The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-03-04

Asheville. y. G.. February 26.-Dudley
johnson. white. and Ben Foster. color
ed. were hanged here today at 1880
o'clock for burglary.
The bodies were given a church burial
during the afternoon.
Burglary in the first degree In North
Carolina is a capital offense and todays
executions were the fina chapter III a
ease attended by many exciting Incl
tents in which a finance came to a
hospital and married the man the bur-
glars were believed to have wounded to
death n whose bravery called forth
a letter of praise from Charles Emory
Smith. at that time postmaster general.
Four men conspired to rob the COM
bined postoffice and store kept by Sam
ueI Alexander. at Emma. a little ham
let a few miles distant from Asheville,
on the night of February 1. 1901.
Alexander was called to the door IN
der pretext of buying groceries and at
the point of a revolver was searched
and disarmed. He was then forced to
open the safe. Dudley Johnson, white,
and Ben Foster, colored. were inside
the store, and Russell Gates, white, and
Harry Mills, colored. were guarding the
outside.
Johnson was holding a revolver at
Alexander's head when his at IN
was distracted m~omentarily. Ill a
flash Alexander seized the revolver n
snapped 1t at Johnson. They grappled
and it was not until Alexander a
been shot twice and repeatedly stabbed
that he lost consciousness
Citizens were attracted by the shoot
ing and the burglars ran. Later, they
were captured and removed To Char-
lotte for safe-keeping. For weeks
Alexander. the hero. fingered at deaths
DOOR.
In the meantime his fiancee went to
him and they were married. The people
made up a purse for them. The post
master general wrote Alexander a per-
sona letter thanking him and express
ing the highest admiration for his
bravery.
The four men were convicted OF bur-
glary and condemned to die On August
9TH. Governor Aycock was besiged
with petitions for clemency from all
parts of the United States and finally
a short time ago committed the SEN
tence of Gates and Mills to imprisan-
ment for life.
{ Correspondence of The Mcssenger.)
Wilson. N. c., February 26.
John Henry Rose has paid his debt
to the state of North Carolina. He was
hanged here this morning at 1921
o'closk.
A hanging is something unusual in
the history of Wilson county. there
having been but one other such OCCUR
renee since the county was formed.
During he war a negro was hanged
here for the murder of his young mas
ter.
The crime for which Rose paid the
death penalty was a brutal one. Tom
Farmer,a respectable farmer living near
Lucama, was returning to his home one
evening last August when he was shot
from ambush by Rose. Everything
known to the legal profession was done
to have his sentence committed to life
imprisonment, but Governor Aycock.
after a careful examination of the evil
dence. decided to let the law take it's
course. After being sentenced the con-
demned man confessed his crime. but
claimed to have been urged to do the
deed in selfdefense.
The condemned man met his death
in a cool manner. He Shove no signs
of breaking down. The only words
from the scaffold were made by Rev.
A. P. Tyer his spiritual adviser. He
told those present that his last words
to the world were that he was ready to
meet his God.
Sheriff Sharpe was assisted in the
execution by Deputy Sheriff Warren, Of
Nash county; Deputies Mayo and Mills,
of Wilson. He was pronounced dead
by DR.. Croker.