Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-08-20
TIE eAGES COMPLETED
For the Reception Of McDOWsll's
Condemned Murderers.
THE CRIMES FOR WHICH CALD-
WELL AND BROADENAX WILL
SUFFER, IF NOT RETRIEVED.
AN INTERESTING STORY FROM
THE PENITENTIARY.


The steel cages in the annex building
to the Moundsville penitentiary, where
in the first executions will be had since
the State legislative enactment became
law, designating where murderers shall
be executed, are about finished for the
reception of Shep Caldwell and Frank
Broadenax, colered. They are to be
executed, If reprieve or Communication
of sentence to life Imprisonment does
not intervene, October 10th next. Both
men are from Mcdowell county. Cald-
well was convicted of killing his wife
without any mitigating circumstances.
BroadenaX was convicted of having
killed sixteen-year-old boy.
Caldwell declares that his crime was
without intent to kill. and that he is
victim of circumstances. He served
a term in the prison and was regarded
as a good and obedient convict.
BroadenaX says the pistol with
which he is alleged to have killed the
boy was loaded with defective cart
ridge; that he had prior to the killing
attempted several times to explode it
and then he tried it at the boy, when it
did explode and fatally wounded him
in the stomach.
Caldwell wrote a letter to his Fay
cite county attorney soon after his ar
rival, asking him to try for a commu-
tation of sentence to life Imprisonment.
He will be required to raise thirty dol
lars to defray necessary expenses, and
ii HIS convict friends do not raise 1t
for him, it is doubtful if he will be able
to bring his plea for executive clemency
before the proper tribunal.
Broadenax apparently accepts his fate
and patiently awaits the inevitable
stoically. The men asked for and re-
ceived Bibles at the hands of Archdea-
con Spur, of the Episcopal Church,
who is regarded as the special friend
and guide of the convicts. He calls
on them frequently and they appear
ready to accept his advice and counsel.
The death watch report both men as
having good appetites and sound sleep
ers.
Warden s. A. Hawk issued orders
to the death watch and sees personally
that they are promptly attended to,
that the condemned and friendless muir
derers be given everything IN reason
they request to eat, and tobacco to use
and that every kindness and attention
be accorded them.
The entering chamber from the ca
pacious cell room from where the con-
demned men will pass up pair OF stairs
onto the scaffold and the small execu-
ton room are gruesome as the tomb OF
the dead.
A pleasant feature Of the big prison
is the evening music, commencing at
$50 D. M, lasting one hour. A visit
or may be delighted with hearing mus
ical sounds from every kind of instru-'
ment. from the iewsharD to the bass
yiol and cornet.
The colored quartette are famous
and humorous lot of singers and War
den Hawk frequently delights visitors
by permitting them to sing in the north
and south hall.
Marshall Darlington, member of the
ouartette, and soul-stirring singer
toward whom the warden has extended
snecial fayors. rears on his heels once
in awhile. and sometimes needs vigor-
GUS checking to get him in line again.
During these Don Quixote" spells he
is no longer the sweet singer and plays
all sorts of lunatic pranks, feigning in
sanity.
However, he is now in his normal
condition and delights his listeners by
his pathetic as well as ludicrous songs.
If the good which is largely developed
in Darlington be by him permitted to
master the big devil in him. he may
vet delight outside audiences.
Ladies' Fast Black Hose, with white
foo+ +b;c uaalx e cents at