The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-08-01
Two Negroes Hanged by Sheriff Waller. KILLED ELEM FOSTER Execution Conducted Private ly;in County Jail. Condemned Men Harangued Crowd of Negroes from Jail Window and Met Death With
 Smiles on Their
 Faces.

nOunce0 dead within three minutes. VIII Starks was hanged twenty-seven minutes later, the trap door falling with his body at 1928 o'clock. He died in six minutes. The bodies fell six feet, and the necks of both men were broken.
 Exactly forty men were admitted to the jail to witness the double execution. This number included the sheriff and depu- ties, magistrates, court officials, physi- clans, lawyers, newspaper reporters and others who were entitled to be present. Judge W. H. Thomas, of the Montgomery City Court, who sentenced Starxs and Means to be hanged, requested Sheriff Waller to conduct the hanging as pri- vately as possible, and the wishes of Judge Thomas were respected. Spectators Not Admitted. Several hundred men and boys applied to Sheriff Waller and to Judge Thomas for permission to witness the execution, but their requests were uniformly de- nied.
 The sheriff is required to notify the judge of probate, and the clerks of courts of the hour set for an execution. He is also required to have present at least three magistrates and one or more physicians. These magistrates and phy- sicians must make affidavit to the death of the condemned person or persons. Magistrates present yesterday to wit ness the execution of Starlks and Means were Justices Charles Stanford and B. B. Carter of Beat 10. wherein the crime was committed. and Justices R. H. Jones and w. M. Browder of Beat 5, Mont gomery. It is an interesting fact that the negroes Starks and Means were rob- ping the store of Justice Stanford when Elem Foster, a negro, surprised them and was shot and killed. The negroes shot Foster in the darkness and after wards confessed that they thought they had killed Justice Stanford.
 Starks Killed Foster.
 On the gal1ows yesterday, and after Alex. Means had been hanged. Parson A J. Stokes of the Columbus Street Baptist | Church, said he was authorized by VII Starks to say that he, Starks, had fired the shot that killed Foster, and that Means had been led by him into robbins the store.
 pr. Charles Pollard, county physician was present to examine the bodies after death. By his invitation Dr. s. A. Bill ing, pr. R. L. Milligan of West End, and pr. Oscar Johnson of Pike Road, were present. These physicians assisted Dr. Pollard in examining the bodies of the negroes as they hung suspended from the galiows. They joined Dr. Pollard in
 making a certificate of death. l HI pr0paEIl& the 6hAAOWb Ahu bho hC- l groes for the execution Sheriff Waller was assisted by Deputies Belser, McLe- more, Hall. Powell, Taylor. Billiard. Nor | man and Young.
 Sheriff w. o. Robbins of Fillmore County. Sheriff S. D. May of Crenshaw | County. and Deputy Sheriff Eozeman of Autauga County. were interested Epecta- l tors.
 Great Crowd in Street. ! 6r,,li fINyY | of them from the country, stood in front | of the County jail from about 10 o'clock | until they were assured that the negroes | had been hanged. Notwithstanding the i negroes were hanged inside the jail many | persons norbidly curious sat on the roofs l of houses adjacent to the prison through | out the morning hours apparently endeav- | bring to get a glimpse of the condemned | men,
 The morbid desire of the throng of ne- 1 groes in Washington Street was gratifled when at about II o'clock Starks and Means were taken into the large cell at l the southeast corner of the second story l of the building and were permitted to l speak to the crowd from a window. | Means the younger of the negroes, was | the first to address the crowd in the street below the window. He admonished l those of his race not to carry pistols, say l ing that they invariably caused trouble. | He spoke of contracts made between ne- | groes and white men and advised negroes | not to violate these contracts as such vio- lations frequently brought about unfrtend- | ly feeling and led to crime. l He said he had made peace with God and man and was sorry for the crime he had committed. He had been forgiven, he said, for the crime and was reaoy to
 meet his fate.
 Negro Was Happy. l AoId tho cy,nvvd ha wac ba n. py and his face was wreathed with smiles, He admitted that he had committed ter
 rible crime, but his sins had been for given, he said, and he believed ne would go to heaven
 T won't get to heaven today in time | for breakfast" said Starks, but I'll cer- | tainly get breakfast there tomorrow" | Starks and Means were visited early yesterday morning by Parson A. J. Stokes and Parson E. D. Jones. a negro preach l CT of the Liberty Hill Baptist Church, lo- cated ten miles southwest of Montgomery in the neighborhood where Foster was killed by the two negroes The negro preachers remained with the condemned men until they were hanged. substantial breakfast was provided for Starks and Means, but each of them complained of feeling i'll and ate little. After breakfast the negroes bathed and donned new suits of black clothing under the supervision of Deputy Sheriffs Young and McLemore.
 Preparing for Death.
 For two weeks Starks and Means had occupied the death cell at the north end | of the main cage room on the ground floor of the jail. This cell is adjacent to the iron platform or gallows built in the rear corridor of the cage room. Early yesterday morning the negroes were re- moved to a larger cell on the second fioo~ of the jail and directly over the Jailer' 8 office. Here they spent the morning in song and prayer with Parson Stokes and Parson Jones.
 1 After haranguing the crowd in the street about thirty minutes, the negroes were notified that the time was near when they must die. Means was told that he would be the first to ascend the gallows. Neither of the negroes showed emotion. Religious fervor sustained them. A smile was constantly on the face of Starks and Means appeared calm and resigned.
 Means on the Gallows. When two deputies appeared at the cell door for Means he arose, took of his