The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-01


If he did not go. and If he ever told about
| 1t afterwards they would kill him The
| party then proceeded to the house. John
son went in a room next to Cooks and
tried the door, but did not get in. He came
back and they went to the window. john
| son snatched the window shutter open.
| Mrs Myers heard the noise and asked Cook
| what was that that fell He replied :. Moth
| ing" Tho three waited awhile, ana Hale
got the axe and gave it to johnson. john
son and Rivers went few yards away and
| got bee gum and placed 1t at the window
| and Johnson climbed in.
A match was lighted. Rivers saw Cook
| asleep on the bed with his hands under his
head. The light was put out Rivers heard
Johnson hit Cook two or more times. John
son then came out. Then the trio went to
| Mrs. Myers room. Mrs. Myers had heard
| the noise and came and opened the door.
| johnson hit her with the axe; she fell and
| dropped the lamp. Johnson picked 1t up.
| Rivers was handed the lamp, which he
held About this time young Mrs. Ida My
| ers came in and asked Johnson what that
| meant, and he struck her with the axe
| She fell, and told Johnson not to kill her,
| but he struck her again two or three more
| times with the axe.
They then robbed the trunks of the
money.
They then went out to the store John
son went in. After awhile he came out with
some oil in gallon cup and gave 1t to Riv-
ers All three went back to the house.
They met Cook at Mrs. Myers room door,
begging for light. johnson took the axe
and struck at him. The oil was thrown up
against the door. Rivers poured the bottle
of oil on Cooks bed and fired it. and then
gave Johnson the lamp, which he set
against the oiled door.
The trio left the house.
They went out piece and put on their
lob .ffa. a
hand full of money, but he did not want IT,
so they took part of it back, leaving him
s21.
Johnson and Hale told Rivers to go home
by the road so that the first one that can,e
to the fire would spoil out the tracks. He
ran all the way home and did not go back
to the fire until next day.
History OF the Crime
The details of tho crime for which these
men were hanged shows 1t to have been one
of absolute cold blood, robbery being the
cause. The double murder occurred in Jo-
sic beat, in Pike county, last December.
Mrs. Myers was widowed lady, and her
daughter-in-law resided with her. She con-
Quoted mercantile business, and besides
earning a comfortable living, had saved up
several thousand dollars. A young man
named Cook also lived at the home of Mrs.
Myers, he conducting her business. John
son and Hale were near neighbors of Mrs.
Myers, and both were highly respected
young men. They were intimate friends
with the residents at the Myers home and
were aware that Mrs. Myers kept her mon
ey in her house. y
In December johnson and Hale visited
Midway, and, purchasing a jug of whisky,
both were drinking heavily. 1t was on their
return home that they planned to rob Mrs.
4 Mxrap 49,
house, and then burn the residence to con-
ceal their crime.
Sam Rivers, a negro was taken into their
confidence, and assisted in one of the most
brutal crimes ever committed in south Ala
bama.
Late at night the three men repaired to
the home of Mrs. Myers and carried out
their heinous plan.
The young man, Cook, twice knocked in
sensible by the murderers, and finally left
for dead still lives While the home was
burning he dragged the two murdered wo-
men from the house, then falling insensible
to the ground.
The burning of the home attracted the
| neighbors, and soon people from the sur
rounding country We're at the scene. John
| son and Hale were among the last to ar
| rive, but they were very earnest In. their
| efforts to ferret out the murderers. The
| day after the murder they drove the hearse
to the funeral of the two women.
Cooks Account of Murder
1t was but few days until Cook recov-
cred his senses and he told the story of the
, murder, substantially as did the negro
Rivers, but Cook could not identify the
murderers, as the work was done in total
darkness. The robbers secured $1,000 De-
tectiveS were placed on the case, and soon
suspician rested on johnson, Hale and
Rivers sufficient to cause their arrest
Rivers turned states evidence, and at the
February term of the court all three men
were convicted and sentenced to hang. Last
| week a strong appeal was made to the
! governor to commute the sentences to life
| Imprisonment, but the governor refused to
| interfere. He would have committed the
sentence of Rivers had the solicitor and
| trial judge asked it, but these officials
| stated that they believed the negro to be
as guilty as the white men.
Hale made the following statement in the
| Jail this morning under condition that it
would not be made public until after he
| was dead
About three weeks before the killing OF
| Mrs. Myers, Thomas johnson approached
| me one morning at his horse lot, where
! had gone to feed the stock, and made this
| remark: Richard l know where about
i four hundred dollars is that is doing no.
| body any good that can be easily gotten
| and no one hurt" 1 asked Mr.. Johnson
| where, and he replied at old Mrs. Myers.
| Immediately told him that / did not get
| my living that way, and turned and left
| him. This was before day and it was dark;
| | had my lantern with me at the time. 1t
| was under a certain mulberry tree in said
/ Thomas Johnson's lot. r. Il. HALE.
| Witness: r. M. Roberts.
| CHARLES 8. JOHNSON.