day.
Sam Rivers, the negro, was hung first
Sheriff Sam Reeves and his deputies left
the jail about IL o'clock with the trio,
headed by the Troy militia. Rivers walked
coolly upon the stand just outside the scar-
fold, where about half the crowd could see
him plainly and made his statement. He
spoke about twenty minutes and then told
sheriff for his kind treatment while in jail,
he said: II am ready to CO." The moose
was adjusted, the black cap was placed
over his head and the drop fell at 1910. He
was pronounced dead In eleven minutes
his neck being broken by the fall. He was.
cut down, placed in a coffin and turneo
over to his relatives. While the hanging OF
Rivers was taking place the other two con-
demned men were waiting only a few
yards away in the carriage In which they
had been brought to the scene. Both
seemed to be very nervous as they mounts
ed the stand to make their atonement more
SO than the negro. Richard Hale spoke
first. and came near breaking down. He
spoke fully thirty minutes, and then Tom
Johnson made his statement, which was
short. Johnson looked more excited than
any of the three.
Hale's Statement
Hale said in part:
'"This is one of the solemnest times of my
life to me. thank God this morning that
1 can look into your faces and tell you the
truth, God being my helper. I ask you, my
brethren, while l am trying to talk to pray
for me.
II want the young people In my hearing
this morning to give me their best atten-
ton.
MY dear young people, stand here be-
fore you this morning, knowing that have
to die. Listen to me with all your atten-
ton. have come here to die for a crime,
my dear friends. of which / am not guilty.
have got to die for a crime know noth-
ing about.
MY dear young people, whatever you do.
keep good company. Keep good company.
There Is not one of you standing before me
this morning who will not realize the truth
of what l say when they are into some
low down thing You see before you now
one who has to die asking God to have
mercy. I spent too many years In things
/ ought not to have been. For things did
not do, I cannot ask forgiveness. No.
couldn't do 1t. 1 would to God this morn
ing l could impress into your hearts-that
1t was In my power to impress upon you
that when turn my back upon you that
have told the truth. But know can't do
that. God being my helper, am going TO
clear myself with him. have come to the
realization that have come to my last
moments and have got to die for crime OF
which am not guilty and that don't
know anything about. do not know VINO
did it,
johnson seemed greatly excited when he
began his statement His voice trembled,
and at times his utterances were aimost
incoherent. He said
Johnson's Statement
"I wish now to tell the people that
know my time on earth is short l propose
to tell only the naked truth while stand
here. l will tell you all here this morning
that am innocent of this crime that am
charged with. don't know anything about
1t. j have no idea who did 1t. There Is on
ly one who does know, and that one is the
maker Of us all. 1 want 1t told to all the
MYERS generations. and / have known
them since l was little boy, and IL have
ever said anything harmful about them
cannot recall 1t today. ! know / have got
to Gle feel now that there is no hope for
me on this earth. I have got hopes in the
future. There will be no such things as
this in the future. There will be no trou-
BILE there, and all our afflictions and trials
will be through with. We won't have to
give up our families. and be taken away by