The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-27
HDNG FOR BURGLARY
White and Negro Suffer Death
in Carolina.
POSTMASTER
But Were Beaten in Hand to
But Were Beaten in Hand to
Hand Combat.
HIS BRAVERY REWARDED
His Promised Bride Married
Him at Bedside.

Asheville, n. c.. Feb. 2s.-Dudley John
son. white, and Ben Foster, colored. were
hanged here today at 1890 for burglary.
They were given q church burial during
| the afternoon.
Burglary at night in North Carolina is
! a capital offense and today's executions
were the final chapter in a case attended
by many exciting Incidents; in which a
fance came to a hospital and married the
man, the burglars were believed to have
heated to death and whose bravery called
forth great praise from Chas. Emory
Smith at that time postmaster general.
The crime was committed in the COM
bined postofice and store kept by Sam
uel Alexander at Emma, a little hamlet,
few miles out of Asheville. on the night
Of February /, 1861 Four planned the
robbery at Asheville, walked down the
railroad track to Emma, called Postmas-
ter Alexander TO the door under pretext
Of buying groceries and forced him at the
point OF a pistol to take them to his room
which they searched, finding his revolver.
They then made him open the safe.
Dudley Johnson, white, and Ben Foster,
colored were inside and Russell Gates,
white, and Harry Mills, coIored guarding
the outside. Johnson laid his revolver
down TO take the money out of the safe
when cat moved in the back part of the
store which attracted the attention Of
Foster. who was holding his revolver at
Alexander's head. Quick as a fash Alex
ander grabbed Johnsons gun, shot Eos
ter and snapped the weapon at Johnson
who grappled with him. The struggle
was long and fierce, Foster joining in.
Johnson had an open knife in his hand
which Alexander caught, cutting his hand
and Foster shot Alexander as they strug-
gled and firing again wounded his part
ner in the face. Neither shots were fatal
and the fight went on. The men were
gradually growing weaker, but Alexander
fought the two men, forcing them TO the
door. Here the postmaster succumbed to
his wounds and fell acTqIs the threshold
of his store The shooting by this time
had aroused the citizens of the hamlet
and on their approach the burglars ran.
posse was quickly organized and the
men were captured a few days later and
placed in jail at Ashevnle Two of the
prisoners were badly wounded but recov-
cred. Excitement at the time T<ss intense
and fearing lynching the governor ordered
two companies Of militia on guard duty
around the jail. To aid them the sheriff
swore in a large number of citizens as
deputies, the services of all being requir-
ed for a week when the prisoners were Sc
cretly removed to Charlotte for safe keep
ing.
For weeks Alexander the hero was at
deaths door His fiance went to him and
they were married. The people made up
purse for him. The postmaster general
wrote him personal letter, thanking him
and expressing the highest admiration of
his bravery. The trial was held last
June, the four men were convicted of
burglary in the first degree and condemn
ed to die August :. They appealed for a
new trial on the ground that the store
was not a dwelling but the court ruled
that it was one under the act of 1898.