Newport weekly independent., 1902-10-03


 men must have been the sole consid- eratlon entering into the selection of this mode of death for capital punish ment by the lawmakers of most of the American states. It is indeed an awful death, even to contemplate, for one whose own life must be exacted in retribution for that one taken with reconciliation and malice of fore thought. 1t must take an inconceiv- able amount of cool, determined cour- age to face the gallows without finch ing. Such stamina in such an hour must be partially attributed at least to the state of mind-that it does not sanely and fully conceive the awful ness of the death ahead, or the victim would rebel or manifest his fear. 1T would rather be shot down like a dog," were among the last words spo- ken by Wallace Grant, the condemned murderer of Essex Powers, just before he met this terrible death Friday morning. It was not the only remark of the kind he made after ascending the scaffold. Several times he had interspersed other farewell messages with such as the following: "Get another way of killing man besides this, for it's an awful death," and "What an awful death."
 But let us return from the tragic end and first review the last hours of the negro. The appeal to the Cover nor for communication of the sentence to life Imprisonment was based upon the plea that Wallace Grant was not i'll his right mind at the time of the killing. But the Governors final ra fusal Wednesday to intervene settled the prisoners fate and lett him in the custody of the sheriff for the execu- tion of the courts decree.
 Much interest has been manifested in the condemned man as the date of execution drew nigh. Great crowds surrounded the jail Thursday and many viewed the scaffold which had been completed Wednesday. Thurs day, the prisoner expressed desire to be baptized and in accordance with this wish, he was immersed in tub that evening by Elder Green.
 When seen by reporter for the INDEPENDENT just half hour before his execution Friday morning, Grant of wered readily and cheerfully questions as they were piled him. He is short stockily built negro, 28 years old and weighing 148 pounds, about feet 1 inches in height with thick mullato lips, small ears and kinky head. There is little expression to his face, his nose fiabby and fiat and his whole facial makeup would not indicate a negro of average intelligence. He was neatly dressed in a new suit ot plain black over white shirt with low collar. His shoes had been polished and with buttonhole boquet of two pink roses, one without considering the jail surroundings, would have thought his toilet prepared for some social event.
 Though the jailer stated that Grant had been morose and sullen Thursday he could not have been called that Friday morning. He said that he thanked the Lord for one thing anc that was he now had faith and was ready to go. Speaking of his past life he said that this had been his first trouble He came to Newport in 1896 had worked at the Oil Mill, for the Kelley Lumber Company and for Tobe McLain. He did not want to be buried here, though neither of hi. parents was living. He wanted hi body shipped to Alexander, Arkan' sas, to his grand father George Grant
 There were flowers in his cell, tht gift of friends and Mrs. Randy haC sent him fruit the night before, whicl seemed however to have gone un tasted! Rev. s. E. Johnson had ad ministered to him the Lords Suppe, and was with him at the time of th' reporter's visit. Grant with his bible open, had his finger upon the text ant read aloud Luke 12-8-"Also I sa, unto you, whosoever shall confess mt