The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-07
KEZIAH HANGED.
: LEGAL EXECUTION 80 THE
NEW JAIL.
The Penalty for a Deliberate and Gofd-
Bloode6 Murder-Deatfl Marct,
&as Most Impressive.

s&as Most Impressive.
John kezlah, negro. was executed in
the new jail Friday, June 5. as directed
by Jaw. The crime for which enc muir
derer paid the penalty with his fife was
committed at Pickett station on Che
Shreveport and Texarfana railway, on
November 20, 1902. His victim was VIII
liam Steele, a negro. with whom he 1lad
been gambling. A dispute arose between
the men over so cents which Kezia1l, a
bully, insisted should be returned 70
him. In frenzy of temper Kezial muir
dered Steele and when pursued by Con,
stable Fyron. he stopped several times
IN his course and deliberately fired at
the officer. from whom he escaped. He
was apprehended. however. and jailed.
He was given fair trial, during which
he was ably defended by his attorneys.
Messrs. Fullilove & Mills. who, after
his conviction exerte6 every measure
known to law But without await. The
State was represented by District tor
ney Land, who submitted the case to
the jury without argument. It was a
plain case of murder and the Jury re-
sponded unqualifedly to the evidence
and the law. On an appeal to the STU
preme Court by the attorneys for the
prisoner the verdict of the jury was sus-
tanned. As usual all efforts to commute
the sentence to life fe:imprisonment were
eNerted IN behalf of the prisoner, who
llHtH the eve of the day fixed for the
.eSsetltion, had comported himself as
orissaYho was in jail for amusement
having festive time with his co1npar-
IONS The Communication failed and the
decree of law demanding the penalty
being manifest, there came over the
prisoner desire to be saved and he
had summoned to his side the minis
tiers he had rejected. He soon became
invested with religious frenzy through
which he imagined that he would be
taken to glory on angels wings, and
with more or less stimulants he ascend
ed the trap from which his body was
sprung into space, dangling by the neck
at the end of rope Keziah died OF
stranguiation.
1t is unnecessary to indulge in de-
tails which are grueso1ne and which
would invest the murderer with some
degree of martyr. Throughout the
several stages preceding the hanging
the only feature which was impressive
was the march from the old jail to the
new. On either side of the streets there
were jams of people, mostly negroes
who were wildly impressed by the SOL
enlnity of this scene. When the prisoner
had disappeared inside the Jail the
crowd seemed relieved of some oppres-
sion and resumed the maudlin spirit oi
anxiety and of curiosity which was
heightened when it was announced that
Keziah was dead As the body was not
then visible to public view, the crowe
gradually dispersed, until there were
only left the officers of the law, ths
sheriff and some of his deputies, ths
wife of the man hanged and few o.
her friends who synpathized with her
And what effect will this execution
have on the vicious, on those inclined tt
defy all law? 1t is a terrible punishment
for a human being to be executed le
gally, but, after all, if there were more
legal hangings with less display of ths
sensational, the effect no doubt wou1e
be most salutary. AS it is, the hanging
of murderer is attended with more Oh
less sentiment, which is alpost a ira
vesty on justice and the law, which i:
cold and unsy1npathetic. Perhaps it i!
best that the criminal, when hanged
should imagine that henceforth he is tc
dwell in the midst of flowers and honey
It is better that he should be shuff1ed of
in that spirit than to lose his nerve
and have to be dragged to the scaffold
held up and hanged anyway. The fate
Of Keziah should be a warning tc
others. .<