Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-29

BALTIMORE, July 2S.-Upon one
scaffold and simultaneously four me-
groes we're hanged at g.. As a. m. to-day
in the Baltimore city jail yard Three
of the men, Cornelius Gardner, john
Myers and Charles James, paid with
their lives for criIninally assaultlng
Annie Bailey, a thirteen-year-old
negress, while Joseph Bryan, the fourth
member of the quartette, killed Mary
Pack, a negress with whom he had
lived.
A fifth negro, Daniel Rodgers, con-
victed of killing his brother-in-laW,
Charles Lewis, was TO have occupied
the same scaffold but his sentence was
committed to life imprisonment by
Gov. Lowndes, and he now occupies
cell in the penitentiary.
The necks of James Myers and Bryan
were broken by the fall and they oled
almost instantly.
Gardner's cap became disarranged IN
the fall and his face was visible TO the
spectators. He was apparently con-
scious about one moment, after Whlch
he slowly strangled. James body was
the first to be lowered at 1917. Gard
ner,s hodv was suspended "A minutes,
the sheriff preferring to be satlshed
that life was extinct in all cases DeIore
removing the bodies from the scanold.
Cornelius Gardner, Charles James
and John Myers were convicted OF GRIM
inaly assaulting Annie Bailey, coioreo'
IA wears of age, at her home in Vine
street. The crime was particularly re-
voting. 1t was committed on April
% the men were indicted on May /,
and found guilty ON June II. On the
following day in passing sentence
Jduge Wright dwelt at length upon the
nature of the charges against the men
and said it would have been a lasting
disgrace to the court had the jury re-
turned any verdict other than guilty.
He added that he was disposed to give
in this case there was neither doubt nor
extenuating circumstances. In order
to thoroughly satisfy himself before
passing sentence, he said he had en-
ployed detective to go over the GROUND
independent of the testimony before
the court and TO find, if possible, some
extenuatng circumstances. The detec-
tive had failed TO find one circumstance
tending to lessen the aggravated ma
ture of the offense The girl was in
her room on the second floor of her lit
tie home alone at the time OF the as
oault The men entered, one at time.
A sister of the girl discovered the crime
and reported it TO the police. Gardner
was found hiding il the house in
small attic room. He was covered
with dust and dirt and presented woe
begone appearance. No trouble was
experienced in locating the other two,
and they were soon under arrest. For
q time it was feared the victims in
lures would cause death. She under
went CONFUSION after CONFUSION.
After two weeks of suffering, during
which the child was unconscious most
of the time, her strength returned and
she was sufficiently recovered to appear
against her assailants.
Joeph Bryan was convicted of MUIR
der, on April % last, of his common
law wife, Mary Pack, colored. Bryan
had lived about six years with the
woman, who had deserted her husband
to take up with him. They were both
of a quarrelsome disposition and their
fights were the talk of the neighbor-
hood of their home, at 123 Rogers ave
!, nue.. About a week prior TO the muir
der the woman upbraided Bryan for
not giving her enough money. After
the usual quarrel Mary left the house
and went TO live with a friend at 205
south Dellas street Bryan did not dis
cover her Whereabouts until the day
of the murder. when he went to the
Dallas street house and demanded that
the woman return to him some OF his
clothing, which he claimed she had
carried away with her. A quarrel fol-
lowed Bryan claimed that the woman
threatened TO scalG him and lunged at
him with a knife with which she had
been peeling potatoes. Bryan over
came her. took the knife away and
deliberately cut her throat. The wo-
mans 15-year-old daughter witnessed
her mothers death. Bryan confessed.
but said he was drunk at the time
This was denied by witnesses and the
jury on June Is rendered verdict of
murder in the first degree after TWEEN
ty-fye minutes elaboration.